SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2008 SECTION 5: eMployer

 

The work environment at Green Mountain Power is unique.  At our headquarters, the office space is completely open, including conference rooms that are open or have glass walls.  Each person’s cubicle is the same size and has low partition walls (even the President’s), and there are no private offices.  This open work environment both reflects and encourages the company’s approach – to flatten the organization, to push down responsibility and decision-making, and to insist on direct and open communications. Our hope is that employees have embraced this non-traditional corporate environment, taking great pride in a heightened sense of responsibility for individual decision-making. 

Employees interviewed during the stakeholder engagement sessions echoed this, but did have several concerns.  Some of them noted that despite efforts to bring different employees together, there is invariably an “upstairs-downstairs” feel at certain locations.  This is somewhat inevitable as the company has different types of employees who do very different types of work (lineworkers vs. customer service specialists vs. corporate staff).  Other employees expressed concerns about inconsistent communication between different employee groups and between different offices.  This is helped by the “Town Meeting” style meetings that Mary Powell (President/CEO) has at the various locations on a routine basis.  Finally, there was a concern that, as such a lean organization, some people may feel overwhelmed at times.

In general, employees who participated in the stakeholder engagement sessions felt that Green Mountain Power is an excellent, stable employer.  This is particularly important now in a time when many Americans’ job security is tenuous at best.  As one employee (Jeff H.) put it, “…regardless of what may or may not be working, there is a great feeling of ownership and pride in the quality of service that everyone delivers – true gut level brand loyalty.”

LA1, LA2, LA4, LA14

 We continually analyze our gender discrepancies to understand key drivers. In 2008 our overall ratio improved by 2% as our CEO shift in August 2008 put a woman at the CEO position, a rarity at the executive level of the utility world.

 

Source: Availability Analysis per 41 C.F.R. 60-2.14.

 

 

Subcontractors

Our subcontracted workforce is on a short-term, job-by-job basis and we do not have a specific number for 2008 subcontractors.  We ensure safety training is conducted at each jobsite for subcontractors as part of our safety policy and jobsites are regularly overseen to ensure task and safety compliance.

 

Benefits

Our health and welfare benefits are offered equally to full and part-time employees, but are not provided to temporary employees. LA3 All individual employee performance reviews are conducted on a regular basis by managers.  We strive to ensure each employee receives at least one performance review per year. LA12 and EU15

Watson Wyatt’s conclusion in its pension contribution report and SFAS 8 expense is that funding levels for Green Mountain Power’s defined benefit plan obligations are adequate. EC3

Our benefits exceed what is legally mandated and include the following:

•                      We support alternative work schedules to accommodate the changing demands of customers and employees’ needs to effectively balance work and personal life. 

•                      The GMP 401(k) Plan includes a monthly company match in addition to a Company contribution.  New hires are 100% vested after 1 month of employment if they work at least 20 hours per week.

•                      A defined benefit pension plan was available to eligible employees who were hired prior to January 1, 2008.  Employees are offered an enhanced Company contribution to their 401(k) in place of eligibility to participate in the defined benefit plan. 

•                      Insurance plans provide medical, dental, vision and prescription drug coverage.  The company adopted a Premium Incentive Program in 2007 that went into effect on January 1, 2008.  This program allows employees to qualify for health care premium discounts when certified by a physician that they have committed to certain healthy lifestyle choices (e.g., free of tobacco use, obtain annual physical and age-appropriate screenings, etc).

•                      Flexible spending accounts allow employees to pay for eligible out-of-pocket medical, dental and vision expenses and dependent care with pretax dollars.

•                      Employees have all been granted Company Stock annually since 2000; however, this program was replaced with a cash-based Long Term Incentive Program in 2007. 

•                      Employees have indicated that they appreciate the option to participate in volunteer work on company time (e.g., 1/2 day per year).  Although there is no formal program in place, Green Mountain Power is extremely supportive of employees who want to alter their work schedule to do volunteer work in our community.  Also, every employee who donated the equivalent of a day’s pay to the United Way campaign in 2008 got an extra paid day off from the Company.

 

Growth and Training

Green Mountain Power will reimburse eligible employees for 80% of the cost of tuition, lab fees, library fees, and deferred payment charges. Green Mountain Power also provides full-time employees with a no-interest loan to purchase computer systems.  LA11 and EU15

Our 2008 corporate budget of $100,000 for individual employee development and training.  This represents an average of over $500 per employee.  LA10 and EU15.  Employees are also offered various professional and personal development opportunities as part of Next Generation University (also known as “Green Mountain Power U”).  A variety of free courses are offered to employees such as Yoga, Nutrition for Your Lifestyle, Environmental Practices for Everyday, Community Projects, Email Writing for Results, Coaching and Feedback for Peak Performance, Adult CPR and AED training and a range of computing and technology classes.

Diversity

Green Mountain Power is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment for any reason or reasons related to an individual’s race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, age, or any other legally protected status. Green Mountain Power is fully committed to the concept and practice of equal opportunity and affirmative action in all aspects of employment.  Green Mountain Power’s Affirmative Action Plan (AAP), which has been developed in strict reliance upon the Guidelines on Affirmative Action issued by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) (29 C.F.R. Part 1608), is intended to establish a policy of providing equal employment opportunity. It is not intended to discriminate against an individual or group of individuals with respect to any employment opportunities for which they are qualified on the ground that they are not beneficiaries of affirmative action themselves.

 

 

Please refer to Green Mountain Power’s EEO Consolidated Report and AA Comp Summary for more information.

Wellness Programs

One of the five Critical Success Factors for Green Mountain Power is to have “outstanding, motivated employees.”  Therefore, employee safety and wellness are key business initiatives.  Safety has been identified as a top material issue for our company and is addressed in detail in the Materiality section of this year’s report.  Examples of company-wide wellness programs include:

•                      Injury Health Management Solutions (IHMS) – Provides on site “preventive body maintenance” evaluations, therapy and rehab programs at no cost, during work time, to any employee who experiences an ache/pain or injury, whether work related or not. The Baseline program offered to all employees measures 27 key measures of personal fitness including flexibility, core ab strength, and body fat percentage.  For any measures that do not meet general healthy baselines, there is a program and suggestions are provided for improvement, then a re-test annually.  An incentive is given for employees who meet thresholds on 50% of their targeted improvement categories.

•                      Tobacco Free Workplace – We are a tobacco-free work place, including all of our grounds, property and work sites, and we continue to offer incentives to quit tobacco use. 

•                      Other – We also provide monetary incentives, free gifts (such as water bottles), free healthy food at work (nuts, yogurt, cheese, fruit) in lieu of junk food vending machines, free flu shots on-site and interest-free bicycle loans.

 

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SECTION 1: PERFORMANCE OVERVIEW                                         

SECTION 2: OUR MATERIAL ISSUES                                                

SECTION 3: THE SUSTAINABILITY OF OUR POWER PROFILE                     

SECTION 4: RESOURCE USE AND OPERATIONS                            

SECTION 5: EMPLOYER                                                                      

SECTION 6: CUSTOMERS AND COMMUNITY                                               

SECTION 7: FINANCIAL                                                                

SECTION 8: COMPANY FACTS & FIGURES                                       

SECTION 9:  GLOBAL REPORTING INITIATIVE (GRI) SUMMARY