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Disposable masks

Top story

Disposable masks
Orders available through eBuyPlus MDC catalog
6 hours ago
COVIDOperations
New vice president
Koetz to lead Network and Compute Technology group
6 hours ago
Drama king
August Wilson stamp released
6 hours ago

Scanning snapshot

News Briefs

Scanning snapshot

Appointments, ceremony also highlighted
Check out this week’s scanning snapshot and read about postal panel appointments and the Lunar New Year stamp dedication.
6 hours ago

‘Star Wars’ stamps

‘Star Wars’ stamps

New release coming this spring
The Postal Service will release stamps this spring that salute beloved droids from the “Star Wars” galaxy and the imagination that brings these technological marvels to the screen.
1 day ago

Federal forms

Federal forms

How to obtain W-2, 1095-C statements
Postal Service employees can now go to PostalEASE to view their federal Form W-2 for calendar year 2020.
2 days ago

Special needs

Special needs

Guidance for serving customers with disabilities
The Postal Service is reminding employees and contractors that they are expected to treat all customers with respect and to always offer helpful service.
2 days ago
COVIDEmployees

Price changes

Price changes

Video lists latest adjustments
The Postal Service has released a video that lists the price changes that took effect Jan. 24.
2 days ago

Stay healthy

Stay healthy

Tips to avoid frostbite, hypothermia
The Postal Service wants employees to take precautions to avoid frostbite, hypothermia and other winter health hazards.
2 days ago

New prices

New prices

Changes take effect Jan. 24
Several Postal Service price changes will take effect Sunday, Jan. 24.
5 days ago

Taking action

Taking action

Employee’s tip brings in $27,000
A retail associate’s talk with a customer in the lobby at the Irving, TX, Post Office has resulted in $27,000 in estimated annualized revenue for the Postal Service.
5 days ago

Where are you?

Where are you?

Make sure USPS has your current address
The start of a new year is a good time make sure the Postal Service has your contact information.
5 days ago

USPS computer systems

USPS computer systems

Updates coming this month
The Postal Service is updating several internal computer systems to align with the organization’s structural modifications that were initiated last August.
6 days ago

Tiger burning bright

Stamp bearing tiger's image

Tiger burning bright

Semipostal stamp sales extended
Save Vanishing Species semipostal stamp sales were extended under a government funding bill that took effect late last month.
6 days ago

Under pressure

Under pressure

EAP offers counseling support 24/7
The Employee Assistance Program is here for postal workers around the clock, 365 days of the year.
6 days ago
COVIDEmployees

Reporting out

Reporting out

News Quiz: How much do you remember?
Test your knowledge of the Postal Service’s annual report, Customer Connect, new workplace posters and other newsworthy topics.
6 days ago

COVID-19 vaccines

COVID-19 vaccines

USPS updates employees
The organization’s goal is for everyone to be able to get a COVID-19 vaccination as soon as possible if they choose to do so.
1 week ago

Here and there

Here and there

Learn about USPS areas, regions
How much do you know about the Postal Service’s areas and regions?
1 week ago

Archives

Heroes’ Corner

  • Tammy times two

    Employee’s alertness pays off twice for customers

    Today

    Tammy times two

    Employee’s alertness pays off twice for customers
    Today at midnight

    Letter Carrier Tammy DeCorse has made a difference in the lives of two customers on her route in Buffalo, NY.

    One day last spring, DeCorse was delivering mail when she encountered a man experiencing an overdose on his porch.

    She immediately called 911 and remained on the scene until paramedics arrived.

    Several months earlier, the Postal Service employee had grown worried when another customer’s mail was piling up.

    DeCorse shared her concern with one of the man’s neighbors, a firefighter, who requested a wellness check.

    Emergency responders discovered that the customer had collapsed inside his home two days earlier and was in dire need of medical attention.

    DeCorse said later it “felt great” to reach out to others in times of need.

    “In this job, you get to know the patterns of customers,” she added. “It’s all about paying attention and staying alert.”

    Archives

Best Practices

  • Performance enhancers

    The year in good advice

    Dec. 28, 2020

    Performance enhancers

    The year in good advice
    Dec. 28, 2020 at 9:45 a.m.

    This year, Postal Service employees offered tips for one another through Link’s “Best Practices” column.

    Here’s some of their best advice:

    • Remember that customers are counting on you. “Many people — especially older customers who live alone — look forward to their daily mail delivery.” — Gordonsville, VA, Rural Carrier Tyler Balint
    • Share information.“Sometimes customers don’t know what to ask, so employees must be able to anticipate their needs. Don’t be afraid to ask your customers a few questions so that you can lead them in the right direction.” — Ocracoke, NC, Postmaster Celeste Brooks
    • Be visual.“Keep the latest stamps on display so customers can see what’s available.” — Rives Junction, MI, Retail Associate Denise Prentler
    • Familiarize yourself with the Postal Service’s offerings.“In addition to shipping options like Priority Mail, learn about services like Every Door Direct Mail and Informed Delivery.” — Dallas Customer Services Manager Emiliano Chapa
    • Promote engagement year-round. “Encourage employees to speak up and share their ideas throughout the year. Don’t act like you only care about their feedback when it’s time for the Postal Pulse.” — Altoona, PA, Postmaster Michael Olsavsky

    Madeira Beach, FL, Letter Carrier Pamelin Williams always encourages colleagues to perform timely and accurate scans of the mail, but her best advice is to have an appreciation for the Postal Service’s mission to deliver.

    “I love my job and I’m postal proud,” she said.

    Archives

On the Job

  • Work it out

    All year long, employees showed their value

    Dec. 24, 2020

    Work it out

    All year long, employees showed their value
    Dec. 24, 2020 at 9:24 a.m.

    No matter what their job title might be, all Postal Service employees contribute to the organization’s effort to deliver for the nation — and throughout 2020, Link’s “On the Job” column introduced readers to several of these hardworking public servants.

    Dale Scalero, a USPS tractor-trailer operator in Sacramento, CA, said he takes pride in his behind-the-scenes role.

    “Tractor-trailer operators aren’t often recognized, but we work hard to make sure that our customers’ mail gets to its recipients. It’s an honor for me to wear the uniform and a privilege to drive for our organization,” he said.

    Likewise, La-Vora Chambers Better, a Postal Police supervisor in Washington, DC, said she knows how much postal workers depend on her to protect them.

    “What we do is very important. Employees know they can depend on us. If something happens, we’ll be there,” she said.

    Several employees explained how their jobs changed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

    Leo Ramirez, a Brooklyn, NY, custodian, said he always strives to keep his workplace clean but feels an even “greater responsibility” to disinfect common areas during the pandemic, while Lupe Hernandez, a Los Angeles acting contract technician whose job involves ordering supplies, said the pandemic-fueled shipping surge made her busier than ever.

    “We surpassed 15 million packages in April. That requires a lot of supplies!” she said.

    Meanwhile, Mauricio Cruz, a Fairfax, VA, letter carrier, said the pandemic taught him the importance of being proactive by wearing face coverings and practicing social distancing, both on the clock and off.

    “I would encourage my co-workers to be proactive, too,” Cruz said. “Be serious about your job more now because a lot of people depend on us. Keep pushing and we’re going to make it through these hard times.”

    Archives

On the Move

  • Rising to the top

    Executive, manager news

    Jan. 26

    Rising to the top

    Executive, manager news
    Jan. 26 at 9:07 a.m.

    • Christopher Johnson, a senior distribution operations manager at the Morgan Processing and Distribution Center in New York City, was named the Philadelphia Network Distribution Center’s acting manager.

    • Cynthia Sanchez, legal analytics and support manager at USPS headquarters in Washington, DC, was named acting revenue analysis director. She succeeds Kim Coleman, who left the Postal Service on Jan. 15.

    • Eileen Veach, Western-Pacific Area’s marketing manager, was named Honolulu District’s acting manager. Ross Pfaff, Arizona/New Mexico District’s marketing manager, was named Western-Pacific Area’s acting marketing manager.

The List

  • African American History 101

    6 facts about February commemoration

    Jan. 26

    African American History 101

    6 facts about February commemoration
    Jan. 26 at 9:05 a.m.

    African American History Month begins Monday, Feb. 1. Here are five facts about the annual commemoration:

    1. Carter G. Woodson helped create African American History Month. In the early 20th century, Woodson, a Black scholar, had a then-radical notion: that the history of the African diaspora was a fascinating and important subject worthy of study. To that end, this son of formerly enslaved parents — and only the second African American to receive a doctorate degree from Harvard University, after Frederick Douglass — helped found in 1915 what is now known as the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. Eleven years later, he led an effort to observe what was called “Negro History Week,” timed to coincide with the birthdays of both Douglass (Feb. 14) and Abraham Lincoln (Feb. 12).

    2. Kent State University students helped expand the commemoration. In 1969, members of Black United Students at Kent State University in Ohio decided to observe not just a week but a month of African American history and culture. Support from faculty and the community was enthusiastic. The students proposed a monthlong celebration to the dean of student affairs but went ahead and scheduled events without waiting for an official blessing. The next year, the month was on the university’s calendar. Other groups took the idea and ran with it.

    3. President Gerald Ford helped raise Black History Month’s profile. In 1976, Ford urged Americans to mark the nation’s bicentennial by honoring “the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” It was the 50th anniversary of Woodson’s first Black history week. Every year since then, the president issues a proclamation announcing the month’s specific theme, which is chosen by Woodson’s Association for the Study of African American Life and History. The theme for 2021 is “The Black Family: Representation, Identity and Diversity.”

    4. Some nations observe African American history later in the year. The United Kingdom, Ireland and the Netherlands also observe Black History Month — but in October, not February. October was chosen for the first U.K. observance in 1987 to coincide with a London visit by Maulana Karenga, the founder of Kwanzaa; because that month is traditionally a time of harvest and peacemaking among African leaders; and because it is the start of the school year, among a host of reasons. Ireland and the Netherlands — where it is known as Black Achievement Month — followed suit. (Canada, the only other nation to observe the month, does so in February.)

    5. Celebrating Black history continues to evolve. In 2015, the Movement for Black Lives, an umbrella consortium of more than 50 groups, tweaked the concept by joining a “Black Futures Month” to February’s history observance. African Americans are urged to “visualize the world we need and want” and “imagine the building blocks of a society where we affirm our right to thrive.”

    6. African American and postal history are closely linked. Many African Americans found work in urban Post Offices at the beginning of the 20th century, helping to build a foundation for the black middle class. Today, about 27 percent of the Postal Service’s workforce is African American. The organization also contributes to African American history through its long-running Black Heritage stamp series, which will honor playwright August Wilson this year.

    Archives

Mailbag

  • Martha Carson, Guysville, OH:

    “Here and there” had good information and map graphics. Thanks for providing a snapshot of the Postal Service’s areas and regions.

    Archives

Latest videos

  • ‘2021 Price Change’ Jan. 25
  • ‘Customer Connect’ Jan. 11
  • ‘USPS All-Employee Message’ Jan. 4

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