Labor Day, September 4, 2023 – Are USPS, UPS, FedEx Open Today?

Monday, September 4th is Labor Day, a federal holiday in the United States that honors the contributions and achievements of American workers.

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Dating back to the late 19th century, the labor movement began fighting for better wages, reasonable hours, and safer working conditions. Now, Labor Day sees many businesses closed to observe the holiday and give their employees a day off work.

While many large retailers and grocery stores will be open, government offices, banks and financial institutions, as well as most corporate and business offices will be closed today for the Labor Day holiday.

Here is what it means for ecommerce merchants and marketplace sellers:

USPS

What is closed or not operational today at USPS?

• No counter operations at retail post offices around the country.
• No regular mail delivery.
• No regular mail pick-up.
• No mail pickup from USPS mailboxes.
• No USPS phone customer service.

What is open or operational today at USPS?

• Access PO Boxes at most locations, if separated area from counter operations/lobby.
• Use self-service machines at most locations, if separated area from counter operations/lobby.
• Online USPS Click-N-Ship is fully functional.
• Inside and outside USPS mailboxes are open 24/7 – but outside boxes could become full at busy post office locations.

Don’t forget to check our domestic and international USPS updates on delivery disruptions and suspensions.

UPS

UPS is also not operating on Labor Day, with no pick-ups and deliveries, and service centers, including UPS Stores, being closed. UPS Express Critical, a specialty service, is available today.

FedEx

FedEx Express and Ground services are not operating on Labor Day either, with no pick-ups and deliveries. Some FedEx Office locations may operate on a modified schedule. Call before going. FedEx Custom Critical, a specialty service, is available today.

Other Carriers such as DHL, Sendle, OnTrack, etc.

Most other carriers will also not operate on Labor Day. Some may offer critical delivery services, but customers should expect normal shipping and pick-ups to resume tomorrow.

Amazon

Business as usual, the company is making deliveries today.

Tips for Sellers on September 4th, 2023, Labor Day

Today can be tricky for online sellers, as international buyers may think this is a normal business day. Here are some tips on how to deal with shipments on Labor Day.

You may process shipments as usual, but it’s good practice to notify buyers that today is a federal holiday in the United States and USPS and other carriers are not operating.

If you process orders, buyers will still receive a tracking number, but notifying them it’s a federal holiday means they won’t expect tracking updates until Tuesday.

With USPS Scan Forms, it’s best to close out the day as usual. Some shipping platforms may not allow this or may let you roll over shipments to the next business day. Check with them for details.

eBay, Etsy, Poshmark, PayPal and other platforms with built-in shipping solutions will generate labels on Labor Day. However, most won’t tell buyers it’s a federal holiday in tracking notifications.

Federal / USPS Holidays in 2023

Looking ahead, here is a list of the remaining federal and postal holidays in 2023, with the next federal holiday just about a month away.

• Monday, October 9 – Columbus Day
• Friday, November 10 (observed) – Veterans Day (observed)
• Thursday, November 23 – Thanksgiving Day
• Monday, December 25 – Christmas Day
• Monday, January 1, 2024 – New Year’s Day

* Veterans Day, November 1, 2023, falls on a Saturday this year and when this occurs, workers at government agencies receive the preceding Friday as their day off.