February 3, 2021

VICE PRESENTS, AREA RETAIL AND DELIVERY OPERATIONS
VICE PRESIDENTS, REGIONAL PROCESSING OPERATIONS

SUBJECT:  Operations Policy for the Presidents’ Day Holiday 
                    Monday, February 15, 2021

This memorandum provides general operating policy and holiday planning guidance for the upcoming 2021 Presidents’ Holiday (observed on Monday, February 15, 2021).  Service levels for this holiday are displayed in Exhibit 125.22 of the Postal Operations Manual (POM).

Presidents’ Day is a non-widely observed holiday, which means that many businesses are open and producing outgoing mail.  Area and Districts should consider establishing auxiliary Collection and Package Pick-ups in order to capture volume generated.  Communication and a plan to ensure obtained volumes are transported to the local processing center should be established.  Particularly if the local plant is cancelling mail, you must make business and overflow collections to ensure that customer’s service expectations are met.  Personnel on duty should check collection boxes at post office, lobby drops and Self Service Kiosks (SSKs) for overflow situation on Monday, February 15, 2021.

Delivery Operations

All offices should carefully review their staffing plans for this holiday and make adjustments as necessary to meet the needs of their communities.  

•	For planning purposes, Post Offices should use recent mail volumes, and adjust for local circumstances.

Saturday, February 13: 
 
•	Normal (Saturday) service levels will be provided in delivery and collection operations.  
•	All delivery units should take action prior to this date to assure that units are in a current status.
 
Sunday, February 14:  

•	Normal (Sunday) service levels will be provided in delivery and collection operations including Sunday/Holiday Priority Mail Express and Sunday/Holiday Same Day Package Delivery (hub and spoke structure).  
•	Area and District offices should verify compliance to the Sunday Staffing SOP and utilize their LOCs and HCUs to manage hub offices.  
•	EAS must use Delivery Management Systems (DMS), when available, to confirm proper scanning and delivery of Sunday parcels has been completed at all hub locations.  
•	All delivery units should take action prior to this date to confirm that units are in a current status.  

475 L'Enfant PLZ SW 
Washington DC 20260

Presidents’ Day Holiday, “Not Widely Observed,” Monday, February 15: 

•	There will be no regular delivery service except for Holiday Premium Priority Mail Express and Sunday/Holiday Same Day Package Delivery (hub and spoke structure)
•	Area and District offices should use Sunday Staffing SOP on this holiday and utilize LOCs and HCUs to manage hub offices.  
•	EAS must use Delivery Management Systems (DMS) to ensure proper scanning and delivery of Same Day parcels has been completed at all hub locations.
•	Sunday eligible Night Owls should be staffed Sunday night into Monday for holiday delivery.  Any additional Night Owl sites will be detailed, and a list will be sent out once confirmed by our customer. 

Tuesday, February 16:  

•	Return to normal service levels.  
•	Delivery managers and supervisors should plan for additional mail volume and packages for delivery after the holiday.  
•	Review past performance and work with In-Plant Support and Networks on transportation to ensure offices are staffed appropriately to have carriers leave and return on time. 

Retail Operations
•	All offices should carefully review their staffing plans and adjust as necessary to meet the needs of their communities.  For planning purposes, Post Offices should use recent and SPLY retail sales trend information and mail volumes.

•	Ensure that Self Service Kiosks (SSKs) are fully stocked and that mailing supplies (Priority Mail labels, boxes, etc.) are available for customers.  Make arrangements for dispatch of packages received through lobby deposit points, including SSKs.  Facilities with staffing on this holiday should accommodate requests for drop shipment appointments.

•	Ensure that the current holiday closing “door cling” signage is properly displayed. 

•	Many Contract Postal Units (CPUs) may be open on the holiday.  Post Offices should, therefore, advise customers (to the extent possible) of the locations and hours of operation for CPUs, and where retail services will be available.

Saturday, February 13:  
•	Normal (Saturday) service levels will be provided in retail operations.  The retail staffing should be adjusted based on projected workload.  Retail should provide package pickup services for customers to the maximum extent possible.

Sunday, February 14:  
•	Normal service levels.  Retail services should only be available in those offices that normally open on Sundays.

Presidents’ Day Holiday, “Not Widely Observed,” Monday, February 15: 
•	No retail service will be available, except in those facilities normally open on this holiday. 

•	Each Area should provide Headquarters Retail Operations with a list of locations that have approval to be open.  Please reference Postal Operations Manual (POM) 125.22 “National Holidays”.  Post Offices should provide Post Office Box access for customers to the maximum extent possible.

  
Tuesday, February 16:  
•	Return to normal service levels.  Retail managers and supervisors should use recent sales trend information and adjust for local circumstances.   Retail should provide package pickup services for customers to the maximum extent possible. 

Post Office Operations

Saturday, February 13, 2021 – Normal Service Day / Holiday Preparations:
•	Remote Forwarding System (RFS):  Ensure undeliverable parcels are processed timely to avoid backlogs through the holiday.

•	PM Parcel Distribution:  Review volumes, schedules, and identify and process on-hand volume to ensure unit is clear before the holiday.

•	Parcel Return Service (PRS):  Dispatch PRS as scheduled.  If needed, escalate non-picked up package issues to your District PRS Coordinator. For Return Delivery Units (RDU), follow the 48-hour rule before dispatching to the plant.

•	Technology:  Confirm all scanning equipment is operable and transmitting without incident including: ADUS, DSS, MDD, MDD-IO, PASS. Extra batteries should be kept on hand as needed. For ADUS equipment, ensure sort plans are current and all updates are completed. 

•	Notice Left Shelf: Verify items receive notification or are returned according to the schedule.    For Post Office box packages, if it fits, place in the PO box or parcel locker. 

•	MyPO Notifications:  Check MyPO notifications, including hold mail and redelivery.

•	Function 4 Staffing: Schedule appropriately and utilize all scanning equipment to process packages for delivery.  Review post-holiday scheduling to ensure package processing is completed for early morning delivery. Review VAP Gap to confirm clerks begin tour aligns with first AAU. 

•	First In First Out (FIFO):  Use placards, signs and lines for maintaining FIFO to manage volume and assist with applying the correct Delivery Day Indicator (DDI) (see below). 

•	Collections:  Clear collection points in front of and within the post office prior to truck arriving and dispatch all available outgoing mail on first available truck.  Follow local separation procedures when preparing mail for dispatch. 

•	Sorting and Staging Area:  Make certain all processing equipment is neat, in place, and ready for the following day.  Check housekeeping:  floors clear of debris, trash bins emptied, extra empty equipment staged ready for pickup. 

•	Delivery Day Indicator (DDI):  Ensure delivery units apply the correct DDI BEFORE scanning packages (see below).

Date pieces are scanned	Day Packages will be Delivered	DDI Selection	
Saturday, February 13, 2021	Saturday - February 13th	Today	
Sunday, February 14, 2021	Sunday - February 14th	Sunday	
	Monday - February 15th	Holiday	
	Tuesday - February 16th	Next Day *	
Monday, February 15, 2021	Monday - February 15th	Holiday	
	Tuesday - February 16th	Next Day **	
Tuesday, February 16, 2021	Tuesday - February 16th	Today	

*Used for processing packages on Sunday, BUT have a Delivery Date of Monday, February 15	

Sunday, February 14, 2021 – Normal ‘Sunday’ Service Levels
•	Function 4 Staffing:  Balance the workhours to the workload by reviewing VAP Gap tool to identify staff opportunities, assess Sunday volume trend data and mail arrival times to schedule staff that coincides with the workload and Sunday-performance expectations (=> 215 parcels per hour and OT <=1%).
•	Collections:  Clear collection points in front of and within the post office (e.g., collection boxes, inside lobby drops and self-service kiosks) prior to truck arriving and dispatch all available outgoing mail on first available truck.  Follow local separation procedures when preparing mail for dispatch according to local holiday schedules.
Monday, February 15, 2021 – President’s Day – “Not Widely Observed” Holiday
President’s Day is a “not widely observed” holiday, which means many businesses are open and producing outgoing mail.
•	Collections:  Post Office Operations personnel on duty should check and clear collection points in front of and within the post office (e.g., collection boxes, inside lobby drops and self-service kiosks) prior to truck arriving and dispatch all available outgoing mail on first available truck.  Follow local separation procedures when preparing mail for dispatch according to local holiday schedules.
•	Review District and local Air Transportation Network holiday “lift” schedules; if networks are operating, contact major mailers to ensure volume is collected and inducted into the system in a timely fashion
Tuesday, February 16, 2021 – Return to Normal Service Levels
•	Function 4 Staffing:  
o	Plan for additional mail volume and packages for post-holiday delivery 
o	Review VAP Gap tool, post-holiday volume trend data, CSAW projections and mail arrival times to schedule staffing that coincides with the projected workload and performance expectations.
Processing Operations

This holiday presents an opportunity to consolidate and compress plant operations to generate savings while maintaining service performance levels.  In order to take advantage of the savings opportunity, please adhere to the following guidelines:
•	Do Not Combine First Class with Priority
•	Use the variance tools and the Run Plan Generator (RPG) for staffing operations.  
•	Advance Blue & Orange Marketing Mail for Saturday delivery. 
•	Sites canceling on Monday will be determined locally/by Area as well as the decision for Tuesday early collection plans.  (See below instructions relative to processing and dispatching Commercial Mailings).
•	Inhibit sort programs regeneration prior to the holiday and re-establish afterwards.   
•	Recommend processing First Pass (918) on Saturday afternoon/evening.  Finalization will be Monday prior to Second Pass (919). 
•	Ensure only one Delivery Point Sequence (DPS) run on Tuesday (no double runs of DPS).
•	Ensure all mail retrieved from freight house and processed for on time delivery on Tuesday
•	Utilize a RPG model for DPS processing on Saturday night, Sunday, and Monday morning that ensures an early DPS dispatch for Tuesday delivery.
•	Ensure on-time or early clearance of FC SPRs on Friday and Saturday to avoid surface volume rolling over to Monday and Tuesday. 
•	Evaluate the processing of Outgoing Priority on the day of the holiday to avoid late clearance on Tuesday. (Sites not processing priority on the holiday must create an early collection plan to start outgoing operations earlier.)
•	Assign SWYB to avoid VAP issues to THS. 
Processing and Dispatch of Commercial Mailings

It is extremely important that we develop plans to maximize our window of opportunity to process and dispatch Commercial Mailings on Monday night and Tuesday morning.  Plans should ensure that instances of rollover volumes and deviations from planned surface and air transportation on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning do not occur.

Specific planning activities should include:

•	Coordination with Business Mail Entry Unit (BMEU) Managers.
•	Coordination with Detached Mail Units
•	Coordination with Business Service Network Managers.
•	Notifying Commercial Mailers of BMEU Holiday hours and assurance that mail which is entered will be processed and dispatched.
•	Adjusting Operating Plans and RPGs to include the anticipated Commercial Mail volumes.

•	Ensuring that all processed mail is dispatched on scheduled transportation on Monday night and Tuesday morning.  
 
Resultant changes to existing operational hours that impact our customers must be communicated through the Business Service Network and other customer liaisons.  This includes changes in Facility Access Shipment Tracking System.  Changes to caller service operating windows that affect remittance mail availability must also be shared with our customers.
  
Plant managers must ensure that Integrated Operating Plans (IOPs) between the BMEUs and Operations are updated to ensure timely induction, processing and dispatch of mail presented to the BMEU prior to and on holidays.  BMEU managers must ensure that all staff at both the BMEUs and the Detached Mail Units are familiar with and execute their operations in accordance with the IOP.  Local collection and cancellation plans must be coordinated with associate offices and must support achievement of 24-hour clock indicators.  Managers and supervisors must plan for anticipated increased volumes after the holiday.  It is vital to ensure all mail is finalized, prepared for assignment, and dispatched on the appropriate transportation network.  
 
Plants must make plans to assure that destinating two- and three-day volumes are processed to meet service goals before and after the holiday.  All missorted, missent, return-to-sender and Postal Automated Redirection System volumes must be identified, finalized, prepared for assignment and dispatched on the appropriate transportation network on Saturday.  The 24-hour clock indicators for the Managed Mail Program on hand will be useful in monitoring the success of this plan. 
 
Network Distribution Centers (NDCs) also have an opportunity to consolidate and compress operations to generate savings while maintaining service performance levels.  NDCs must utilize the RPG tool to staff operations.  Tier 2 NDCs must ensure that all outgoing volume from Friday and Saturday retail receipts are finalized and dispatched on the appropriate network transportation on the following day.  

All NDCs must ensure destinating parcel volume received between 16:00 Friday and 16:00 Monday are available for delivery Tuesday morning.  NDCs must schedule drop shipment acceptance hours to ensure timely induction, processing and dispatch of mail.

If there is a need to deviate from this guidance, please work through the appropriate office for an exception.

Maintenance Operations

The Maintenance Technical Support Center (MTSC) will assist mail processing sites with planned power outages in accordance with the following knowledge base (KB) article.

Facility Planned Power Outages
MTSC KB0012715

Refer to the Mail Processing Emergency Response Checklists for critical actions and tasks.

Additional Information

•	For all power outages, create a ticket on the MTSC Web Ticket Portal for the affected site and provide all relevant information about the outage.
•	For planned power outages, sites must submit a Change Request (CR) form to FAP_Power_Outage_Notification@usps.gov. The CR form is available in the MTSC KB.

Upon receipt of the MTSC web ticket, the MTSC Network Operations Application Support (NOAS) team will contact Engineering to:

•	Schedule graceful shutdowns of IDS, NDSS, and NGTC for planned outages.
•	Validate functionality after power is restored for all outages.

If a system has issues going online after power is restored, then create a new ticket for the affected system and request NST assistance.

Non-Emergency Project Requests

MTSC will provide phone support 24 hours a day through the holiday but will curtail all 
non-emergency support activities to ensure sufficient HelpDesk coverage during the holiday scheduling period.  Normal projects and supplemental support activities will resume in the week

Logistics Operations

Air Transportation Network

FedEx, UPS and commercial air will operate a normal schedule throughout the holiday period.  On Monday, February 15, FedEx will be operating a Special Daysort for limited markets.  On Tuesday, February 16, there will be no supplemental networks (Aloha, Amazon, AmeriJet, Kalitta, and North Air Cargo).  Supplemental networks will return to normal operations on Wednesday, February 17.

FedEx:

UPS:

Supplemental Networks:

The canine screening operation schedule for the holiday period will be issued via e-mail to each Division Manager, Logistics
International Transportation Plan

Import/Export Plan for the ISC
Holiday	Day of 
Week	Date	JFK 
Export	JFK 
Import	ORD
Export	ORD
Import	MIA
Export	MIA
Import	
Day before	Sunday	2/14/2021	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	
Presidents Day	Monday	2/15/2021	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	
Day after	Tuesday	2/16/2020	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	

Holiday	Day of 
Week	Date	LAX
Export	LAX 
Import	SFO
Export	SFO
Import	
Day before	Sunday	2/14/2021	YES	YES	YES	YES	
Presidents Day	Monday	2/15/2021	YES	YES	YES	YES	
Day after	Tuesday	2/16/2021	YES	YES	YES	YES	

Customs CBP opening plan and hours at the ISC
Holiday	Day of 
Week	Date	JFK 
CBP open	JFK 
CBP hours	ORD
CBP open	ORD
CBP hours	MIA
CBP open	MIA
CBP hours	
Day before	Sunday	2/14/2021	YES	24/7	YES	24/7	YES	08:00 - 16:00	
Presidents Day	Monday	2/15/2021	YES	24/7	YES	24/7	YES	08:00 - 16:00	
Day after	Tuesday 	2/16/2021	YES	24/7	YES	24/7	YES	08:00 - 16:00	
									
Holiday	Day of 
Week	Date	LAX
CBP open	LAX 
CBP hours	SFO
CBP open	SFO 
CBP hours	
Day before	Sunday	2/14/2021	YES	Normal Closure	YES	05:00 - 15:00; 15:00 -19:00 Portal Only	
Presidents Day	Monday	2/15/2021	YES	06:00 - 22:00	YES	07:30 – 15:00	
Day after	Tuesday	2/16/2021	YES 	06:00 - 22:00 	YES	05:00 - 15:00; 15:00 - 19:00 Portal Only	

Surface Transportation Network

The Surface Transfer Centers will operate on a holiday schedule as shown on the Network Operations “Surface Operations” website at:

https://blue.usps.gov/network-operations/surface/stcs.htm

http://blue.usps.gov/network_operations/

USPS STC HOLIDAY SCHEDULE	
Presidents' Day Holiday Schedule	
     Origin STC/  	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	
    Surface HUB	02/14/21	02/15/21	02/16/21	
Atlanta GA STC/NDC	OPEN	OPEN	OPEN	
Phone (404) 792-3152	24 Hours	24 Hours	24 Hours	
Capital Metro STC/NDC	OPEN	OPEN	OPEN	
Phone (301) 499-7419	24 Hours	24 Hours	24 Hours	
Seminole/Orlando STC	OPEN	OPEN	OPEN	
Phone (689) 205-0965	24 Hours	24 Hours	24 Hours	
Indianapolis IN STC	OPEN	OPEN	OPEN	
Phone (317) 487-4045	24 Hours	24 Hours	24 Hours	
Chicago IL STC	OPEN	OPEN	OPEN	
Phone (630) 536-5275 or 5276	24 Hours	24 Hours	24 Hours	
Kansas City KS STC	OPEN	OPEN	OPEN	
Phone (913) 914-7091 or 7155	24 Hours	24 Hours	24 Hours	
Memphis TN STC	OPEN	OPEN	OPEN	
Phone (901) 370-6860	24 Hours	24 Hours	24 Hours	
New Jersey NJ STC/NDC	OPEN	OPEN	OPEN	
Phone (201) 714-6370	24 Hours	24 Hours	24 Hours	
New England NDC/STC     	OPEN	OPEN	OPEN	
Phone (413) 785-6552	24 Hours	24 Hours	24 Hours	
Northern CA NDC/STC	OPEN	OPEN	OPEN	
Phone (510) 528-9671	24 Hours	24 Hours	24 Hours	
Southern Area STC	OPEN	OPEN	OPEN	
Phone (469) 284-9352	24 Hours	24 Hours	24 Hours	
Salt Lake City UT STC	OPEN	OPEN	OPEN	
Phone (801) 972-3559 or 3585	24 Hours	24 Hours	24 Hours	
Southern CA NDC/STC	OPEN	OPEN	OPEN	
Phone (323) 729-4242	24 Hours	24 Hours	24 Hours	
		President'sDayHolSch2021	
Dispatch Procedures

To avoid transportation delays, manage mail volume flow before, during, and after the holiday accordingly:

•	Maximize utilization of available surface, commercial air, and FedEx transportation during the holiday period.  Dispatch all mail volume inducted on Sunday and Monday nights into the network on Tuesday to avoid overflow on Wednesday’s network.   

•	Prioritization values established for planned routes ensure commercial air capacity is utilized ahead of FedEx.  There should be no adjustment of capacity thresholds to add or delete mail classes under any circumstances.  Do not edit the active planned route file.

Please disseminate these policies and procedures to the appropriate personnel in your area.  Your immediate attention to these details and dispatch procedures is appreciated.