We hope you had a chance to relax over the holiday weekend. This week’s Dos & Don’ts kicks off with a COVID update for pet owners and another resource for celebrating the season safely with one of Exelon’s health partners, Sharecare.

Although Rare, Coronavirus can Infect Pets

Recent research has shown that the coronavirus can infect a variety of mammals, including household pets like cats, dogs, hamsters and ferrets, after close contact with a person with COVID-19. Cases are very rare and when pets have contracted the virus, most of them only had a mild case and fully recovered.

Still, how do you protect your pets? Do remain vigilant and encourage everyone in the house to try not to contract the virus by wearing a mask, frequently washing hands, sanitizing high-touch surfaces and practicing social distancing.

Some of these measures can be applied to your pets. Do keep your pets away from other people and pets (social distancing). But, don’t put a mask on your pet, as it could be harmful.

Do treat your pet like a member of your household. If someone in your house gets the virus, limit your pet’s contact with that person, just like you would any other member of the family. If your pet gets sick (is lethargic, refuses to eat, etc.), do take your furry friend to see a veterinarian. If your pet has the virus, limit your contact with your pet (specifically, limit contact between your face and your pet’s face). Learn more at the CDC website.

Celebrating Safely with Sharecare

While holidays and traditions may look a little different this year, don’t overlook celebrating safely and having a joyous season. If you are looking for tips and resources on how to host or gather safely or just need a little bit of inspiration, do follow Sharecare’s Healthy Holidays health topics at exelon.sharecare.com, then navigate to Discover > Health Topics > Healthy Holidays. Example topics include holiday safety, keeping healthy habits, avoiding overindulging, creative recipes, food swaps and more.

Beware Holiday Phishing Scams

Don’t let cyber attackers turn holiday cheer into phishing fear. Be vigilant against holiday phishing scams using holiday eCards, online shopping deals and package delivery notifications to lure victims.

Dear Colleagues,

I know 2020 has been a very difficult year for so many, and I can’t thank you enough for your commitment to our essential work and to your safety, as well as the health and safety of those around you. At the same time, the rapid increase we are currently seeing in infection and hospitalization rates, along with the experts’ outlook for a bad COVID winter, alarms me a great deal and drives the need for all of us to act.

Exelon’s action: We will again postpone the beginning of Phase 1 of the Responsible Re-entry plan until at least Memorial Day (May 31, 2021).

Let me explain how we came to this decision.

Leadership across Exelon has reviewed the criteria we’re using to determine the best time to launch Phase 1. Our considerations include everything from employee absentee numbers and COVID case numbers to rates of infection and hospital capacity in major locations where we operate. As the situation evolves, so must our criteria, plans and process.

Given this data, and the fact that we are seeing such an increase of COVID-19 in states across the U.S. -- and even higher increases in infection rates among employees (nearly all exposures coming from outside work) -- it is in everyone’s best interest to delay the beginning of Phase 1 until later in 2021. The health and safety precautions we’ve implemented at our facilities are effective in preventing the spread of the virus to our employees whose jobs require them to be in the field or working at one of our locations, but it just doesn’t make sense to bring more people in right now, unless there is a critical business need.

Your action: Do everything you can to prevent catching and spreading the virus. If your job requires you to come to a company or field location, it’s up to you to avoid bringing the virus to your workplace. If you’re working remotely, reach out to other remote-enabled workers. We haven’t been together for a long time, and we need to stay in touch, support and encourage each other. Continue to focus on your health, and the health of your family and coworkers. Follow the advice of public health experts: wear a mask and wear it the right way, keep social distance, and avoid large gatherings and other high-risk situations like bars and restaurants. It’s up to all of us to be careful and stay safe!

Leadership Action: By Memorial Day, it will have been more than 14 months since some remote-enabled teams and co-workers have been together. As always, it’s leadership’s job to keep teams informed, engaged and connected, both to the work and to each other. So, we will double down on maintaining that connection with you in every way we can in these very unusual circumstances.

As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, I want to let you know how grateful the entire Executive Committee and I are for each one of you. You are consummate professionals and demonstrate every day your commitment to your coworkers, customers and communities. Even during this unusual holiday season, I hope you have a chance to reflect on everything for which you are thankful and know how much we appreciate you.

We will get through this together.

Chris

This week’s Dos and Don’ts shares some surprising information on the germiest things you touch, and reminders about taking the Safety Culture Survey, the Employee Giving Campaign and upcoming voting deadlines.

This Week’s Dos and Don’ts: Wondering about Re-entry? Microsoft Edge Update; Verify Your Voter Registration; New Security Game

This week’s Dos and Don’ts is full of important reminders.

Safety Survey Coming Your Way

In case you missed the message from President and CEO Chris Crane, an important Safety Culture Survey is coming your way on Monday, Oct. 5. Do keep an eye out on Monday for a message with the survey link from your OpCo CEO. Don’t miss this anonymous opportunity to share your perspectives on safety at Exelon. The more people who participate, the more information we’ll have to make Exelon an even safer place to work.

Reinvent Lunch and Learn Lessons

Have a great idea about improving a process or even the company, but don’t know how to make it reality? Heard of the Reinvent site, but want to know more? Don’t miss your chance to learn all about it! The Innovation team is holding two, one-hour sessions designed to train new users on how to get the most out of all the great resources and information available on Reinvent, ranging from navigation to how to submit and evaluate ideas. You can also find hundreds of cool ideas submitted by your colleagues across Exelon. Do take advantage of this great opportunity – you can find it by going to the Learning Management System (LMS). Select “Log-in with SSO” and then “Learning” under “My Info.” Once there, enter “Reinvent Beginning Training” in the “Find Learning” search box. Part 1, on October 28 (register by October 23), and Part 2, on November 11 (register by November 6), will be the first two links. Please attend both parts of the training if your schedule allows.

Not Too Late to Step It Up

Exelon’s Step It Up Challenge starts today. It’s not too late to participate. Do register by Oct. 7 if you would like to Step It Up with Exelon during the beautiful fall season. To register, log on to exelon.sharecare.com or visit hrservices.exeloncorp.com > Wellness Program. Once you’ve registered, you can join one of the pre-established teams like the Genco Game Changers or the Lone Adventurers to step with other employees participating on their own. You may also create your own team and invite your coworkers to participate with you. Don’t forget to download the Sharecare App and sync a tracking device after creating your account. For more challenge information, including how to take advantage of the Exelon Fitbit subsidy, review the Exelon Step It Up FAQ.

*Step It Up is available to all U.S.-based employees, excluding temporary employees, part-time employees scheduled to work fewer than 20 hours and employees represented by Locals 1238, 1307 and 1900.

COVID Fatigue is Real

Don’t let COVID fatigue get you down -- or get you sick. We’re all tired of the pandemic and everything that comes with it: masks, missing friends and loved ones, hand sanitizer, etc. But, if you’ve been reading the news, you know that cases of the virus are surging in some states and while plateauing in others, still remain too high. So, do rededicate yourself to staying safe and protecting others, whether at work or at home, by using your PPE, social distancing and washing your hands as often as possible. For more information about these and other actions you can take to avoid the virus, check out the Exelon Coronavirus Information Center.