Insights > Raising Awareness, Fighting Discrimination, Advocating for Equal Rights

Raising Awareness, Fighting Discrimination, Advocating for Equal Rights

10/11/2018

Countless studies have concluded that diversity and inclusion are good for the bottom line of any business.

While that matters, today I’d like to talk about another reason why Entergy is committed to cultivating a diverse and inclusive work culture: We do it because it is the right thing to do for all of our stakeholders: our customers, employees, communities and owners.

The utility of the future becomes a reality when it draws on the collective knowledge, skills and abilities of the entire workforce. No one can be left out of this picture. That’s why Entergy must be a respectful and safe place for all employees – regardless of age, sex, race, sexual orientation, religion or any other category we might use to identify people. There is no place for disrespect, hatred, racism or violence at Entergy.

We spend most of our waking hours at work, so we want this to be a great place to work … for everyone. Hate and intolerance in the workplace weaken us. They hurt our safety, operational and financial performance, they prevent us from employing the best and brightest talent; and honestly, they just make it hard to do your best work. On the other hand, feeling like we can be ourselves at work creates a comfortable and more productive environment.   

We have the Pride Employee Resource Group and recognize events such as LGBT Pride Month in June and National Coming Out Day on Oct. 11 to help raise awareness, fight discrimination and advocate for equal rights for everyone.

Only 21 states and the District of Columbia prohibit employee discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, none of which are in our utility service territory – Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi or Texas. But we have enacted company policies to protect our employees from being discriminated against at work because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

By treating each other with dignity and respect, we can help make all employees feel safe when they come to work. That is how we power life.

Thank you for supporting each other,

Andrea


Andrea Coughlin Rowley
Senior Vice President of Human Resources, Chief HR Officer and Chief Diversity Officer