Celebrating our differences.
Accessibility products, conduct and Copa.
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On today’s episode of Up To Speed Live, join host Jen Marin for:
- Our fun new feature, Culture Buzz,
- A recap of our big news from last week,
- Disability Pride Month, as we celebrate the mental and physical diversity among our V Teamers with disabilities,
- A special guest joins us to talk about Verizon’s accessibility products, and how they’ve made the difference in this V Teamer’s day-to-day work,
- An important reminder about mid-year performance,
- Be sure to take Code of Conduct training, and
- Total by Verizon keeps the Copa America excitement pumping.
🐝 … But first, here’s your culture buzz, from Inside Out.
Hollywood insiders are feeling a little less Anxiety and a lot more Joy now that Pixar’s Inside Out 2 has become the first movie since Barbie to reach $1 billion in box office sales. Inside Out 2 is still in theaters only, but before you go, remember to bring some tissues. Second, why not get caught up or refreshed by watching Inside Out on Disney+, which you can get on our myPlan and myHome for just $10/month!
Learn more about Disney+ on Verizon’s myPlan and myHome.
▶️ Press play to check out V Teamer reactions from last week’s big announcement!
If you haven’t seen the big reveal of the brand refresh, new products and Culture OS, be sure to check out last week’s special edition of Up To Speed.
🎈 Celebrating Disability Pride Month!
July means we’ve just passed the halfway point of the year, it means that summer is here, and it’s Disability Pride Month, when we recognize and celebrate the contributions of individuals with disabilities.
Jen was joined by Executive Advisory Board Member and SVP of Consumer HR Michelle Goldman and ADVANCE Global Finance Lead Jean Marston. They discussed this month’s theme: “Different than, Not less than.”
Disability is everywhere: Disability is a natural part of life and no one is exempt: It intersects every other identity factor, such as gender, race, sexual orientation, poverty, military service, age and much more. Like other diversity celebrations, they want to help make it possible for everyone to bring their authentic selves to work, home and every other part of life.
Get involved: The ADVANCE ERG is for all disabilities, accessibility advocates, caregivers, family members, and friends. There are many events that you can see on the Disability Pride Month page, but they highlighted:
- ADVANCE’s Disability Pride Month marquee event occurs on its Membership Meeting on Tuesday, July 9 from 1-2 PM ET with Spring Lacy our new Global Head of Diversity, Culture and Community
- Power of Neurodiversity webinar with Spring Health will be announced soon, so stay on the lookout for details
- Volunteer: Please note: the Vocal ID volunteer event received so much volunteer interest that registration is now closed. But, you can still lend a hand to people with disabilities by volunteering with ADVANCE: Nurture our Nature Litter Collection event. Get details here.
Get all the details about Disability Pride Month.
▶️ Speaking of assistive technology … watch now for a demonstration. [10:46]
V Teamer Jeff Holloway demonstrates a talk-to-type software solution that allows him to continue to work despite suffering from spinal myelopathy, a disorder causing deterioration of the spinal cord that led to numbness in his hands, arms and torso.
Be sure to watch this demonstration of the software technology, but also to learn more about how Verizon goes that extra mile to support V Teamers with disabilities.
📆 Set aside some time for the new Code of Conduct training.
The Verizon Code of Conduct is just another way we put integrity at the heart of everything we do.
Get all the updates: Stay informed on the new ways our Code of Conduct may apply to your day-to-day interactions, including Slack conduct, respecting workplace diversity and much more, with the annual Code of Conduct training.
Fun fact: This year, choose from four different music styles to enjoy while going through training.
Complete your Code of Conduct training by August 12.
📌 Make a moment for mid-year.
Another topic to keep top of mind is your mid-year performance activities, which are currently underway.
What it is: Your chance to have a meaningful talk with your leader that helps you map out and drive your career forward. Take the time to put together some notes on what you’d like to discuss: your accomplishments, how you delivered and how you’re looking to grow.
Mid-year timeline: Here are the deadlines to keep in mind for management employees in V Team Central:
- Now - July 9: Submit your first-half 2024 accomplishments
- July 9 - 31: Meet with your supervisor to discuss your performance
Important note: For other teams, including associates and those using myInfo, reach out to your manager for more details on timing.
Management employees:
- If you use V Team Central, enter your accomplishments here.
- If you use myInfo, enter your accomplishments here.
⚽ Kicking it with COPA
We’re now almost two weeks into the 2024 Copa América soccer tournament and the excitement continues to grow – thanks in part to Total by Verizon’s exciting “text-to-sign” campaign.
With Total by Verizon, soccer fans can actually send a text with a message to 1-855-504-SIGN in support of their favorite teams and players.
Following the tournament? Tonight (Tuesday) at 9 PM ET we have two big games: Costa Rica v. Paraguay and Colombia v. Brazil.
For more on how we’re fueling soccer fan love, visit Total by Verizon on Instagram.
