Human Resources Guideline

Weather – New England (Associates)

OBJECTIVE:

It is the expectation of Verizon to maintain essential services and operations during any severe weather or emergency condition while providing for the protection, safety and health of all employees and customers.

SCOPE:

These guidelines apply to all associates in the following states:

• Maine
• Massachusetts
• New Hampshire
• Rhode Island

GENERAL:

Because of the essential telecommunications services Verizon provides to the community at large, the Company is not at liberty to cease operations during severe weather and emergency conditions.

Service demands, weather, and transportation conditions may vary from location to location. The administration of this guideline should be appropriate to meet the situation in each location and should be uniform between locations and departments to the extent that the situation is similar.

If travel bans or curfews are imposed by federal, state or local authorities, Verizon leadership will contact civil authorities and will seek appropriate exemptions for essential employees to report to work and perform their jobs.

Authorization, Coordination and Notification:

In the event of inclement weather or other abnormal condition, the respective Area/Region Presidents and/or Business Unit Leader(s) will work through the appropriate Area Control Center (ACC) and the National Emergency Coordinating Center (NECC) to establish an incident management bridge. The ACC/NECC will engage the required Working and Planning Committee Members for the affected area. In consultation with regional Health, Safety, Environmental, HR Business Partners and Labor Relations, a decision will be made by the respective Area/Region Presidents and/or Business Unit Leader(s) on whether to release employees and/or trigger facility closure(s).

Once a declaration to release employees and/or close facilities is made, the ACC/NECC will work with Employee Communications to craft and distribute the appropriate messaging to the affected employees and their line management.

Any access issues due to restrictions implemented by government authorities (local, county, state or federal) should be addressed with the ACC/NECC and will be managed in accordance with their existing standard operating procedures.

Employee Responsibilities

An understanding should be developed with each employee, outlining his or her responsibility in an emergency.

Generally, each employee is responsible for the following:

• To report to his or her regular place of employment on time.
• If delayed, to call his or her manager or the coordinator for the work unit and advise of his or her progress or problems in reporting to work. This will enable the manager to plan and coordinate the force necessary to meet the service needs and to give advice to the individual. The supervisor may be able to offer assistance in transportation or suggest an alternative location where the employee can be of needed assistance.

Payment Criteria

Payment
Most employees recognize their personal responsibility and conscientiously respond to emergencies. For this reason, generally an employee will be paid if he/she meets one of the following criteria:

Employees who reach their regular work location:

• Employees who work some part of their normal assignment will be paid for the full assignment.
• Paid absence for part of a session will be considered as "Time Worked" for purpose of determining overtime payments.

Employees who do not reach their regular work location:

• When taken in accordance with a prearranged plan or upon the direction of his/her supervisor or coordinator, employees with necessary skills and experience who report to a different work location, where they can be of real assistance in an emergency.
• Employees who have medical conditions that may jeopardize their health or safety by attempting to travel during a severe storm. For example, an employee with a chronic serious health condition, or who is currently recuperating from recent surgery, illness, or accident.
• Employees who, despite making reasonable and conscientious efforts appropriate for the circumstances and being in communication with their supervisor, are unsuccessful in reaching their work location.

Non-Payment

Employees who do not report to work and fail to meet any of the above criteria should not be paid. This determination and recommendation should be made locally based on close, detailed knowledge of the individual, of his or her effort, and the prevailing conditions. Appropriate entries should then be made on the

OBJECTIVE:

It is the expectation of Verizon to maintain essential services and operations during any severe weather or emergency condition while providing for the protection, safety and health of all employees and customers.

SCOPE:

This guideline applies to all associates in New York and Connecticut.

GENERAL:

Because of the essential telecommunications services Verizon provides to the community at large, the Company is not at liberty to cease operations during severe weather and emergency conditions.

Employees are expected to be aware of and to use alternate means of transportation in the event that their customary route is not operating. When there is advance warning of possible difficulty, employees are expected to get an earlier start from their homes so as to be on the job on time. This is a fundamental obligation of employment in this Company.

If travel bans or curfews are imposed by federal, state or local authorities, Verizon leadership will contact civil authorities and will seek appropriate exemptions for essential employees to report to work and perform their jobs.

Authorization, Coordination and Notification

In the event of inclement weather or other abnormal condition in widespread areas, the respective Area/Region Presidents and/or Business Unit Leader(s) will work through the appropriate Area Control Center (ACC) and the National Emergency Coordinating Center (NECC) to establish an incident management bridge. The ACC/NECC will engage the required Working and Planning Committee Members for the affected area

In consultation with regional Health, Safety, Environmental, HR Business Partners and Labor Relations, a decision will be made by the respective Area/Region Presidents and/or Business Unit Leader(s) on whether to release employees and/or trigger facility closure(s).

Once a declaration to release employees and/or close facilities is made, the ACC/NECC will work with Employee Communications to craft and distribute the appropriate messaging to the affected employees and their line management.

Any access issues due to restrictions implemented by government authorities (local, county, state or federal) should be addressed with the ACC/NECC and will be managed in accordance with their existing standard operating procedures.

Employee Responsibilities

An understanding should be developed with each employee, outlining his or her responsibility in an emergency.

Generally, each employee is responsible for the following:

• To report to his or her regular work location on time.
• To call his or her manager or the coordinator for the work if delayed. This will enable the manager to plan and coordinate the force necessary to meet the service needs and to give advice to the individual. The supervisor may be able to offer assistance in transportation or suggest or suggest an alternative location where the employee can be of needed assistance.

Payment Treatment

Circumstances may occasionally arise completely beyond the individual's control which makes it virtually impossible to come to work. Under such circumstances it is the intent that employees be treated equitably and fairly. However, this intent is not to be interpreted as meaning that pay treatment is predetermined or automatic. No "on the spot" commitment should be made. Supervisors should always reserve decision until proper evaluation of the overall situation can be made, usually on the day following.

Small Areas

In situations involving only a small area, and obviously comparatively few persons, such as that resulting from the breakdown of a particular line of the transit system, local supervision must make judgments on an individual basis concerning an employee's efforts to reach the job. Pay treatment ultimately accorded for absence or extended tardiness caused by transportation difficulties will depend upon the supervisor's appraisal of such factors as use of alternate means or routes of travel, the degree to which the employee tried to cope with the situation, and whether or not he/she attempted to reach an alternate work location suggested by the supervisor.

Widespread Areas

If the emergency has widespread effect, the decision for early release, pay treatment, etc. for Organizations employees will be coordinated, for the appropriate area, by the Telecom , VSO and Corporate Area President , in conjunction with the other LOBs, Labor Relations and the HR Business Partner Representative (s). The Legal Department should also be consulted during the decision process. The decision regarding pay treatment will be deferred until all factors can be considered.

Early Release

During conditions of inclement weather, transportation difficulties and other emergencies, it may be necessary to consider early release of employee. Because it is desirable, to the extent practicable, to apply reasonably consistent standards, directors must consult with their Senior Managers who will be given direction from the respective Area/Region Presidents and/or Business Unit Leader(s).

Since early release would be considered only in unusual cases, managers should be prepared to discuss the following factors:

• Needs of the Business
• Comparative travel effort between early and normal departure
• Health problems