Monday, April 7, 2025
Have your dependent care needs changed?
Employees who are returning to in-office work can enroll in a flexible spending account
Postal Service employees whose dependent care needs have changed because of recent updates to the organization’s telework policy may now enroll in a dependent care flexible spending account.
These accounts, also known as DCFSAs, offer tax advantages to help employees who are returning to the office care for their children and adult dependents.
Employees who did not enroll in a DCFSA during last fall’s open season are now eligible to enroll if they cite a change in dependent care needs as a qualifying life event.
To enroll, employees should complete the FSA enrollment form on the MyHR website and follow the instructions on submitting the form to the USPS Human Resources Shared Service Center.
Employees with questions can email the USPS Benefits and Wellness team.
Heroes
She heard a cry from the weeds
This rural carrier helped a customer who fell while doing yardwork
Rural Carrier Angela Darnell was delivering mail in Trafalgar, IN, recently when she heard someone yelling for help.
She got out of her vehicle and found an older woman lying on the ground. The customer had fallen backward while pulling weeds in her yard and couldn’t get up.
Darnell couldn’t lift the customer by herself, so she called her postmaster, Kristina Sims-Nugent, for help.
When the two of them were unable to get the customer on her feet, Darnell called 911. Paramedics arrived, helped the woman up and took her back into the house.
“The customer had been on the ground in the direct sunlight for 15 minutes yelling for help,” said Sims-Nugent. “She was saved when Angela drove by and responded to the call.”
Employees featured in “Heroes” receive letters of commendation through the Postmaster General Heroes’ Program. The nomination form is available on Blue.
Week in Review
Here’s what Link covered March 30-April 5
CFC results and a heroic garden rescue made news
Last week, Link reported the results of the latest Combined Federal Campaign.
USPS employees pledged $2.7 million during the charity drive, including monetary pledges of $2.67 million and the monetary value of more than 2,100 volunteer hours.
“Once again, Postal Service employees have shown they put their money — and time — where their hearts are,” said Myriam Irizarry, a USPS program and policy analyst who serves as the national campaign manager for the organization.
In other news, Chenise LeDoux was named Southern Area vice president, a role she has held on an acting basis since January.
And in “Heroes,” Angela Darnell, a rural carrier in Trafalgar, IN, came to the rescue of a customer who fell backward in her garden after pulling weeds.
On the cybersecurity front, we told you about World Backup Day as well as smishing and vishing scams.
Additionally, we published a story about diabetes and how to prevent and control the disease, and reminded readers that April is EAP Awareness Month, a time to familiarize yourself with the many services the program offers.
Finally, Link itself made a little news: Our website is a nominee in the Employee Communications Award, a national competition organized by Ragan, a professional development company.
Winners will be announced Wednesday, April 9. Wish us luck!
April 14, 2025
Datebook
‘PSHB and Medicare in Retirement’
USPS employees may participate in a webinar that will help explain how the new Postal Service Health Benefits (PSHB) Program and Medicare work in retirement.
The session, “PSHB and Medicare in Retirement,” will be held Monday, April 14, from noon to 1 p.m. Eastern.
Representatives from CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, a provider of health plans for federal employees, will lead the webinar.
Participants must register on the webinar website.
Participation is voluntary. Nonexempt employees must be off the clock or on authorized breaks.
Employees who have questions can email the USPS Benefits and Wellness team.
Deadline for mobile device security training is April 14
Employees and contractors who have USPS-issued mobile devices must complete the mandatory, every-other-year mobile device security training by Monday, April 14.
The course will cover proper security measures that should be taken when using USPS-issued mobile devices and provides policy information, best practices and tools to assist in securing devices.
This course offers a way to “test out” by taking a pretest, which covers the topics in the training. Those who pass the pretest with a score of 80 percent or higher will receive credit and will not need to take the full course.
Employees and contractors who do not meet the deadline will have limited mobile device access until the course is completed.
Employees can access the course through the MyHR website, while contractors will find it on the CyberSafe at USPS Blue page.
Employees and contractors should email questions to the CyberSafe at USPS team.
View past printouts
Printout details
What's included
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Have your dependent care needs changed?
Employees who are returning to in-office work can enroll in a flexible spending account
-
Heroes
She heard a cry from the weeds
This rural carrier helped a customer who fell while doing yardwork
-
Week in Review
Here’s what Link covered March 30-April 5
CFC results and a heroic garden rescue made news
-
April14Datebook
‘PSHB and Medicare in Retirement’
-
Brief
Deadline for mobile device security training is April 14