Lots of Q&A today. And four trees.
Christy shares the latest on our pandemic response, Hans keynotes CES and more on the MLK Day of Service.
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We hope you had a great weekend. As you may recall, last week’s kickoff featured Hans and the leadership team answering questions from V Teamers. There were so many questions about COVID-19, that we knew we would not have been able to cover them all. So we held them for today so Christy Pambianchi could have Up To Speed Live all to herself.
Vaccine distribution
Christy explained that vaccine distribution varies by state, with each developing a distribution plan. Outside the U.S., distribution varies by country. Two vaccines have been authorized for use in the U.S. The first wave of doses is generally being distributed to healthcare workers and long-term care facility residents and is not available to the general public.
While we have teams monitoring the latest developments from public health officials, Verizon has no current plans to require employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19. We will update our COVID-19 resource page to ensure employees have accurate and updated information on the substantial benefits of getting vaccinated.
Getting the vaccine at work
It is not clear yet what role Verizon will play in distributing the vaccine. As information emerges, we will evaluate all options so that the vaccine is accessible to our employees, including potentially using our work locations as distribution points, if possible and advisable.
Vaccine and insurance
We anticipate that COVID-19 vaccines will be covered by all Verizon group health plans in the United States.
Return to office
COVID-19 is part of our reality for the foreseeable future. As such, we need to remain vigilant in following our safety procedures and protocols. Our employees' health and safety will always be our top priority and inform next steps. Christy hopes to share more updates later in February about return-to-office plans. “That said, we have used this time to see what makes sense for Verizon as we move forward,” she said. “We are looking to reimagine how and where we work post-pandemic, including the spaces, tools and resources that will keep us productive and agile while staying committed to our growth strategy.”
MLK Day of Service
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is next Monday, January 18. Observed each year as "a day on, not a day off," MLK Day is one of few federal holidays designated as a national day of service.
While we have a long way to go before Dr. King's dream of equality is our reality, MLK Day is an opportunity for everyone to come together — despite our different thoughts, beliefs and experiences — and help the communities in need of our support.
Citizen Verizon
Christy emphasized that giving back to help society is core to who we are as V Teamers and a great way to honor Dr. King. That's why we introduced Citizen Verizon, which is our responsible business plan led by Chief Social Responsibility (CSR) Officer Rose Kirk and her team to drive economic, environmental and social impact. Another key aspect of Citizen Verizon is volunteerism and our CSR team continues to add virtual volunteer opportunities to our Volunteer Portal so that you can make a direct impact.
Whether you want to preserve a piece of Black history, record sky observations for NASA, or mentor students on STEM, there are hundreds of opportunities for you to make a difference.
When you complete a volunteer event on our Portal, you are also contributing to our Citizen Verizon goal of 2.5 million volunteer hours by 2025.
In addition to volunteering, we must continue to listen, learn and strengthen our commitment as allies. Throughout the week, we will share events, content and resources that honor Dr. King and his pursuit of equality and justice.
#Next20 with Dr. Clarence B. Jones
In honor of MLK Day, we will kick things off tomorrow with a special replay of our #Next20 episode with Dr. Clarence B. Jones, who served as a counsel, confidant and speechwriter for Dr. King. He even co-authored the "I Have a Dream" speech. Dr. Jones' words will lift you up and serve as a reminder of why we will never settle for anything less than real, lasting equality.
Upcoming BOLD/PRISM event
On Thursday, January 14, at 4 PM ET/1 PM PT, BOLD & PRISM will host a virtual viewing of Alvin Ailey's Revelations, which explores African-American spirituals, song-sermons, gospel songs and holy blues. A fireside chat will immediately follow.
We will also update our Race & Social Justice Action Toolkit this week to include a special call-out for content and resources that show the impact of Dr. King’s legacy.
Last week was a challenging one, especially here in the U.S.. Christy urged us all to focus on all of the many things we have in common so that we can have a huge impact in helping one another during these trying times.
CES is here.
Tonight, Hans will deliver the kickoff keynote for the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2021 at 6:30 PM ET/3:30 PM PT. He’ll speak to how 5G is supercharging innovation in one sector after another. Find out all of the details here.
If you have any questions, email them to live@verizon.com.
Click here for a transcript of the webcast.
Get the latest information on our Coronavirus Resource Page (Inside Verizon, The Street).
