'19th Amendment: Women Vote' Stamp Debuts

A new Forever stamp, 19^th Amendment: Women Vote, will be issued on Saturday, August 22. The virtual stamp event, part of the Women’s Rights National Historical Park Equality Weekend, will be posted on the Postal Service’s Facebook and Twitter pages. Visit usps.com/19thamendment for details of the 11 a.m. EST virtual stamp dedication ceremony.

USPS Chief Commerce and Business Solutions Officer Jacqueline Krage Strako will be the dedicating official.

Inspired by historic photographs, the stamp art features a stylized illustration of suffragists marching in a parade or other public demonstration. The clothes they wear and the banners they bear display the official colors --- purple, white and gold ---of the National Woman’s Party.

More than 70 years in the making, the 19^th Amendment was added to the Constitution on August 26, 1920.

FSA Deadline to Make Changes is August 29

FSA Feds is allowing account changes due to the coronavirus pandemic, although participants don’t need to be directly affected by the virus to make adjustments.

The Postal Service is reminding employees that they can make changes to their flexible spending accounts (FSAs) through Aug. 29.

FSA Feds, the organization that administers FSAs, is allowing changes during a 60-day period that began July 1. Changes are being permitted due to the coronavirus pandemic, although participants don’t need to be directly affected by the coronavirus to make adjustments.

Additionally, participants don’t need to experience a qualifying life event — such as a marriage, divorce or birth — to make changes, and they aren’t required to provide documentation.

During the 60-day period, all participants who have enrolled in a 2020 health care flexible spending account (HCFSA), limited expense health care flexible spending account (LEX HCFSA) or dependent care flexible spending account (DCFSA) will be allowed to make a one-time change — an increase or a decrease — in the amount of their annual election in each FSA account in which they are enrolled.

Under IRS guidance, the election change is effective prospectively, which means it will take effect on the first pay period after approval by FSA Feds. Accordingly, participants cannot receive a refund of allotments they have already made to their FSA accounts year-to-date.

In addition, participants cannot decrease their election below the amount already allotted to the FSA account or the amount already reimbursed for eligible expenses, whichever is greater.

Employees who have questions or would like to make changes should go to www.fsafeds.com or call 877-372-3337.

Source: LINK

 Wellness Webinar

The August 20 webinar will focus on long-term care and retirement planning.

Postal employees can participate in an upcoming webinar on long-term care insurance and retirement planning. The session, “A Secure Future Begins With the Choices You Make Today,” will be held Thursday, August 20, at 2 p.m. EST.

The administrators of the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP) will conduct the webinar, which will explore the realities of long-term care, family caregiving and funding options such as Medicaid. The presentation will also include a thorough review of FLTCIP benefits and features, including costs.

Participants must register before the session on the webinar website. After signing up, directions will be emailed to each registrant. Participation is voluntary. Non-exempt employees may only participate off the clock or during authorized breaks.

To learn more about FLTCIP, go to LTCFeds.com or call 800-582-3337.  For more information, email the USPS Health and Wellness team at healthandwellness@usps.gov.

Source: LINK

 Have You Taken Your Postal Pulse Survey?

This year’s Postal Pulse Survey is open through September 4.

The Postal Pulse depends on every employee responding. Why? It’s how we gauge the strength of the workplace — our work team. And, it’s how we make improvements. For example, on the last survey, many of you said you were looking for our leaders to be more available and to communicate more. Because of that, we’ve begun having more one-on-one conversations, also called Next Level Connections, at all levels of the organization.

Likewise, we added a new question that will help us have this connection with every employee, so you have additional opportunities to be heard. The new question asks if your immediate supervisor has recently spent one-on-one time with you to discuss your workplace needs.

Also in the last survey, many of you used the comment box to say you would like more positivity in the workplace. To follow up, this year’s comment box asks about improvements you’ve seen. Your comments will be used to share these positive changes and help others make improvements as well.

USPS Requests Temporary Increase to Commercial Domestic Parcel Products 

USPS has notified the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) it plans to temporarily increase prices for commercial domestic parcel products, starting October 18.

Retail prices for parcel products are unaffected.

The planned commercial price increases for Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, First-Class Package Service (FCPS) and Commercial Parcel Select will take effect October 18 at 12 a.m. Central time and continue until December 27 at 12 a.m. Central time. After that, prices would revert to 2020 prices.

The planned price increases were approved by the USPS Board of Governors on Aug. 6. The PRC will review the prices before they take effect.

Here are the current prices and planned price increases:

• Parcel Select Destination Entry DDU: starts at $3.19 (current), 24 cents (planned increase)
• Parcel Return Service: starts at $3.05 (current), 24 cents (planned increase)
• Parcel Select Lightweight: starts at $1.81 (current), 24 cents (planned increase)
• FCPS Commercial: starts at $2.74 (current), 25 cents (planned increase)
• Priority Mail Commercial: starts at $7.02 (current), 40 cents (planned increase)
• Parcel Select Ground: starts at $6.92 (current), 40 cents (planned increase)
• Parcel Select DSCF: starts at $4.37 (current), 40 cents (planned increase)
• Parcel Select DNDC: starts at $5.98 (current), 40 cents (planned increase)
• Priority Mail Express Commercial: starts at $22.75 (current), $1.50 (planned increase)

The planned temporary price adjustments are in response to heightened package volume due to the coronavirus pandemic, as well as expected increases in online shopping during the holidays.

The Postal Service’s Postal Explorer website has the price change tables.

De La Osa is West Palm Beach Postmaster 

Effective Saturday, August 15, Orlando De La Osa (above) will be the new Postmaster in West Palm Beach, FL.

As Postmaster, De La Osa will be fiscally responsible for an annual operating budget of $57 million and administratively responsible for 653 employees across 16 postal installations in West Palm Beach City. There are 350 city, rural and highway routes with 241,835 deliveries under his jurisdiction.

De La Osa has more than 35 years of postal service, starting in 1985 as a city letter carrier in Hialeah, FL. He has held the permanent positions of Supervisor; Superintendent; Manager, Customer Services; Postmaster, Hialeah, FL; and Area Manager, Customer Services in Fort Lauderdale and Miami Post Offices.

De La Osa earned an Associate in Arts and Science degree from Muscatine College in Iowa.