For the third year in a row, National Grid has scored 100 percent in the annual Human Rights Campaign Foundation's (HRC) Corporate Equality Index (CEI) for the company's commitment to creating policies on diversity and inclusion, and providing training and benefits to create a fair and equal workplace. National Grid was one of only six companies in the Energy and Utilities sector of the Index that scored top marks, earning the distinction as one of the best places to work.

"National Grid's vision is to be an employer of choice by creating an inclusive and diverse workforce. This allows us to establish National Grid as a destination workplace, enabling us to recruit and retain a workforce of the future," said Tom King, president of National Grid. "To be recognized by HRC with a perfect score three years in a row reflects our commitment and the efforts that we have undertaken to enhance our culture."

National Grid provides same sex domestic partner benefits, covers sexual orientation and gender identity in its Equal Employment Opportunity policies and supports an employee resource group called PRIDE US through which the company's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) employees host meetings, provide community outreach and serve as a resource to the company and its employees. Efforts to strengthen National Grid's Inclusion and Diversity (I&D) initiatives include the appointment of a vice president for I&D to lead the company efforts and enhanced leadership training to increase awareness of the company's vision and I&D objectives.

The "Best Places to Work for LGBT Equality" distinction is awarded to businesses that scored 100 percent on the HRC Foundation's 2010 Corporate Equality Index, the primary method for businesses to benchmark and evaluate their policies, practices and diversity efforts relating to LGBT workers. The index evaluates non-discrimination policies, benefits, diversity training and other internal resources for LGBT workers, as well as external support for LGBT consumers and job seekers.

Of the 33 companies in the Energy and Utilities sector of the Index, National Grid was one of six that scored top marks. The average score for the sector was 73 percent.

HRC is America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.

Since its launch in 2002, the CEI has become the standard by which companies are measured in regard to LGBT diversity and inclusion. Companies are rated on a scale of 0 to 100 percent based on a number of criteria including their policies on diversity and inclusion, training, health care and domestic partnership benefits.

A copy of the 2010 index report can be downloaded from the HRC Web site: www.hrc.org/cei.

National Grid is an international energy delivery company. In the U.S., National Grid delivers electricity to approximately 3.3 million customers in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Rhode Island, and manages the electricity network on Long Island under an agreement with the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA). It is the largest distributor of natural gas in the northeastern U.S., serving approximately 3.4 million customers in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Rhode Island. National Grid also owns over 4,000 megawatts of contracted electricity generation that provides power to over one million LIPA customers.

National Grid

National Grid

National Grid (NYSE: NGG) is an electricity, natural gas, and clean energy delivery company serving more than 20 million people through our networks in New York and Massachusetts. National Grid is focused on building a path to a more affordable, reliable clean energy future through our fossil-free vision. National Grid is transforming our electricity and natural gas networks with smarter, cleaner, and more resilient energy solutions to meet the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

For more information, please visit our website, follow us on Twitter, watch us on YouTube, like us on Facebook and find our photos on Instagram.

More from National Grid