This employee section is special in this year’s Sustainability Report because we convened stakeholder engagement groups in June 2007 to listen to employees’ concerns, ideas, and complaints. One of the goals of the stakeholder groups was to add credibility and transparency to various sections of this report. From listening to employees, we learned that (for the most part) they are very happy working at Green Mountain Power and were able to give some specific reasons why. In the words of one employee who has worked at Green Mountain Power for 24 years, “we get treated really well.”
Table 7-1
Click Here to View Table 7-1: Employee Summary
The following table shows the geographical areas that Green Mountain Power relies upon (by percentage) to seek workers to fill certain positions. EC7, LA1
|
Position |
Recruitment Area |
|
Officer/Manager |
VT 75% U.S. 25% |
|
Professional |
VT 75% U.S. 25% |
|
Technician |
VT 90% U.S. 10% |
|
Office/Clerical |
VT 100% |
|
Skilled/Craftsman |
VT 50% U.S. 50% |
|
Semi Skilled/Operative |
VT 50% U.S. 50% |
|
Laborer |
VT 100% |
Source: Availability Analysis per 41 C.F.R. 60-2.14.
7.1 Work Environment
The work environment at Green Mountain Power changed significantly when we reinvented ourselves after our brush with near bankruptcy in the late 1990s. The company transitioned from a very hierarchical organization, where the size of employees’ offices and the height of their walls were determined by their job titles and perceived value, to a place where the Company’s president and senior officers share a completely open office space with other employees, all with equal size cubicles and low partition walls. There are no private offices at Green Mountain Power. 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. Employees have embraced the new corporate environment, taking great pride in a heightened sense of responsibility for individual decision-making.
7.1.1 Our Philosophy and Code of Ethics
Green Mountain Power expects its employees to rely upon a code of ethics and conduct that includes the following standards:
- Tell the truth
- Obey the law
- Treat others with respect
- Avoid conflicts of interest
- Never misuse company property
- Refuse inappropriate gifts from others
- Refuse to give inappropriate company gifts to others
- Keep company and customer information confidential
- Respect our environment
- Keep our workplace safe
- Promote integrity and ethics throughout the company
The Code of Ethics and Conduct is available at www.greenmountainpower.biz
7.2 Employee Benefits
Our health and welfare benefits are offered equally to full and part-time employees, but are not provided to temporary employees. LA3 Individual employee reviews are conducted on a regular basis by managers. The frequency of these reviews varies by group and department and is left to the discretion of the managers. LA12
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. These schedules provide greater flexibility for Green Mountain Power to expand its business hours to enhance customer service while helping employees take care of personal priorities outside of the office to maximize their effectiveness on the job.
- The GMP 401(k) Plan includes a monthly company match in addition to a Company contribution, and offers a broad variety of investment options to employees. New hires are 100% vested after 1 month of employment if they work at least 20 hours per week.
- A defined benefit pension plan is available to eligible employees who are hired prior to January 1, 2008. Employees hired on this date or after will be 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 will take effect 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 been granted Company Stock annually since 2000, however, this program has been 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 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 2006 got an extra paid day off from the Company.
7.3 Our Commitment to Professional Growth and Training
Green Mountain Power strives to provide an environment that motivates its employees and offers tuition reimbursement as an incentive to stimulate self-improvement and professional growth. Regular full and part-time employees with six months of service prior to completion of a qualifying course are eligible for this program. 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
We have a corporate budget of $100,000 for individual employee development and training. This represents an average of over $500 per employee. LA10
7.4 Next Generation University (Green Mountain Power U)
In 2006, Green Mountain Power launched Next Generation University to provide a range of professional and personal development opportunities right on the Green Mountain Power campus. The courses are free to employees and are funded by the 2006 training budget. While courses such as Yoga, Nutrition for Your Lifestyle, Environmental Practices for Everyday, and Community Projects help employees’ personal development, the skills they pick up in courses such as Email Writing for Results, Coaching and Feedback for Peak Performance, and a range of computing and technology classes benefit the Company as well.
7.5 Human Rights
7.5.1 Restructuring
During our restructuring in the late 1990s, Green Mountain Power reduced its workforce from 400 employees in the mid-1990s to 200 by 1999. Fortunately, only one involuntary separation occurred during this period. In the event that restructuring is required in the future, Green Mountain Power will use similar methods and practices. It is important to note that the Gaz Metro’s acquisition of Green Mountain Power is not expected to prompt any restructuring.
7.5.2 Human Rights
Green Mountain Power operates solely within Vermont and it purchases power and other resources from U.S. and Canadian entities, and is, therefore, operating under all human rights policies and practices mandated in the U.S. and Canada. Green Mountain Power, in partnership with the State of Vermont, trains all employees (including new hires) on harassment prevention and respectful workplace practices, and this training is documented. Sexual harassment prevention sessions are 45 minutes to 1 hour long. Respectful workplace training is included in new employee orientations and is also available on-line, and is used primarily for performance coaching purposes. Our code of ethics encourages employees to contact our general counsel, human resources manager, or submit a statement anonymously to Company management if they have a related concern. HR3
Green Mountain Power employees are free to associate and collectively bargain. Our union employees, which represent approximately 53.1% of our workforce, are protected by their union contract which includes a collective bargaining agreement. Relative to all GMP employees, we comply with the Fair Labor Standards Act. Our Code of Ethics prohibits bribery and other corrupt practices. Our respectful workplace policy describes non-retaliation and procedures to follow if an employee believes he or she has been retaliated against and if disciplinary action is required. Our Code of Ethics also describes policies to prevent anti-competitive behavior and to protect the rights of employees to organize and bargain collectively. HR5
7.6 Employee Reaction to Gaz Métro Merger
Based on the employee stakeholder engagement sessions convened in 2007, it seems that most employees have adjusted well to the Gaz Métro merger. Some have a “wait and see” attitude, and others wonder if Gaz Métro will acquire a competitor of Green Mountain Power’s and, if so, how that might impact the company. Most agreed that they would much rather be the first company that is acquired, and that consolidation may be inevitable. Other employees were interested in how their stock options would be replaced, but trusted that Green Mountain Power would do “the right thing.” A revised plan was introduced in September 2007 whereby employees received a cash incentive designed to provide performance incentives similar to stock awards.
7.7 Workplace Diversity and Equal Opportunity
The following table describes Green Mountain Power’s workforce:
Table 7-3: Green Mountain Power’s Workforce
|
|
2005 |
2006 |
|
White Male |
141 |
140 |
|
Black Male |
1 |
1 |
|
Hispanic Male |
0 |
1 |
|
Asian Male |
2 |
2 |
|
Native American Male |
0 |
0 |
|
White Female |
50 |
50 |
|
Black Female |
0 |
0 |
|
Hispanic Female |
0 |
0 |
|
Asian Female |
1 |
1 |
|
Native American Female |
0 |
0 |
|
Total: |
195 |
195 |
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 (link to be inserted in web version of report).
7.8 Employee Health & Safety
7.8.1 Executive Safety Committee
In 2006 the Executive Safety Committee merged with the Labor Management Committee. The merger of these two committees ensures that Safety is at the forefront of all discussions between GMP management, our employees and the Union. This group is comprised of several key managers, the Chief Operating Officer, Human Resources, all of the GMP Union Stewards, and the President of Local IBEW 300. This new committee meets monthly and the safety focus of the meeting is on injury and incident review, general safety issues, reviewing new equipment, procedures, policies and protocols, new safety initiatives, safety incentives, etc. LA6
In 2006, the Executive Safety Committee discussed two major injuries that are referenced in other sections of this report. The Committee agreed that both of these injuries were preventable and took steps to prevent similar accidents from occurring in the future. The boldest initiative that came out of this was the requirement of 100% fall protection for all workers while climbing wooden poles. Historically, workers would climb wooden poles “free” or without fall protection. This is an industry standard and a current loophole for the OSHA fall protection requirements. GMP became the first utility in Vermont to require fall protection while climbing wooden poles beginning on January 1, 2007. The device GMP uses to achieve this is called the Buck-Squeeze and GMP provided several training sessions with workers prior to mandating the use of the equipment. Since GMP’s requirement of this device, several other Vermont utilities have followed suit and are requiring the use of this device.
7.8.2 Employee Health and Wellness Programs
One of the five Critical Success Factors for Green Mountain Power is to have “outstanding, motivated employees.” We have, therefore, identified employee safety and wellness as key business initiatives. Examples of company-wide programs include:
- Personal Goal Incentive Program – Employees can choose their own personal goal (e.g., weight loss, exercise, cholesterol reduction, tobacco cessation) and how they will measure it. They notify HR when they achieve their goal and receive a $150 award.
- 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.
Another challenge that we are addressing is the aging of our workforce, in particular our lineworkers. The very physical nature of linework, combined with our high quality and safety standards, make it a critical focus of our current and future hiring strategies. We also encourage employees to participate in health and wellness-related on site courses, such as yoga, pilates and nutrition.
7.8.3 Promoting Healthy Lifestyles
Following an incentive-based program to stop tobacco use in 2004, which included free on-site tobacco cessation programs, we became a completely tobacco-free work place, including all of our grounds, property and work sites. We continue to offer incentives to quit tobacco use. Several employees have, in fact, successfully stopped smoking.
Green Mountain Power also provides monetary incentives, free gifts (such as water bottles), free healthy food at work, free flu shots on-site, and free preventive body maintenance services on-site.
7.8.3.1 Work-Related Injuries and IllnessesWe follow OSHA-required procedures for recording and reporting injuries and illnesses (our record for 2004-2006 is included in Table 7-4). Green Mountain Power has not had any instances of non-compliance with OSHA regulations or complaints from regulators. Fortunately, it has not been necessary for Green Mountain Power to develop policies or programs for dealing with serious diseases. LA8
Table 7-4: OSHA Injuries and Illnesses (2004-2006)
|
Type of Incident |
2004 |
2005 |
2006 |
|
Total number of deaths: |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Total number of cases with days away from work: |
6 |
2 |
8 |
|
Total number of cases with job transfer or restriction: |
2 |
2 |
6 |
|
Total number of other recordable cases: |
9 |
4 |
3 |
|
Total number of days of job transfer or restriction: |
226 |
91 |
74 |
|
Total number of days away from work: |
35 |
9 |
147 |
|
Injuries: |
12 |
5 |
12 |
|
Skin Disorders: |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
Respiratory Conditions: |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Poisonings: |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
All other illnesses: |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
290 |
113 |
251 |
Please note that two injuries accounted for most of the days away from work in 2006. Green Mountain Power has altered several safety procedures to prevent these particular injuries from recurring.
7.8.4 Formal Commitment to Health & Safety through “SHARP”
In January, 2006 Green Mountain Power received recognition for achieving statewide excellence in health and safety. The recognition was awarded by the Vermont Department of Labor’s Project WorkSAFE Program, which certified that all divisions of Green Mountain Power have met the requirements of the Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP). More information about this recognition can be found in the 2005 Corporate Responsibility Report.
