AKRON, Ohio, Jan. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- For the fourth
consecutive year, FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) has been included in
the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index (GEI), recognizing its
commitment to gender equality in the workplace and the communities
in which it operates.
The GEI uses a standardized reporting framework to measure
gender equality across five pillars: female leadership and talent
pipeline, equal pay and gender pay parity, inclusive culture,
sexual harassment policies and factors like supplier diversity and
community support. Companies included in the index scored at or
above a global threshold established by Bloomberg to reflect a high
level of disclosure and performance across the framework's five
pillars.
"As part of our efforts to make FirstEnergy a best-in-class
utility, we continue to raise the bar on workplace equity to ensure
all of our employees feel included and have what they need to grow
and be successful," said Christine L.
Walker, FirstEnergy's senior vice president, chief human
resources officer and Corporate Services. "The Bloomberg GEI plays
a key role in helping us identify opportunities to accelerate our
diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts both internally and
in the communities we're proud to serve."
As part of its commitment to promoting workplace equity,
FirstEnergy recently expanded its core value of Diversity &
Inclusion to include Equity. While creating equitable processes and
programs has always been a priority, this change better reflects
the differing needs of employees and signifies the company's
commitment to being more intentional in providing access to
opportunities, removing barriers and supporting employee success to
ensure that all employees can thrive. Among the company's initial
efforts is the re-establishment of the Executive Women's Network,
which provides networking, support and development for executive
level directors and VPs.
Additionally, the company's employee business resource groups
(EBRGs) play a vital role in further embedding DEI in FirstEnergy's
culture. The Women in Leadership EBRG, which originated in
Greensburg, Pennsylvania, and is
dedicated to developing current and future women leaders and
addressing the challenges of work/life balance, now has five
chapters, the newest recently established in New Jersey and southeast Pennsylvania. The company also continues to
offer virtual "Speak Up" sessions where employees can engage in
open and honest dialogue about issues pertinent to underrepresented
groups and how employees can help foster a more inclusive work
environment. Recent session topics include "being a better ally"
and "the impact of microaggressions."
"We are proud to recognize FirstEnergy and the other 417
companies included in the 2022 GEI for their commitment to
transparency and setting a new standard in gender-related data
reporting," said Peter T. Grauer,
chairman of Bloomberg and founding chairman of the U.S. 30% Club.
"Even though the threshold for inclusion in the GEI has risen, the
member list continues to grow. This is a testament that more
companies are working to improve upon their gender-related metrics,
fostering more opportunity for diverse talent to succeed in their
organizations."
The Bloomberg GEI expanded in 2022 to represent 45 countries and
regions, including firms headquartered in Colombia and Uruguay for the first time. The GEI includes
companies from a variety of industries, including automotive,
banking, consumer services, engineering and construction, and
retail. More information about the index is available at
www.bloomberg.com/gei.
FirstEnergy is dedicated to integrity, safety, reliability and
operational excellence. Its 10 electric distribution companies form
one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems,
serving customers in Ohio,
Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West
Virginia, Maryland and
New York. The company's
transmission subsidiaries operate approximately 24,000 miles of
transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic
regions. Follow FirstEnergy online at
www.firstenergycorp.com and on Twitter @FirstEnergyCorp.
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SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.