A fellow co-worker in need, holiday party info, work anniversaries and more

GoFundMe for Tomaz Oliviera

Earlier this month, one of our employees suffered a devastating loss.

Tomaz Oliveira and his wife Katelyn lost their home and their dogs in a house fire. Navigating the near future is full of rebuilding and replacing the basic necessities. Please consider donating to the GoFundMe for Tomaz and Katelyn. We will share updates as they become available.

Success Story

On October 10, 2024, during a Hazard Assessment walk-through, a bolt (left behind by another contractor) was observed resting across two 54VDC terminations within a BDFB. Employees were immediately alerted to the potential hazard before beginning work. PPE was donned and the rear protective barrier of the BDFB was removed. A 1000V insulating blanket was placed beneath the terminations to catch the bolt if it fell to the lower level. Because the terminations were of the same polarity, it was deemed safe to remove the bolt, as a risk would have only arisen if one circuit had been powered down, causing unintended energization. After the bolt was safely removed, the scheduled work proceeded as planned.

Have a safety success story? Share with the Safety Team by clicking HERE.

Congratulations to the following employees who are celebrating a work anniversary in November:

PTO Roll-Over & Cash-Out

We have begun contacting employees re: remaining PTO accruals. If you have accrued vacation time still unused and unscheduled, watch your email for updates.

A few notes on the process: Cash-outs will take place sometime in January and be made at your December 2024 rate of pay. Rolled-over vacation hours will be pulled from first when you take time in 2025. We will not dip into your 2025 time bank until the 2024 hours have been depleted.

If you have questions, please reach out. Elm HR.

Holiday Stress & SAD

This month’s HNE webinar discusses how stress is different during the holidays and the health implications of stress. Explore heightened time and resource demands associated with the holidays. Learn about Seasonal Affective Disorder and methods for self-care and stress management.

Date: Thursday, December 12

Time: 12:00–1:30 p.m.

Earn: 50 Healthy Choices points (for HNE members) and a raffle entry for a 1 in 5 chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card.

The Angel Tree is back!

Once again this year, we’ve partnered with the Salvation Army to help make the holidays a little brighter for children in homes around the Pioneer Valley. We’ve pledged to help with the gift lists of 25 children who are in foster homes or high-need families. Click HERE for the list of names, ages and wish-list items each child is hoping for this holiday season and then sign up to sponsor a child from this year’s Angel Tree.

Reach out to Holly or Deana with questions and thank you in advance!