Insight into BELCO’s DEI culture

As told by Krista Barnes, Director, Communications and Sustainability

Bermuda Electric Light Company Limited (BELCO) remains committed to creating and supporting a diverse, equitable and inclusive company culture. It’s a commitment we have made to our entire team and the Bermuda community which we believe creates a more just society, and engaged, highperforming workforce. We continually assess our performance in maintaining the highest standards of ethics and integrity in our relationships with our team, our community, and our customers, while ensuring compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.

BELCO continues to have representation on a Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Council. The global Council was formed to unite representatives from across the globe with the goal of developing, refining and taking the lead on the path to a more DE&I centric approach. The Council is mandated to provide informed leadership for cultural equity and to promote equal opportunity within the workplace. Our participation on this Council is assisting BELCO in strengthening the foundation in order to develop and implement the appropriate programmes to maintain and enhance DE&I issues across our business.

We recognise that we have a social responsibility to our community and our team to develop and enact policies that support Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I). With a team of 234 employees, we strive to continuously evolve our DE&I approach to ensure every team member knows that they are valued; receives fair and equitable treatment; has a voice that can be heard; and understands they belong. An investment in a DE&I-centric approach makes good business sense as it builds a team that delivers better business results and creates a stronger, more resilient organisation.

One of the areas we are continuously trying to improve, and are making steady progress, is increasing female representation within our Company and industry. While the physical work operating the plant and maintaining the distribution grid has traditionally been dominated by men, women are increasingly filling these roles and excelling. Of the 234 full-time employees at BELCO, 44 are women which is a 26% increase in the last year. Women work in almost every area of the Company including Bulk Generation; Transmission, Distribution and Retail; Occupational Health, Safety & Environment; IT; Sustainability; Procurement & Logistics; and Communications with one of our two Managing Directors being female. Additionally, our senior leadership team is 40% female and our Electricity Supply Trade Union (ESTU) has a female President for the first time in its history. We will continue to ensure there are opportunities for women to join our team and increase female representation at all levels and in all areas of our Company. At BELCO, we strongly encourage women to apply for careers, scholarships, internships, and apprenticeships. Of the 19 apprentices currently working for the Company, one is a young Bermudian female. Upon completion of our Apprenticeship Programme, she, along with all the apprentices, will be placed in a designated area of the business deemed most suitable, which will include potential positions such as Electrical Fitters, Mechanical Fitters, Line Workers and Electrical Jointers. Additionally, BELCO has recently hired 13 summer interns of which half are female.

BELCO’s Director, Human Resources and Culture, LaKeitha Cunningham shared: “BELCO has always been a Company which treats staff like family. We continue to enhance our DE&I policies and initiatives and are seeing tangible changes and benefits in the Company. As we move towards a sustainable future, we remain committed to learn and implement new strategies to improve. Our DE&I centric approach has assisted in attracting and retaining top talent, while also ensuring our customers are receiving excellent service.”

BELCO’s ongoing DE&I journey demonstrates our commitment to a more sustainable future. As we strive to continuously evolve and progress, we will seek out and implement further opportunities for growth and improvement. We are proud of the progress we have made and continue to make and look forward to a more diverse, equitable and inclusive company culture and workforce in the future.