USPS Office of Inspector General

Mail service to military bases or diplomatic posts abroad might not look like “mail call” of yore, but it can have the same effect: It boosts morale. High-quality mail service provides a valuable link between loved ones at home and those serving our country afar.

Blame it on the rain. Or the heat, or the snow. Weather, it seems, has an impact on the U.S. Postal Service’s productivity. Geographic regions with extreme climate – other things being equal – have lower productivity than moderate climate regions.

Climate isn’t the only regional factor. Cost of living and terrain ruggedness also have an impact on the productivity in a region.

We know that having a variety of mail in the mailbox boosts ad mail’s effectiveness. And our recent research on the mail mix showed that.

But we don’t necessarily know why. That was one of the many questions raised and discussed by a panel of experts and about 50 attendees at our recent forum on the study, Advertising Mail: Mail Mix Matters.

The Inspector General (IG) community just added a new bell and whistle to its Oversight.gov website – a whistleblower resource page. The page was launched last week, in conjunction with National Whistleblower Appreciation Day.

Most of the funds the U.S. Postal Service spends in workers’ compensation-related costs each year are legit. However, if medical providers or companies choose to profit illegally, look out. Our office, sometimes in partnership with other law enforcement agencies, will hold them responsible.