Friday, January 2, 2026
Want to know when you’ll get paid in 2026?
Link’s annual calendar shows this year’s payroll schedule
Postal Service employees will have 27 paydays in 2026.
The calendar that accompanies this article shows the paycheck dates. Every month will have two paydays, except for January, July and December, which will have three each.
All paydays will occur on Friday, except for the year’s 13th payday, which will fall on Thursday, June 18, and the 27th payday, which will fall on Thursday, Dec. 31. In both cases, Thursday is the payday because the next day is a holiday.
The 2026 federal holidays that USPS will observe are also shown: New Year’s Day (Thursday, Jan. 1), Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. (Monday, Jan. 19), Washington’s Birthday (Monday, Feb. 16), Memorial Day (Monday, May 25), Juneteenth National Independence Day (Friday, June 19), Independence Day (Saturday, July 4), Labor Day (Monday, Sept. 7), Columbus Day (Monday, Oct. 12), Veterans Day (Wednesday, Nov. 11), Thanksgiving Day (Thursday, Nov. 26) and Christmas Day (Friday, Dec. 25).
Employees can right click the image to save it to a computer and print it.
Get ready for a busy 2026
The year will bring new stamps, price changes and more
The Postal Service has another busy year ahead in 2026.
Here’s what’s coming down the pike:
• New stamps. The organization has announced more than 20 stamp releases, beginning with Angel’s Trumpets on Friday, Jan. 9. High-profile releases will include Muhammad Ali on Thursday, Jan. 15; Bruce Lee on Wednesday, Feb. 18; and Lowriders on Friday, March 13.
• Price changes. On Sunday, Jan. 18, USPS will raise prices approximately 6.6 percent for Priority Mail, 5.1 percent for Priority Mail Express, 7.8 percent for USPS Ground Advantage and 6 percent for Parcel Select
• Community activities. The Combined Federal Campaign will conclude Saturday, Jan. 31, while the Stamp Out Hunger food drive will take place on Saturday, May 9.
• Events. The National Postal Forum, the mailing and shipping industry’s largest annual conference, will be held from Sunday, May 3, through Wednesday, May 6, in Phoenix, while the Boston 2026 World Expo, an international philatelic exhibition, will be held from Saturday, May 23, to Saturday, May 30.
The Postal Service will also observe the following holidays this year: New Year’s Day (Thursday, Jan. 1), Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. (Monday, Jan. 19), Washington’s Birthday (Monday, Feb. 16), Memorial Day (Monday, May 25), Juneteenth National Independence Day (Friday, June 19), Independence Day (Saturday, July 4), Labor Day (Monday, Sept. 7), Columbus Day (Monday, Oct. 12), Veterans Day (Wednesday, Nov. 11), Thanksgiving Day (Thursday, Nov. 26) and Christmas Day (Friday, Dec. 25).
History
An early twist on email
44 years ago, the USPS program E-COM printed and delivered electronic messages
On Jan. 4, 1982, the Postal Service introduced E-COM, an attempt to harness the dawning power of digital communications for postal ends.
It worked like this: Business mailers transmitted messages to one or more of the 25 Post Offices in the program. The messages would be sorted by ZIP Code, printed out on bond paper, sealed in an envelope with a distinctive blue E-COM logo, and delivered to any recipient in the contiguous United States within two days.
Short for “Electronic Computer Originated Mail,” the E-COM program had some limitations from a business mailer’s point of view — including a minimum of 200 messages per transmission, a maximum of two pages per transmission, and an annual $50 service fee — but grew in each of its three years of existence.
Last year, Buttondown, a newsletter software website, did a deep dive into the program and found that many users appreciated the service — including business mailers, who “valued the credibility that E-COM’s official, blue-and-white envelope lent.”
But regulatory battles over the money-losing program’s steep costs prompted the USPS Board of Governors to suggest selling or leasing the service to the private sector. No bids were high enough, however.
The program, whose first optimistic message was sent by Postmaster General William Bolger in 1982 (“We are very proud of this milestone in the history of the Postal Service”) delivered its final missive on Sept. 2, 1985, during the tenure of PMG Paul Carlin.
The “History” column appears occasionally in Link.
People
It was their time to shine
Employees helped USPS deliver in the holiday home stretch
Postal Service employees were front and center as the holiday shipping and mailing season wound down last week.
In Holly, MI, the organization marked its 6 billionth holiday delivery when Allen Kenner, a letter carrier, brought packages to a senior living center.
“We are all young at heart this time of year,” Kenner said. “I’m glad I could deliver holiday magic to the seniors and all the customers on my route.”
A few days later, USPS celebrated its 9 billionth delivery when letter carrier Melissa Perez dropped off packages at a senior living center in West Hartford, CT.
“We’re a team, we help each other — we’re like a big family,” she said. “We’re out here until we finish our last package.”
Many employees were featured in local news coverage, including Jason Stenger, a Cincinnati letter carrier who was interviewed for a TV report on holiday deliveries.
“I was nervous, but it was fun,” Stenger said afterward. “I told all my friends to keep an eye out on the news. My mom and dad are excited, too. It was also nice to share that we work hard during the season. We let them know we are trying our best.”
“People” appears regularly in Link. Got news to share? Email us.
News Quiz
Holiday wrap
How much do you remember about Link’s year-end coverage?
“News Quiz” is a weekly feature that lets you test your knowledge of recent Link stories. The correct answers appear at the end.
1. True or false: The Post Office Department released its first Christmas stamp in 1962.
a) True
b) False
2. Fill in the blank: The North Texas Processing and Distribution Center in Coppell, TX, was expected to process roughly (blank) packages this holiday season.
a) 87 million
b) 88 million
c) 89 million
d) 90 million
3. How many holiday mailpieces and packages had USPS accepted by 9:30 a.m. Eastern on Dec. 24?
a) 7.87 billion
b) 8.88 billion
c) 9.89 billion
d) 10.9 billion
4. Where did Albert Goldman, who helped popularize what is now known as USPS Operation Santa, serve as postmaster?
a) Atlanta
b) Chicago
c) Los Angeles
d) New York City
5. Match the USPS employee in Column A with the Link year-end roundup column where they were featured in Column B.
Column A
a) Doriel Carson, Chicago letter carrier
b) Mary Hulshouser, Fort Worth, TX, retention operations specialist
c) Cory Johnson, Syosset, NY, retail associate
d) Christian Santiago, Queens, NY, driving safety instructor
Column B
I) “Heroes”
II) “Off the Clock”
III) “On the Job”
IV) “People”
Answers: 1) a. 2) b. 3) c. 4) d. 5) a. I., b. II., c. IV., d. III.
CFC’s solicitation period extended to Jan. 31
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management has extended the Combined Federal Campaign’s solicitation period until Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026.
The campaign, also known as the CFC, previously was set to end Wednesday, Dec. 31.
The CFC is the federal government’s largest workplace charity drive. The Postal Service has a goal to raise $3 million for the CFC this year.
Employees can make pledges through payroll deductions, on paper, through the CFC website or by using the CFC Giving mobile app.
Southern Area, Minnesota-North Dakota District on top in scanning
A snapshot of Postal Service scanning data shows the national rating was 96.71 percent during the week ending Dec. 26, up 0.01 percent from one week earlier.
The data was collected Dec. 31.
Southern led the four areas with a rating of 97.12 percent, while Central ranked last with a 96.08 percent rating.
Among the 50 districts, Minnesota-North Dakota, part of Central Area, ranked first with a 98.43 percent rating, while Illinois 1, also part of Central Area, ranked last with a 91.6 percent rating.
Scanning data allows customers to track their mail and packages, which helps USPS deliver excellent service, boost loyalty and drive revenue.
To see the latest data, go to the Informed Visibility website and select “Customer Experience,” followed by “DES 2 Scan Performance.” Postal Service employees must request Informed Visibility access through eAccess.
View past printouts
Printout details
What's included
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Want to know when you’ll get paid in 2026?
Link’s annual calendar shows this year’s payroll schedule
-
Get ready for a busy 2026
The year will bring new stamps, price changes and more
-
History
An early twist on email
44 years ago, the USPS program E-COM printed and delivered electronic messages
-
People
It was their time to shine
Employees helped USPS deliver in the holiday home stretch
-
News Quiz
Holiday wrap
How much do you remember about Link’s year-end coverage?
-
Brief
CFC’s solicitation period extended to Jan. 31
-
Brief
Southern Area, Minnesota-North Dakota District on top in scanning