This week’s Dos and Don’ts start off with a reminder and useful information about COVID-19 vaccine registration.

Vaccine Survey Reminder and Registration Information

Do remember to take the employee vaccine survey before January 29 to let us know your intention about getting vaccinated. This will help ensure we provide states and counties with accurate numbers, as they allocate doses to various populations, including critical infrastructure workers.

You may receive a targeted email from Exelon (specifically from the ExelonNow HR Solutions Hub or in some cases, your OpCo), including how to register or schedule an appointment when we are notified of vaccine availability in your particular state, county or local government. Exelon is working on several fronts to ensure our employees can get vaccinated as soon as possible, including advocating for priority for our essential workers and exploring possible approaches with large, private health care providers. We will share more information as soon as it’s available.

At the same time, you already may have higher priority in your state or county due to your age or an underlying health condition. Don’t delay! We encourage you to get vaccinated at the first available opportunity.

Do remember to get approval from your manager to receive up to four hours of paid time off to accommodate vaccination appointments during scheduled work hours. If your time off is approved by your manager, you (or a designated timekeeper) should use the “Time-Off with Pay Code” in e-Time. If you experience illness or symptoms following the vaccine, you should contact the Exelon Absence Reporting Line at 1-877-739-3566.

Once you’ve received a dose of the vaccine, please go to the HR Solutions HUB to document receipt after each dose of the vaccine using the Voluntary Disclosure of Receipt form (just type “voluntary disclosure” in the search field). Vaccine information will be treated as confidential employee information and will enable us to better understand the need for additional employee vaccines, as they become available.

Vaccine distribution information continues to evolve rapidly, and we will keep you as up to date as possible. Do check out the Vax Scene webpage for updates and information.

Start the New Year Right with Sharecare and SmartDollar

Let’s kick off the new year right and not let our personal goals fall by the wayside. Do take advantage of the multitude of resources available within the Sharecare platform. From healthy recipes to tips on managing your finances, Sharecare can help you take a more holistic approach to your overall health and financial wellbeing. Do personalize your Sharecare experience by logging into exelon.sharecare.com and clicking “Discover” from the main menu. Then, select “Health Topics.”

During February, SmartDollar, a financial tool within the Sharecare platform, is offering a giveaway sweepstakes to all Sharecare users (not just Exelon). Do sign-in to the SmartDollar platform for a chance to win $250 or $5,000. Every day in February that you log-in is another chance to win!

New Benefit for Healthcare Enrollees: Free Access to Medical Experts

If you haven’t already, do check out ConsumerMedical, Exelon’s new partner for expert medical services. Do look for a home mailer with more information in February. As part of this new, expanded benefit, ConsumerMedical’s expert team of doctors, nurses and researchers can help you:

This week’s Dos and Don’t starts off with a heads up on a required survey on the COVID-19 vaccination.

Vaccine Survey Coming Your Way!

Exelon is committed to the safety of our workforce and the communities that we serve. The vaccination of our workforce is an important step in enhancing that safety.

To help state and local governments ensure enough COVID-19 vaccines are available for our employees (non-remote and remote-enabled), all employees will be receiving a very short, but required survey next week. The survey asks for just one answer about your intention to be vaccinated, so don’t delay and complete it right away. The information you provide will be used only for the purpose of notifying or prioritizing employees for vaccine availability and will be stored confidentially per our regular process for maintaining confidential employee records.

We’re all tired of the pandemic, and the more of us who are vaccinated, the quicker it will be over. While getting the vaccine isn’t mandatory, completing the survey is required. Don’t forget: the survey is coming your way next week and must be completed by Friday, January 29!

For more information on the vaccine and FAQs, don’t forget to check out the Vax Scene. webpage on the Exelon Coronavirus Information Center.

Safety and Security are Paramount

Exelon is committed to providing our employees with safe work environments. In most cases, successfully preventing threats to personnel or property starts with understanding how to recognize threats before they escalate.

You are our first line of defense and play a crucial role in helping to secure our people and our assets. Remember, if you see something suspicious, please notify your Supervisor.

In the event of an emergency make the following notifications; in the following order:

Today’s Dos and Don’ts feature a reminder on civil discourse, additional information on vaccines and prioritization, and more.

This week’s Dos and Don’ts provides useful reminders before you head out for the holidays.

Good news continues, with vaccinations already underway in our communities and COVID benefits coverage extended through 2021.

Vax Scene: Progress Marches On!

The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) on December 11 granted the first Emergency Use Authorization for a COVID-19 vaccine to Pfizer, the initial shipments have moved to the states and vaccinations of healthcare workers have begun! Do know the quantities available are limited and only will be enough to vaccinate a fraction of front-line health care workers (phase 1a) in the U.S.

Another vaccine, from Moderna, is being reviewed by the Centers for Disease Control’s vaccine advisory council today (December 17), which will provide a recommendation regarding approval for Emergency Use Authorization to the FDA. If then approved by the FDA, more vaccines will be available to inoculate front-line health care workers and other populations (e.g., residents of long-term care facilities) in phase 1a.

Each state is working to determine where and when to vaccinate the next groups of people based on vaccine availability, vaccine type and lessons from the first round of vaccinations. It may be several weeks before we get a better understanding of how and when each state will administer the vaccine to essential critical infrastructure workers, including our field employees.

Wondering if you may qualify as an “essential worker,” and can get the vaccine before the general public? Check out the answer in the Vax Scene section of the Exelon Coronavirus Information Center.

Do keep in mind that the sooner everyone gets vaccinated when it’s available to them, the sooner the pandemic – and all the tragedies and challenges that come with it – will end for us all.

COVID Coverage and Benefits Extended into 2021

At this time, do be aware that Exelon will be extending many COVID-related benefit enhancements into 2021, including:

This week’s Dos & Don’ts answers some questions about a COVID vaccine and includes important information about expense management and more.

Find COVID Vaccine News and Information in “Vax Scene”

Welcome to “Vax Scene,” where we’ll be sharing information about the Coronavirus vaccine and our collective shot at ending the pandemic. We’ll provide regular updates including what we know so far and answering some frequently asked questions. To stay up to date, you can also check our special “Vax Scene” section on the Exelon Coronavirus Information Center.

Today’s update includes information about vaccine progress and answers to some of your questions. While we won’t have answers to everything, we will share important information as soon as it’s available.

Vaccine Progress: Two vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna currently are under review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A prime responsibility of the FDA’s highly trained scientists and doctors is to ensure vaccine safety. Each of these vaccines has been testing in clinical trials of at least 30,000 people (44,000 for Pfizer), which have shown that the vaccines are safe and effective. Thirteen other vaccines are in human trials. The FDA also inspects the vaccine manufacturing sites to make sure they comply with current Good Manufacturing Practice regulations. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will be monitoring all the recipients of the vaccine to ensure any potential side effects are well understood and communicated.

Learn more about the comprehensive clinical trials that each vaccine must undergo on the Coronavirus Information Center or on the CDC’s website.

You also can find answers to these commonly asked questions in the special “Vax Scene” section of the Exelon Coronavirus Information Center:

Will Exelon require the vaccine?
Should I get the vaccine? How many shots do I have to get?
I’ve already had COVID. Do I need to get the vaccine?
Does the vaccine have side effects?
I’m a field worker. Will I get the vaccine earlier than the general population?
Will Exelon be distributing the vaccine like it does with the flu vaccine?
When will the vaccine be available?
What if I don’t get the vaccine? Will I be disciplined or have any work restrictions?
Will our families be able to get vaccines?

Updates and Enhancements in Expense Management

Although the pandemic has curbed work travel, do take note of the following changes when reconciling or entering expenses in Concur:

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