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Staying connected

Top story

Link Extra
Staying connected
PMG discusses importance of diversity, safety
6 hours ago
COVIDLeadership
Essential services
Guidance for working during civil unrest, pandemic
1 day ago
Stock up
PFSC shipping supplies available on eBuyPlus
6 hours ago

Cremated remains

Cremated remains

USPS offers reminder about procedures
The Postal Service is reminding employees about its new procedures for shipping cremated remains through the mail.
6 hours ago

Reporting out

Reporting out

OIG offers six-month update
The USPS Office of Inspector General completed 1,174 investigations during the six-month period that ended March 31.
6 hours ago

Scanning snapshot

News Briefs

Scanning snapshot

Informed Delivery reminder also offered
Check out the latest scanning snapshot and learn how to sign up for Informed Delivery.
5 hours ago

Acting VP announced

Acting VP announced

Coleman to lead Northeast Area
Dane Coleman has been appointed Northeast Area’s acting vice president, effective June 13.
1 day ago

Ongoing outreach

Ongoing outreach

USPS offers guidance on Election Mail
USPS is providing election officials the tools needed to ensure a successful vote-by-mail operation.
2 days ago

Chavez to retire

Chavez to retire

VP to conclude 35-year postal career
Eric D. Chavez has led the Northeast Area since 2019, overseeing 90,000 employees.
2 days ago

Get ready

Get ready

Hurricane season begins June 1
The Postal Service wants employees to be prepared for hurricanes and the dangerous conditions they bring.
2 days ago
COVIDEmployees

New promotions

New promotions

Special offers for greeting, gift cards
USPS employees and customers can save money on Hallmark cards and Mastercard gift cards.
2 days ago

Leading the way

Leading the way

June sales campaign has new focus
The USPS Sales team is taking a different approach to its annual June #LEADtheWay sales leads campaign — starting with the name.
5 days ago
BusinessCOVID

Ceremonies canceled

Ceremonies canceled

Stamps will be released as planned
The Postal Service has canceled the dedication ceremonies for the Enjoy the Great Outdoors and Hip Hop stamps due to social distancing guidance during the coronavirus pandemic.
5 days ago
BusinessCOVID

LGBT Pride Month

LGBT Pride Month

Annual commemoration begins June 1
June is a time to honor the contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the United States.
5 days ago

First-class learning

First-class learning

Schoolkids take virtual Post Office tour
A group of Florida first-graders got an inside look at a Post Office even though their school is closed.
6 days ago
COVIDCustomers

Need info?

Need info?

Library offers new research tools
If you need to conduct research related to the coronavirus pandemic, the USPS Corporate Library can help.
6 days ago
COVIDEmployees

For all you do

For all you do

New video showcases customers’ messages
The latest “Thank You for the Thank-You’s” video highlights messages of gratitude that USPS customers are sharing through woodwork and drawings.
6 days ago
COVIDCustomers

Expert advice

Expert advice

News Quiz: Test your postal knowledge
How much do you know about direct mail help, commercial mail forwarding services, new stamps and other newsworthy topics?
6 days ago

The bottom line

The bottom line

Corbett discusses pandemic’s financial effects
The coronavirus pandemic is having “a significant negative impact” on the Postal Service’s finances, Chief Financial Officer Joe Corbett reports in his latest “Dollars and Change” video.
1 week ago
BusinessCOVID

Postal purpose

Postal purpose

Board adopts USPS mission statement
The statement describes the organization’s duty to serve the American people through its universal service obligation.
2 weeks ago

New PMG

New PMG

Board selects DeJoy for role
The Postal Service Board of Governors has selected Louis DeJoy to serve as the nation’s 75th Postmaster General, effective June 15.
4 weeks ago

Archives

About the Business

  • In the know

    Sites, publications keep employees informed

    June 2

    In the know

    Sites, publications keep employees informed
    June 2 at 9:57 a.m.

    The Postal Service understands that knowledge is empowering.

    This is why USPS strives to provide employees with up-to-the-minute news about the organization and its work. By offering workers timely updates, USPS aims to help them feel more engaged, more productive and better equipped to serve customers.

    The Postal Service’s primary source of employee news is Link, a website that is available on any computer with internet access.

    Link is updated with new articles, photos, graphics and videos each weekday.

    The site covers news about the Postmaster General and other top USPS leaders, financial reports, industry trends, product releases and stamp dedication ceremonies, among other activities.

    Regular features include “Heroes’ Corner,” an award-winning column about employees who perform heroic deeds.

    Employees with postal email addresses receive a Link email each weekday with links to the most recent stories. USPS also produces an end-of-week Link Recap email with stories readers might have missed, along with Link Extra emails for breaking news.

    Additionally, employees can sign up to have highlights from Link mobile, the website’s mobile-friendly version, emailed to their personal addresses each week.

    Other employee news resources include Area Update, a quarterly newsletter for each of the organization’s seven geographic areas; local area and district newsletters, such as Capital Metro Leader and Santa Ana Winds; and Postal Bulletin, a publication that dates to the 1880s.

    USPS also offers Blue and LiteBlue pages where employees can watch informational video reports, such as the “Business Focus” and “Dollars and Change” series.

    Archives

Heroes’ Corner

  • Kidney for kid

    Employee’s organ donation saves toddler’s life

    Today

    Kidney for kid

    Employee’s organ donation saves toddler’s life
    Today at midnight

    Nicole Bugaj, a retail associate in Toledo, OH, decided last year to become a kidney donor to 3-year-old Ronnie Rusek.

    Bugaj and Ronnie underwent surgery in September, giving the toddler a new lease on life.

    “He is so much better now,” said local Customer Services Supervisor Charbieara Garland.

    Bugaj had learned of Ronnie’s plight from a billboard donated by an outdoor advertising company.

    “Giving back is so important to me,” Bugaj told Link shortly before the transplantation procedures. “Why not try to help?”

    Archives

Best Practices

  • On the lookout

    Employee offers tips for finding sales leads

    June 1

    On the lookout

    Employee offers tips for finding sales leads
    June 1 at 10:14 a.m.

    Rosemary Onody makes it her mission to help USPS grow its business.

    The Orlando, FL, customer services manager takes every opportunity to find sales leads, which she submits through the Business Connect program.

    “Being engaged daily with our customers allows me to look for revenue opportunities,” she says.

    The Postal Service wants all employees to follow Onody’s example.

    The organization is conducting Race for a $Billion, a campaign to generate $1 billion in estimated revenue through employee-provided leads before the current fiscal year ends Sept. 30.

    To help other employees find leads, Onody offers these tips:

    • Do your homework. “I use all the resources in the Business Connect portal, which provides me with the talking points I need when I interact with our business customers,” she says.

    • Don’t be shy. Onody makes a point of visiting Post Office lobbies to chat with customers. “It gives me additional opportunities to provide information on USPS products and services to better serve their needs,” she says.

    • Pass it on. Onody shares her knowledge with her co-workers. “I utilize Business Connect opportunities as training opportunities to help educate [my colleagues] on our products and services,” she says.

    In addition to Business Connect, which is for Postmasters and customer services supervisors and managers, USPS offers Customer Connect (for letter carriers), Clerks Care (for retail associates and distribution and machine clerks), Mail Handlers (for mail handlers), Rural Reach (for rural carriers) and Submit a Lead (for everyone else, including Executive and Administrative Schedule employees).

    The Sales Blue page has more information about each sales lead program, including participation instructions.

    The most important thing, Onody says, is to keep the focus on helping customers.

    “We all need to support this vital program which assists us in providing positive solutions for our customers and potential revenue for the Postal Service,” she says.

    Archives

On the Job

  • Rewarding days

    Oklahoma letter carrier connects with customers

    May 29

    Rewarding days

    Oklahoma letter carrier connects with customers
    May 29 at 10:38 a.m.

    My name is David Moffitt and I’m a letter carrier in Bartlesville, OK, where I’ve delivered mail on the same route for 20 years.

    If you think being on the same route is boring, it is not. Every day is different and I always look forward to seeing my customers. I know their names by heart and they know mine.

    As I watch their children grow up, I see their parents become grandparents. I look after my elderly customers and give them special attention, especially if they do not have family in the area.

    My job has changed over the years as I scan every parcel now, which allows customers the ability to track their packages. I am always in awe of the technology changes that have taken place over the years. It has proven beneficial for the carriers and the consumers.

    One thing that has not changed during my time with the Postal Service is the importance of looking professional. Uniformed letter carriers are among the most recognizable and respected figures in the nation. So from the tip of my shoes to the top of my hat, I try to look professional on the job. Our office has a shoeshine stand that has been there so long, no one knows exactly the age of it. I use it regularly to maintain that professional look.

    Before I joined USPS 37 years ago, I worked in a window factory. A friend happened to mention the postal exam to me, so I took it and was hired. I started my career in Eureka Springs, AR, and was there for five years as a part-time flexible employee. I then got married and transferred to Bartlesville, OK, and shortly thereafter I was full time.

    When I am not working I spend time with my family and my nine grandkids, where there is never a dull moment!

    I’m at retirement age. In fact, I’ve been at retirement age for several years. But I love my job, so why would I retire when I still love what I do? Every day is rewarding. So I just take it one year at a time and enjoy it as much as I can.

    Archives

The List

  • Winging it

    8 facts about mail history

    June 2

    Winging it

    8 facts about mail history
    June 2 at 9:48 a.m.

    To help celebrate the update of Publication 100, the Postal Service’s official history book, here are eight interesting tidbits from its pages.

    1. Women have served as Postmasters since the American postal system began in 1775. Mary Katherine Goddard of Baltimore, MD, was Postmaster when Benjamin Franklin was named the first Postmaster General, making her the first female Postmaster in the United Colonies, the United States’ predecessor. Keeping the lines of communication open was so important during the Revolutionary War that for several years, Goddard kept the office operational by paying the post rider out of her own pocket.

    2. Before the eagle, a winged god and a horse and rider symbolized the U.S. postal system. Mercury, the winged messenger of the gods, was used in the official postal seal until 1837, when it changed to feature a post rider. The horse and rider remained on the official seal until the eagle was adopted in 1970.

    3. Prior to the 1840s, people rarely used envelopes. Until July 1845, postage was expensive, and two sheets of paper cost twice as much to mail as one sheet. Instead of using an envelope — which would have counted and been charged as another sheet — people folded their paper so that the outside was blank, then sealed it with wax or adhesive.

    4. George Washington was featured on one of the first two U.S. postage stamps, issued in 1847. Washington has appeared on more than 300 different stamps, more than any other person.

    5. U.S. Mail first reached California by steamship, via Panama, in 1849. The scheduled travel time was three to four weeks, but delays were so common that in 1850, residents of Los Angeles learned California was admitted to the Union six weeks after the fact.

    6. In 1855, the prepayment of postage became mandatory. Previously, postage could be paid by the sender or the recipient, or partially by each.

    7. William Cooper Nell, appointed a Boston postal clerk in 1863, was the first known African American to hold a federal office. Nell was an abolitionist and journalist who had earlier achieved success as an equal rights champion. The 1855 publication of “The Colored Patriots of the American Revolution” earned him another distinction — the first published African American historian.

    8. Before 1863, postage paid only for the delivery of mail to an addressee’s Post Office. Free home delivery of mail was first offered in cities in 1863, and in rural areas in 1896.

    Archives

Mailbag

  • Renea Puckett, Fayetteville, NC:

    I really enjoyed “First-class learning,” the article about the Florida first-graders who recently took a virtual field trip to their local Post Office. I loved the picture of the student and the look of excitement on his face as he retrieved a Priority Mail envelope from his mailbox.

    Archives

Latest videos

  • ‘Thank You for the Thank-You’s’ May 28
  • ‘Dollars and Change’ May 27
  • ‘Thank You for the Thank-You’s’ May 20
  • ‘Thank You for the Thank You’s’ May 13
  • ‘National Military Appreciation Month’ May 11
  • ‘Thank You for the Thank-You’s’ May 6

Coronavirus coverage

About Link

USPS National Employee Emergency Hotline: 888-363-7462

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