Diversity and Inclusion
Diversity and inclusion are part of our DNA at PG&E. Individually, diversity and inclusion are both powerful elements, but bringing them together creates an environment where individuals, ideas and teams can thrive. Together, they help us better represent the communities we serve and better meet and exceed the needs of our customers.
Our Approach
Governance Structures
PG&E’s Employee Resource Groups
- Access Network (supporters of, and people with, disabilities)
- Asian
- Black
- Latino
- Legacy (tenured employees)
- NuEnergy (new to the workforce or to PG&E)
- PrideNetwork (LGBT and allies)
- Samahan (Filipino)
- Veterans
- Women’s Network
PG&E’s efforts to foster a diverse and inclusive culture and workforce are led by Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s Chief Diversity Officer, with support from the senior leadership team. Our Diversity Council—composed of PG&E officers and Employee Resource Group (ERG) leaders—meets three times a year to review, enhance and inform PG&E’s diversity and inclusion strategy. Each line of business has a Workforce Diversity Champion and annual Workforce Diversity Action Plan tailored to that group.
The Compliance and Public Policy Committee of PG&E Corporation’s Board of Directors regularly reviews our diversity and inclusion practices and performance. The goal of this oversight is to ensure that diversity and inclusion principles are embedded throughout the life cycle of our talent management programs—from initial workforce development and recruiting to performance management and career and leadership development.
To that end, new PG&E leaders attend an Inclusion Leadership Workshop as part of orientation. Materials on inclusion are available to employees on PG&E’s intranet, and PG&E regularly recognizes employees who embody our diversity and inclusion principles. That recognition culminates each year with the President’s Diversity Champion Awards, which honor employees for their outstanding achievements in the areas of diversity and inclusion.
Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action
PG&E is committed to maintaining a work environment that is free from any and all forms of unlawful discrimination, harassment and retaliation. In accordance with federal and state laws, including the California Fair Employment and Housing Act, it is PG&E's policy to prohibit discrimination and harassment against any applicant, employee, unpaid intern, volunteer, vendor, contractor, customer, or client on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex (which includes but is not limited to pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and medical conditions related to pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, age, religion, religious creed, physical or mental disability, protected veteran status, medical condition, marital status, genetic information, military and veteran status, citizenship status, utilization of leaves of absence protected under state or federal law, any other reason prohibited by law, or any other factor that is not job-related.
Grassroots Involvement
Access Network celebrates five years of supporting employees with disabilities
PG&E’s Access Network focuses on raising awareness of disability issues and providing resources to support individuals with disabilities. The group counts more than 350 employees among its members, and also provides support to communities.
Our ERGs have been at the forefront of PG&E’s diversity and inclusion efforts for more than 40 years. Through skills workshops, awareness campaigns, volunteerism, networking events, leadership development and more, our ERGs work tirelessly to promote and instill diversity and inclusion as values for every employee. In addition, each year, every ERG raises money for college scholarships for local students.
We also support events for organizations such as the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, the Society of Women Engineers, the National Society of Black Engineers, The American Association of Blacks in Energy, The Arc San Francisco and Out & Equal Workplace Advocates.
2015 Milestones
PG&E sponsors historic LGBT business builder event
More than 200 representatives of LGBT-owned businesses came together to participate in the first stop of a nationwide LGBT Business Builder tour. The workshop provided businesses with information on gaining third-party certification, ways to draw upon U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) resources for procurement contracts and how to take advantage of business opportunities now available in California because of Assembly Bill 1678, which requires utilities to give LGBT businesses the same access to contracts as other minority, women and disabled veteran enterprises. The event was cosponsored by PG&E, SBA and the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.
SBA Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet was the keynote speaker at the first-ever LGBT Business Builder event.
Last year, we continued to cement diversity and inclusion as cornerstones in our business in numerous ways. Highlights included:
- Increased engagement in our ERGs. Our ERGs continued to grow, with more than 5,000 employees, or about 23 percent of our workforce, holding membership in one of 10 ERGs and a third of members belonging to more than one ERG. Additionally, more than half of PG&E’s officers serve as executive sponsor of an ERG.
- Spurred access to higher education. Our ERGs awarded a record $429,000 in scholarships to 176 students, ranging from $1,000 to $8,000. Since 1989, more than $4 million in scholarships have been awarded to thousands of recipients. Additionally, many of these scholars have gone on to become interns at PG&E.
- Garnered high praise from leading diversity advocates. Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s diversity efforts were recognized by a wide variety of groups and publications, including LATINA Style magazine (one of the best places for Latinas to work in the United States), G.I. Jobs Magazine (one of the top 100 military-friendly employers), and Military Spouse Magazine (Military Spouse Friendly Employer for the first time). In addition, for the eighth straight year, Pacific Gas and Electric Company was named as one of the top five utilities by DiversityInc, one of the nation’s leading publications on diversity and business, and earned 100 percent on the Human Rights Campaign’s annual Corporate Equality Index. Pacific Gas and Electric Company also earned a perfect score of 100 percent in the annual Disability Equality Index, a measure of disability inclusion policies and practices.
Measuring Progress
PG&E continues to employ a higher percentage of women and minorities in our workforce than the national average for gas and electric companies. PG&E’s workforce statistics by race, ethnicity and gender for 2013 to 2015 are below.
| EEOC Category | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Women | 28.3% | 28.2% | 28.1% |
| Officials and Managers | 31.9% | 32.2% | 32.0% |
| Professionals | 34.8% | 35.0% | 35.2% |
| Technicians | 18.4% | 18.7% | 18.6% |
| Administrative Support Workers | 74.7% | 72.3% | 71.8% |
| Craft Workers | 4.0% | 2.7% | 2.6% |
| Operatives | 12.9% | 3.4% | 4.8% |
| Laborers and Helpers | 6.6% | 9.2% | 11.2% |
| Service Workers | 11.3% | 9.7% | 10.3% |
| Ethnic Minorities | 40.4% | 41.1% | 41.7% |
| Officials and Managers | 30.1% | 31.3% | 32.0% |
| Professionals | 42.3% | 42.5% | 43.8% |
| Technicians | 37.9% | 41.9% | 39.4% |
| Administrative Support Workers | 59.7% | 59.7% | 60.7% |
| Craft Workers | 32.3% | 31.9% | 32.6% |
| Operatives | 37.8% | 33.3% | 41.8% |
| Laborers and Helpers | 45.8% | 47.7% | 48.1% |
| Service Workers | 31.7% | 32.2% | 33.2% |
| Minority Groups | |||
| American Indian or Alaskan Native | 1.4% | 1.4% | 1.3% |
| Asian | 14.5% | 14.6% | 14.7% |
| Black/African American | 6.4% | 6.3% | 6.3% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 16.3% | 16.7% | 17.0% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.5% |
| Two or more races | 1.5% | 1.7% | 1.9% |
- PG&E Corporation EEO-1 Report, as of July 1, 2015.
| Category | PG&E | U.S. Utility Average Footnote 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Women | 28.1% | 25.7% |
| Ethnic Minorities | 41.7% | 24.7% |
- 1. Source: 2014 EEO-1 Reports: Combined Electric and Gas Utilities, U.S. Total. NAICS Code 2211 – Electric Power Generation, Transmission & Distribution, U.S. NAICS Code 2212 – Natural Gas Distribution, U.S. Return to table
Looking Ahead
To continue to build a culture where all employees can flourish, our diversity and inclusion efforts are focused on shaping a speak-up culture, fostering careers, connecting with our communities and improving the service we provide to customers. We are further embedding diversity and inclusion principles and tools within our business—spanning recruiting and hiring, leadership development, and ethics and compliance. Each line of business continues to have a Workforce Diversity Champion who works from within his or her organization to help build awareness and model inclusive behaviors. Additionally, our ERGs continue to play a central role in our diversity and inclusion efforts both at PG&E and in our communities.