RURALINFO
USPS Releases Fact Sheets about the Postal Service Health Benefits Program
USPS and OPM, in consultation with the four Postal Unions, have developed Fact Sheets to provide basic information regarding the Postal Service Health Benefits Program (PSHBP) that will begin January 1, 2025. There are two Fact Sheets, one for USPS Active Employees and one for USPS Annuitants. These Fact Sheets are also available on LiteBlue … Read more
NRLCA Files Amicus Brief With Supreme Court On Religious Accommodation Case Involving RCA
U.S. Supreme Court, petitioner Gerald Groff, who worked as a rural mail carrier for the United States Postal Service (USPS), challenges USPS’s denial of his requested religious accommodation to not work Sundays. In 2013, the USPS contracted with an online retailer to perform Sunday package deliveries. Groff informed USPS that his religious beliefs prohibited him … Read more
New 2023 Printable Postal Holiday and Payday Calendar
Here are my yearly versions of the Postal holiday and payday calendar in PDG and PNG formats. Perfect to hang on your case for quick reference. PNG Image version – Download here PDF Version – Download here
Rural Carriers – USPS OIG wants your opinions on POV routes vs USPS vehicle routes
The U.S. Postal Service has almost 80,000 rural delivery routes serviced by some 133,000 rural letter carriers. For some of those routes, USPS provides the vehicle; for others, the carrier uses a private vehicle and receives a maintenance allowance from the Postal Service for wear and tear. In fiscal year (FY) 2020, the Postal Service … Read more
USPS OIG Report on Replacement of Privately Owned Delivery Vehicles
Background In fiscal year (FY) 2020, the U.S. Postal Service had about 133,000 rural letter carriers and associates delivering mail on over 79,500 rural routes. A rural route can be a government owned vehicle (GOV) route where the Postal Service provides the delivery vehicle, or an equipment maintenance allowance (EMA) route where the carrier provides … Read more
2021 Rural Carrier year in review
Just about every year I try to go back in time and do a year in review post. While I may not have captured everything, I tried to get the most important events that affected rural carriers. Hope you enjoy it 😉 Click here to see the article
July 4th, 2021 holiday for rural carriers
July 4th is on a Sunday, so Monday, July 5* will be observed by the USPS. If your regular day off is Monday, then Saturday becomes your holiday. The information below comes from the USPS ELM – Employee and Labor Relations Manual. Click here For Regular Carriers 518.2 Holidays on Nonscheduled Workdays 518.21 Saturday When … Read more
Where to go from here
So, I am sure most of you have noticed that I have changed the way I share articles from the NRLCA. The reason is I have received a certified letter from the NRLCA’s lawyers. From the beginning the NRLCA has been against the Ruralinfo website, but this is the first time they have gone as … Read more
Postal workers KNOW that you need your packages by Christmas
Imagine working 10-12 hours a day or more working full speed to do your job, only to be disparaged over and over in the news and on social media. That’s what postal workers are going through right now. We are working non stop to get your Christmas packages delivered, but it is an uphill battle. … Read more
Rural Carrier helps customer stuck outside overnight
Rural Carrier Associate Shelly Stoddard was delivering a package at an isolated residence in Barker, NY, on a rainy morning last winter when she heard someone yelling for help. She soon spotted an older customer lying on the ground in his driveway. Stoddard rushed to help the man, who lives alone and had been stranded … Read more
U.S. Postal Service Plans To Hire Temporary Help As Online Orders Stress Rural Letter Carriers
The surge in online shopping is helping the U.S. Postal Service stay afloat financially, but the influx of packages is straining rural letter carriers across the country. An increase in online orders is projected to help the postal service run until September 2021. Ronnie Stutts, the president of the National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association, says … Read more
Open Season is Coming – November 9 to December 14, 2020
The 2020 Open Season runs from November 9 to December 14, 2020. During the Open Season period, you can enroll in or make changes to your medical, dental, or vision coverage. You may also enroll in health and dependent care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs). Unless you have a Qualifying Life Event during the remainder of … Read more
Key takeaways on OIG recommendations for package delivery in rural areas
Lots of info here but it is interesting the way they are already planning a way to combat the time we will get for parcels to the door in RRECS Note: Sixty-one percent of routes USPS defines as “Rural” are in areas the OIG has classified as Medium Density. In 2004, the city and rural … Read more