Pay equity, diversity and inclusion among highlights of Duquesne Light Holding’s ESG report

Duquesne Light Holdings Inc. (DLH) highlighted its corporate focus on pay equity, diversity, and inclusion in its second ESG report this week.

The energy company released its first report on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) last summer. The follow-up report was touted as another critical step in the company’s DEI journey. The report, “Building a New Table Together: An Addendum on Hiring Practices and Pay Equity,” is part of the company’s ESG strategy and another advancement of its vision to ensure an equitable, clean energy future for the Pittsburgh region.

“Ensuring a clean energy future for all would not be possible without a solid understanding of and commitment to corporate responsibility,” DLH President and CEO Kevin Walker said. “We are making significant strides in ensuring that everything we do has a positive impact on our employees, customers, communities, and the environment. Our work is nowhere near finished, but I’m extremely optimistic about the progress we’ve made and the steps we’re taking to achieve our full potential.”

The company said a pay study, conducted by an outside firm in 2020, looked at gender, race, and ethnicity as a feature of the annual salaries of non-union employees of the regulated electric utility Duquesne Light Company. Results showed that women are paid 99.27 percent of what men are paid at the company, while Black, Asian and Hispanic employees are paid 100.73 percent of what white employees are paid.

The company also monitored internal and external hiring and equitable opportunity in the company’s early-career pipelines.

“As our workforce becomes more representative of the communities we serve, we benefit from the diversity of thought that these team members bring to our company,” said Christine Waller, vice president of communications and corporate responsibility at DLH, who also oversees DEI efforts. “Welcoming all employees to an accepting, inclusive environment where they are valued and respected for their work is a vital way for us to recruit and retain talent while better serving our customers and communities.”