VOE surveys mailing this week
Voice of the Employee (VOE) surveys are being mailed
out this week. If you're among the many Postal Service employees who will receive a VOE survey this quarter, don't
forget to complete it and send it back before the deadline.
The surveys help the Postal Service identify workplace issues that need to be improved - and that's good for everyone involved.
Let your voice be heard. Fill out your VOE survey - on
the clock.
Completed VOE surveys must be received by May 24.
The right way to do what's right:
Employee and Labor Relations Manual
outlines whistleblower protection
You hear about "whistleblowers" almost every day in the
news - employees who do the right thing ethically by disclosing wrongdoing in an organization.
The Postal Service protects whistleblowers from retaliation for protected disclosures. These could include allegations of violations of law, rules or regulations; gross waste
of funds; gross mismanagement; abuse of authority; or
substantial and specific dangers to public health and safety.
Persons making disclosures are protected from reprisal unless they knew that the information disclosed was false, or
they acted with willful disregard for the truth or falsity of the
disclosure.
If you have witnessed any of this conduct, whistleblowing is the right thing to do. And, there's a right way to do it to
make sure you are protected. Disclosures are protected if
made within an employee's supervisory chain (but not to
the alleged wrongdoer), to Congress, the media or the
Office of Inspector General (OIG).
You can find the details in the Employee and Labor
Relations Manual, Subchapter 660, Conduct, Section
666.3, Whistleblower Protections. Details are also in Title 5
U.S. Code, Inspector General Act, Section 7, Complaints
by employees; disclosure of identity; reprisals.
The USPS OIG is responsible for investigating whistleblower reports and any alleged reprisals against whistleblowers if there is reason to believe that management
actions were taken against them because of protected
disclosures.
If you believe you are the victim of reprisal for blowing
the whistle, you should file a report via any of the following:
• The OIG Web site: http://www.uspsoig.gov/hotline_
default.aspx.
• E-mail: hotline@uspsoig.gov.
• Telephone: 888-USPS-OIG.
• Mail:
USPSOIG HOTLINE
1735 N LYNN ST
ARLINGTON VA 22209-2020
Reporting wrongdoing is the right thing to do. It protects
the Postal Service's future and the public's trust in us.
That's why you're protected, too.
Coffee and comments: Six New Orleans
customer service ambassadors take to
the streets
From left are Arabi, LA, Customer Service Supervisor William
Showalter and Postmasters Paul Buras, Boothville; Frances
Humphries, Port Sulphur; Annette Clark, Pointe A La Hache;
Larry Leehans, Thibodaux; and Carla Meaux, Venice.
When Hurricane Katrina destroyed their offices, five
Louisiana postmasters and one customer service supervisor volunteered to put their skills to good use and became
USPS Customer Service Ambassadors.
|
Together, the six have been greeting customers in New
Orleans Post Office stations, offering help with changes of
address, answering inquiries and researching service issues. They also respond to inquiries and complaints received from New Orleans customers via 800-ASK-USPS.
"Listening to our customers - and providing their feedback to managers and employees - will help this city get
back on its feet that much quicker," said Venice, LA, Postmaster Carla Meaux.
Before the recent reopening of the New Orleans Processing and Distribution Center, the ambassadors held
Coffee and Comments sessions in postal lobbies to let customers know help is available.
USPS success stories
Several successful USPS products and initiatives - for
example, Repositionable Notes (RPNs), PostalOne, Customized MarketMail, Confirm, Delivery Point Validation,
custom publications and traditional direct mail - were
highlighted in the general session at the National Postal
Forum earlier this month.
Representatives from AT&T, ESPN the Magazine, TIME
magazine and Gatorade's Propel Fitness Water related
their experiences using many of the tools. "We were so impressed with the results that we are making the notes a part
of our marketing mix," ESPN's Dennis Farley said about
RPNs. "They are a great innovation."
The general session was spearheaded by Deputy Postmaster General and Chief Operating Officer Pat Donahoe
and Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President
Anita Bizzotto.
Shared Services Center celebrates first
year
Personnel Processing Specialist Linda
Nash and other HRSSC employees
celebrated the center's first anniversary
this month.
A year ago April 4,
the Human Resources
Shared Services Center
(HRSSC) in Greensboro,
NC, took its first benefits
call from employees in
the new PostalPEOPLE
shared services initiative.
In one short year, the
center has gone from assisting 43,000 employees
with benefits questions in three districts, to handling a range
of personnel calls for more than 330,000 employees in
36 districts - which will grow to all 80 districts by
September.
HRSSC employees, most transferring from other states,
quickly adopted Greensboro as , attending sporting
events together, hosting a Veteran's Day observance and
donating to Toys for Tots. They also contributed more than
$10,000 to charities through the Combined Federal
Campaign - with an impressive 67 percent participation
rate and HRSSC campaign chairperson Norma Bethea
earning recognition from Greensboro District and Greensboro United Way.
"The community as a whole and the Greensboro District
as colleagues have welcomed us from the start," says
HRSSC Manager Nancy James. "As a result, the staff has
really given back to the place we all now call ."
Thinking about tomorrow: From
yesterday's perspective, it's here today
If you're like so many of us, you're figuring you'll be eligible for retirement in, well, fewer years than you can believe.
That's good for you. And it's good for so many others behind you who are earlier in their careers and don't have to
make those choices yet.
They have other choices. Like where they want to go
with their careers. Maybe the customer service side. Or the
plant side. Or a specialized function that supports the others, like Human Resources or Finance.
Whatever the choice, identifying and developing tomorrow's leaders is a big part of the job of today's leaders.
And the Postal Service is right there with you, helping to
plan and prepare so we don't miss a beat when opportunity
comes a'knockin'. It's crucial that we have the next wave of
leaders ready as vacancies occur. Leadership
development: it's high on our list of transformational priorities. Is it high on yours?
|
