In this week’s Dos & Don’ts, you’ll get your questions answered! Whether it’s about vaccines; Exelon Connect; the separation; our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion; or how to volunteer outside — we’ve got answers!

Changed Your Mind About Getting Vaccinated?

Do let us know! As the company works to acquire vaccines for employees whenever possible, it’s critical we have the correct data on who wants to be inoculated against COVID-19. So…

Understandably, employees across the company are tired of all the COVID precautions and protocols that have ruled our lives for the last year.

Unfortunately, we can’t let our guard down yet. While some states have relaxed restrictions, the case numbers still show that the virus is not well-controlled, and those relaxed restrictions are not an indication that the COVID health and safety risks are gone.

A Sobering Reality
Yes, vaccines offer some hope. And, yes, the numbers of new infections and death have dropped significantly from their highs a few months ago. The reality, however, is that transmission of the virus remains at similar levels as it was last summer when everyone was on high alert. And, in some cases – including states in the Northeast and Michigan – rates have begun to rise again. The states that are seeing increases also report high incidences of new COVID variants.

The same is true at Exelon – but even more so. The number of employees who are getting sick every week is increasing significantly again, as well the number of employees being hospitalized for COVID (four in the last week, alone).

In this week’s Dos & Don’ts, we feature a vaccine story from a Nuclear colleague, information to assist veterans in getting vaccinated, a new webinar on the challenge of inclusivity in a virtual environment, new opportunities for volunteering outside and the importance of updating your devices to keep them secure.

An Employee's Vaccine Story
Don’t miss our latest testimonial from a colleague who has been vaccinated. Eric Steinberg, senior ops training instructor at the Braidwood nuclear plant in Illinois, shares his experience with both shots and why getting vaccinated was important to him.

In this week’s Dos & Don’ts, we encourage you to check your vaccine eligibility and get registered, learn how to protect yourself from vaccine and tax scammers, and get ready for Exelon Connect!

Don’t Delay; Register Today!

Are you eligible to get the COVID vaccine in your state? Then don’t delay – register today! Be sure to check your state’s eligibility rules because you already may be eligible and don’t know it.

Exelon continues to try to get vaccines for employees and has partnered with Walgreens, Matrix Clinical Solutions and Harness Health to support vaccine procurement and administration to employees. However, the company may not be successful in procuring vaccines in all locations, depending on the vaccine administration approach each state/county is using. Under the current landscape, some states aren’t allowing companies to be distribution points for COVID vaccines. Instead, the states are directing vaccine supply to mass state/county vaccination sites, healthcare providers or pharmacies for administration.

Vaccine supply also continues to be a challenge. So, don’t wait to get the vaccine from the company – do follow your state’s eligibility guidelines and register with your county. Also, try to explore available appointments with as many retail pharmacies (e.g., CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid and local supermarkets with pharmacies) as possible to increase your chances of being inoculated right away.

A special note for veterans: If you are receiving healthcare through the Veterans Administration (VA), you may be able to be vaccinated through the VA. More information is available at https://www.va.gov/health-care/covid-19-vaccine/.

Finally, don’t forget you can update your vaccination survey responses and report your vaccination to the company via the dedicated Vax Scene site or by calling 1-877-7EXELON (1-877-739-3566).

Be Aware of COVID-19 Scams & Keep Vaccine Top of Mind

Dear Colleagues,

In this week’s Dos and Don’ts, we feature new guidance from the CDC, an interview with our resident health expert Barb Stevens about vaccines and more!

CDC Guidance for Vaccinated Individuals

As some states change their mask mandates or completely open without any COVID restrictions, you may be wondering if Exelon is changing its PPE practices based on new guidance from the CDC about people who’ve been vaccinated.

For now, the answer is “no.” Exelon safety protocols, including use of PPE, screening, social distancing and cleaning, are not changing at this time. CDC guidance lifting mask and social distancing requirements for fully vaccinated individuals does not apply to workplaces and is limited to contact with one other low-risk household.

In this week’s Dos and Don’ts, we feature a new vaccine story, a reminder about entering our buildings, an opportunity to change your medical and FSA coverage, new separation FAQs and more!

A New First-Person Experience and more Vaccine News

Don’t miss our newest vaccine testimonial from Leah Covington, director Human Resources for BGE. Leah shares her experience both contracting COVID-19, but also getting the vaccination and what it means to her. Do be sure to check out her story!

Also, if you’ve been lucky enough to get the COVID-19 vaccine, don’t forget to let us know on the vaccine reporting page in Service Now, which has been updated to include the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

And, do make sure to safeguard your vaccine verification cards, just like you would any other important document. It may come in handy (or even be required) for travel or other vaccine verification purposes.

Going Somewhere?

Planning to head into an Exelon office? Although buildings are open, do make sure you have a business purpose to be on-site. Don’t forget to follow COVID-19 signage, including those explaining how to enter the building and screen yourself on-site. Do remember to wear your personal protective equipment (PPE) and practice social distancing, including limiting the number of people in elevators. Don’t forget that hand sanitizer and surface wipes are available at all locations. For more information, please review the Responsible Re-entry Webinar. If you are on-site and need PPE, sanitizer or surface wipes, please review this contact list to know who to call.

Temporary Opportunity to Change Plan Elections

Late last year, Congress passed a bill – The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 – that allows plan sponsors, like Exelon, to permit participants to make certain mid-year changes to health care and Flexible Spending Account (FSA) plans. These temporary changes are intended to allow participants to address unanticipated situations caused by the pandemic.

Do be aware of this temporary opportunity to change some of your elections under the Exelon health care and spending account programs. For instance, you could enroll in medical coverage beginning March 12 or increase or decrease your contributions to a dependent care FSA without regard to a qualifying change of status (such as marriage, birth or adoption). The bill also extends claims deadlines related to 2019 and 2020 health care and dependent care FSA balances. Do read this overview for more details on this temporary opportunity.

Reminder: Check Out the New Separation HR FAQs

Do check out the latest frequently asked questions (FAQs) on human resources and benefits aspects of the company’s separation on our Focus on Our Future intranet site. Do get the answers to important questions, like what happens to the pension plans and what happens to stock in the Employee Savings Plan?

Replacing Symantec Endpoint Protection with Microsoft Defender

Exelon is transitioning from Symantec Endpoint Protection (SEP) to Microsoft Defender to protect against cyberthreats, such as viruses and malware across email, the cloud and the web. Do take note: from March through June, Microsoft Defender will be enabled on all Windows 10 computers and added to all Windows 7 and Mac computers. A reboot will be required after the installation.

Do be aware that some remote workers may see a pop-up window with a request to connect to the Exelon Network, through the Citrix Gateway VPN, prior to installation. Users who have not installed the VPN yet should do so with these instructions.

Do continue to be vigilant against suspicious emails and calendar invitations. Through our ongoing collective efforts, we can continue to protect Exelon’s critical assets and information.

Tour the New Intranet: Exelon Connect!

Do take a few moments to tour Exelon Connect, which will launch across all OpCos and BSC starting in late March! Don’t forget that with the reimagined intranet, you’ll be able to customize your content, share important stories on LinkedIn, search for the things that matter to you and do it all from your mobile device! Learn more by watching this video.
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This message and any attachments or links are intended for use by Exelon employees and authorized contractors only. Copying, sharing or forwarding confidential information to outside parties is a violation of Exelon’s Code of Business Conduct and the Corporate Acceptable Use Policy, and is strictly prohibited. Before sharing any confidential company information externally, please consult your supervisor or contact Exelon’s Ethics Office at EthicsOffice2@exeloncorp.com.

This week’s Dos & Don’ts provides an overview of the J&J vaccine and the latest guidance on fitness centers, along with some other reminders.

J&J Vaccine Approved!

The FDA has determined the J&J vaccine is safe and effective and has approved it for emergency use (it underwent similar rigorous testing and review as the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines). Do know that the FDA has determined that its efficacy rates are well within the range for it to be another important tool in our efforts to end the pandemic. The J&J vaccine is 85 percent effective in preventing severe COVID-19 and 100 percent effective against COVID-19 hospitalization and death.

The J&J COVID-19 Vaccine is just one shot and, similar to the other approved vaccines had some commonly reported side effects, including pain at the injection site, headache, fatigue, muscle aches and nausea. Most of these side effects were mild to moderate in severity and lasted 1-2 days.

Don’t hesitate – we encourage employees to get whichever vaccine is available to them first. When Exelon has the opportunity with local jurisdictions to offer employees vaccines, we will be offering the vaccine that is available at that time – Pfizer, Moderna or J&J.

Gyms Remain Closed due to Coronavirus

The Centers for Disease and Control (CDC) recently traced a COVID-19 outbreak back to a fitness center in Chicago after 68 percent of a class (55out of 81 attendees) contracted the virus. Do take note of this research and ensure you are exercising safely. One key finding of the report is that gym members who were infected were more likely to only wear masks infrequently during classes.

Exelon does not plan to reopen its fitness centers at this time, given that case counts in the U.S. remain high. If you exercise in a gym outside your home, please practice social distancing and don’t neglect to wear your mask at all times.

Exelon Connect – Coming Soon!

Don’t worry – the separation announcement will not affect our upcoming launch of Exelon Connect, the new, personalized intranet experience you’ve been waiting for! We’ll be rolling out the new intranet to each operating company and BSC department over the next several weeks. With the reimagined intranet, you’ll be able to sign-in to the network on your mobile device, making company information safe, secure and accessible. Learn more by watching this video.

ConsumerMedical – Your Medical Ally!

If you’re enrolled in an Exelon medical plan, do look out for a home mailer from ConsumerMedical, Exelon’s new partner for expert medical services. In fact, they may even call you to introduce themselves!

As part of this new, expanded benefit, ConsumerMedical’s expert team of doctors, nurses and researchers can help you:

This week, we're bringing you candid, expert answers about the latest vaccine news, and reminders about where to find the news and FAQs about separation, and the SmartDollar sweepstakes.

Q&A with an Expert: Dr. Lawler Answers Common COVID Vaccine Questions
With two vaccines on the market and several more in the pipeline, questions abound around safety, effectiveness, post-shot symptoms and variant protection. Between sensational media coverage and Internet rumors, expert answers can be hard to come by. Not anymore!

On a recent All Call, ComEd CEO Joe Dominguez posed employees’ most common questions to infectious disease expert Dr. James Lawler, special advisor for health to The Asia Group, Executive Director for International Programs and Innovation for the Global Center for Health Security, as well as the Deputy Medical Director for the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC).

Do take some time to listen (by clicking the links below) to Dr. Lawler’s candid answers, some of which might surprise you. Please note: these are audio files only.