Committed to progress: striving for equality

We know creating an environment where our colleagues feel supported not only enables them to thrive but also delivers benefits across our business. By targeting the issues and barriers that impact one group of colleagues, we can see a collective benefit for all colleagues and build a business that delivers long-term value for society.

So how are we working to improve equality for everyone? Here are just five of the key areas we’re taking steps in.

1. Flexibility for all

We’re challenging the stereotypes around flexible working. We trust colleagues to work flexibly and choose the most appropriate arrangement, with the support of their manager, to maximise their performance. Plus, anyone can request flexible working from day one of joining E.ON.

Our flexible working principles give colleagues choice and autonomy. Working flexibly supports those juggling the different demands of family commitments, study and daily life responsibilities, and helps remove the structural barriers that can limit career progression for women.

Improving our flexible working arrangements supports working families as it helps challenge the bias they face around perceptions of commitment. In fact, over half of our colleagues now have some form of flexible working pattern in place¹, including flexible start times and compressed hours. Plus, nine in ten (87%) of these colleagues are happy with the flexibility in their role and working pattern².

2. Improving inclusion and belonging

Our colleague-led embRace network supports racial inclusion throughout E.ON and its members have worked to create a safe and inclusive environment where colleagues from diverse ethnic backgrounds feel valued, respected and empowered.

The network now has over 1,400 members and has recently won recently won Outstanding Ethnicity Network of the Year at the European Diversity Awards and Employee Network / Resource Group of the Year at the TLC Lions Awards. Over the past three years, the network has successfully helped to celebrate our different backgrounds and heritage, improving a sense of belonging and community.

Victor Chambers, Contact Centre Specialist Team Manager at npower Business Solutions (nBS), said: “In the two years I have worked with the embRace network it has been incredible to witness the changes within our organisation. Seeing our ideas become discussions and discussions become actions and actions become policy has made me understand that I work exactly where I’m supposed to work. The level of support and understanding we have received from every level has demonstrated to me on a personal level that things are changing and with each day these changes become more and more like normality.”

What’s more, our embRace network has worked collaboratively with Unison to deliver bespoke webinars on closing the ethnicity pay gap, focused on educating our colleagues on the topic and our commitments to improving race equality. The network invited along Unison’s Race Equality expert who shared their expertise and discussed the pay inequalities faced by ethnically diverse colleagues and the actions needed to address these disparities.

Soulla Psomas, Data Analyst at npower Business Solutions, said: “As a member of the embRace Network, with an ethnic background, a TUC Representative of Unison and an employee of nBS, it’s been amazing to see the positive changes happening in such a short period of time. Our collaboration between Unison and the embRace network has been instrumental in the early steps toward bridging and closing the ethnicity pay gap. I’m proud to be part of this collaboration, witnessing these changes and working alongside some incredible colleagues — something I wouldn’t have experienced without the embRace network.”

3. Creating bespoke development opportunities and addressing career barriers

Our inclusive development networks support career development for everyone and address barriers to career progression. Women in Leadership is one of our bespoke in-house development programmes, aimed at helping women to develop, grow, network, progress and build confidence – realising their own potential and creating growth opportunities.

We track promotion rates to understand career progression according to gender throughout all levels of the organisation. Over the last three years, promotion rates for women have significantly improved and have now achieved parity with men, demonstrating the positive impact of our activities to deliver gender equality and support women’s career aspirations and journeys.

Courtenay Thompson, Senior Insight Analyst at E.ON UK, said: “Throughout Women in Leadership, my eyes were really opened to my potential. I discovered that we do all experience a level of imposter syndrome at some point in our careers and that I’m not alone with the limitations that I have put on myself.”

Another programme, embRace Your Talent is aimed at supporting and empowering ethnically diverse colleagues in junior grades to help address barriers to career progression. embRace Your Talent provides colleagues with the opportunity to develop their skills, improve their sense of belonging, share career inspiration and help build their networks.

Our first cohort completed the programme last year, with an amazing promotion rate of 17% following the programme. Our second cohort started in September last year and we now have over 100 colleagues benefitting from the programme.

Darryl Osei-Kufour, Diversity & Inclusion Lead at E.ON Next and embRace Steerco member, said: “Through the embRace Your Talent programme, we’ve seen the profound impact of investing in our Black and ethnic colleagues, fostering a culture of inclusion that drives our company forward. By nurturing diverse talent, we’re not only elevating individual potential but also strengthening our collective innovation, collaboration, and growth in the diversity and inclusion space.”

Ultimately, we want to improve representation and remove barriers to career progression, supporting all colleagues to realise their ambitions and potential.

4. Family friendly culture

We’re committed to providing extra support for all families, whatever stage of life they’re at. We believe both parents should have the same support and opportunities to be there for their family and the moments that matter.

We’re improving the equality of parenting, and helping families manage the cost of childcare, which can prevent many women from working, through our equal parental leave, neonatal leave, special leave for pregnancy loss and fertility support – all of which are gender neutral.

David Evans, Improvement Senior Lead at npower Business Solutions, said: “Having recently had a baby who had to go into neonatal, I will be forever grateful for this benefit. I had the opportunity to support my wife and my son in a way that no other father in that ward did. E.ON is providing fathers the opportunity to be there for their family in ways no other employer is. I will be forever grateful.”

And this support doesn’t just start with the arrival of a child. We’re also providing targeted support for our colleagues during their maternity journeys. We’ve improved our parenting process following feedback from our colleagues about the impact maternity leave had on their careers.

We’ve updated our resources to be clearer around leave entitlement and benefits, and to signpost the wider support available through our inclusion networks, coaching and guides. We’ve also updated guidance for line managers to better equip them to support their colleagues adapt to being a working parent. And we’ve included maternity coaching in our wider coaching package to support women come back to work happy and confident after embarking on their parenting journeys.

Natasha Ackroyd, Head of Propositions at E.ON Next, said: “I never expected to be joining a new company at 19 weeks pregnant. When I was offered the job, I was a little surprised. This wasn't the reception I thought was heading my way. It's been nothing but incredible support. This amazing environment has made the prospect of returning from maternity leave truly exciting, not daunting. E.ON is pioneering in their support for working mothers, and I'm so proud to be part of it.”

5. Proactive support during the menopause

Our colleague-led network, Menopause Matters, runs monthly menopause cafés where women have told us they were struggling with the impact of menopause physically, mentally, in their relationships and at work.

Using this feedback, along with expert advice from Menopause in the Workplace, we updated our menopause guide which now includes a quick guide to symptoms and their impact, a support and adjustments plan, a symptoms tracker and advice on working with your health care professional.

We’re committed to providing a range of support for those directly affected, line managers and family, to help everyone remain in work and be their best. And we’re now proudly accredited as a Menopause Friendly Employer.

Kirin Kalsi, Director of Legal, Compliance and Data Protection at E.ON UK and sponsor of our Menopause Matters network, said: “Achieving accreditation reflects our ongoing dedication to creating an inclusive workplace. By raising awareness and making meaningful changes, we can ensure that all employees feel supported through every stage of their careers. This is not just about meeting standards, but about genuinely improving the wellbeing and experience of our people.”

We’re proud to one of the UK’s most inclusive employers and we’ll continue to deliver targeted action to improve equality, inclusion and development for all colleagues throughout E.ON. 

To find out more about diversity and inclusion at E.ON, read our 2024 UK inclusion report.