Tuesday, January 14, 2025
USPS to offer retirement incentive
The opportunity is for VER and optional eligible employees in certain crafts
The Postal Service is offering an optional retirement opportunity that includes an incentive to certain employees represented by the American Postal Workers Union and the National Postal Mail Handlers Union.
The incentive offer is available to the following career full-time, part-time flexible and part-time regular employees who are eligible for optional retirement or voluntary early retirement (VER) as of April 30:
• Clerk craft
• Mail handler craft
• Motor vehicle services craft
• Maintenance craft
• Information technology and accounting service centers craft
• National Postal Professional Nurses craft
• Human Resources Shared Service Center (HRSSC), Greensboro, NC
• Headquarters Facility Services, Washington, DC
• Administration and Building Support, Merrifield, VA
• National Material Customer Service Center, Topeka, KS
All eligible employees will receive an offer letter and additional information from the Postal Service the week of Feb. 3 by First-Class Mail. The letter and information will be mailed to the employee’s home address of record. The Postal Service strongly encourages employees to ensure their home address of record is correct.
Details of the retirement incentive offering, important submission dates and other information is available on the MyHR website’s Voluntary Early Retirement or Optional Retirement pages.
Employees can access MyHR by going to LiteBlue and signing in using their employee identification number.
Lunar New Year stamp arrives Jan. 14
The snake takes its turn in the Chinese zodiac cycle
The Postal Service will release Year of the Snake, the sixth in the current Lunar New Year series of stamps, on Tuesday, Jan. 14.
The Lunar New Year holiday is celebrated in many Asian cultures around the world and historically marks the arrival of spring. It has become a popular observance in the United States, with modern festivities that include parades, special foods and gifts.
The lunar calendar operates on a 12-year cycle, with each year assigned a different zodiac animal.
The snake is the sixth animal associated with the Chinese zodiac. The Year of the Snake is sometimes referred to as a “little dragon year” because it follows the auspicious Year of the Dragon.
In 2025, the Year of the Snake begins Jan. 29 and ends Feb. 16, 2026.
The stamp features a snake image that evokes the ornate masks used in Lunar New Year parades.
Green is the predominate color, which is considered lucky for those born in the Year of the Snake. Blue accents represent the wood element in Chinese culture while pink and orange flowers celebrate the arrival of spring.
Antonio Alcalá, an art director for USPS, designed the stamp with original artwork by Camille Chew and photography by Sally Andersen-Bruce.
The Postal Service’s two previous Lunar New Year stamp series ran from 1992-2004 and 2008-2019.
The current series began in 2020 with Year of the Rat, which was followed by the Ox, Tiger, Rabbit and Dragon.
The Year of the Snake stamp will be available in panes of 20 at Post Offices and usps.com.
The Postal Service will dedicate the stamp Jan. 14 during a ceremony in Boston.
On the Job
Honor guard
This ethics attorney works to ensure USPS remains among the country’s most trusted agencies
My name is Kevin Rayburn and I’m an attorney with the Postal Service’s Ethics Office.
A lot of what we do is provide guidance to postal employees regarding ethics rules and other federal compliance matters. On any given day, I might give structured training, assist with processing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, and decide FOIA administrative appeals. I also review and respond to questions sent to the ethics inbox, a resource for any current or former postal employee.
USPS is one of the nation’s most trusted organizations. Our office views what we do as part of maintaining that trust. That means practicing transparency. Ensuring that we treat every customer the same. No bias. No self-dealing.
No matter where you are in the organization — whether you handle money, data, or packages and mail — there’s a lot of trust put into us. A big element of what our team does it to make sure that we can continue an ethical mindset throughout our organization, in all operational areas.
It often feels like a miracle, what we do every day. It’s an incredibly well-run organization for how big it is. But it’s not magic, it’s not a miracle — it’s hard work.
My work is a small piece of this bigger puzzle, and I believe strongly that we need to not get in each other’s way. We can accomplish our operational mission and incorporate ethics and privacy rules that we train on all along the way. It’s complementary.
When I’m not at the office, you might find me indoor rock-climbing, a hobby I took up during the pandemic. I also enjoy camping, games of all kinds and playing the guitar.
I live in Alexandria, VA, with my amazing partner, Melissa Miller, and our four special-needs rescues: mutt Sadie, who is deaf; sister cats Willa and Condi, who are blind; and Dino, a stunted tomcat who will not grow more than his current 5 pounds.
They’re an adorable bunch of ragamuffins and really appreciate the home and love we give them.
“On the Job,” a column on individual employees and their contributions to the Postal Service, appears regularly in Link.
Take care before taking a second job
USPS employees are barred from certain types of outside work
The Postal Service wants employees to know they can have second jobs, but there are certain types of employment that are not permitted.
Employees cannot engage in any outside work that conflicts with or affects their postal duties.
Ethics regulations also prohibit employees from:
• Working for an entity that delivers mailable matter that could otherwise be sent via U.S. Mail. This includes delivery companies such as Amazon, UPS, FedEx and DHL. Additionally, employees must seek approval from the USPS Ethics Office before working for an Amazon subsidiary that does not deliver mailable matter.
• Receiving compensation from an outside source for teaching, speaking, or writing that is related to their official Postal Service duties.
• Receiving compensation from any foreign government.
• Working for a company, including a solo venture, that consults on postal operations, programs or procedures.
If a second job involves appearing before, interacting with or making a presentation to USPS on behalf of another person or business, this is against the law and employees in this situation should contact the Ethics Office before taking any action.
Postal Service employees should check with the Ethics Office before taking a second job. Even if not prohibited, some types of supplemental employment require prior approval, and the Ethics Office can provide the necessary guidance.
Employees with questions can email the Ethics Office or call 202-268-6346. The Ethics Blue page has more information.
January 21, 2025
Datebook
‘Going Back to School 101’
Postal Service employees may participate in an upcoming webinar on going back to school or beginning work on a college degree.
The session, “Going Back to School 101,” will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 21, at 1 p.m. Eastern.
Representatives from Carlow University, a USPS educational partner, will lead the webinar.
Participants must register before the event on the webinar website.
Participation is voluntary. Nonexempt employees must be off the clock or on authorized breaks.
Employees with questions can email the USPS Benefits and Wellness team.
View past printouts
Printout details
What's included
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USPS to offer retirement incentive
The opportunity is for VER and optional eligible employees in certain crafts
-
Lunar New Year stamp arrives Jan. 14
The snake takes its turn in the Chinese zodiac cycle
-
On the Job
Honor guard
This ethics attorney works to ensure USPS remains among the country’s most trusted agencies
-
Take care before taking a second job
USPS employees are barred from certain types of outside work
-
January21Datebook
‘Going Back to School 101’