We’re maintaining a dynamic and innovative workplace through professional development, active listening and a commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Business Context and our Strategic Response

Connecting people with the energy they need and want—safely, reliably and sustainably—requires a diverse, engaged and highly skilled team. The approximately 13,600 people Enbridge employs across North America are inspired and dedicated to building strategic, sustainable connections—from the pipelines we build to the communities where we live and work.

The evolving nature of our company and industry brings with it a range of workforce dynamics. Our 2017 acquisition of Spectra Energy required a focus on achieving synergies through the integration of systems and organizational structure, as well as alignment of culture and ways of working across a new organization. We introduced What We Stand For to help employees know and consistently rally around the enduring elements that define and guide Enbridge. Developed with input from employees, senior leaders and management, What We Stand For assembles in one place—as a quick reference—our purpose, vision, values, strategic intents, and a new element: ways of working. Our ways of working are about who we are and how we do business. This initiative complements our strategic priorities outlined in our strategic plan, and together, they help us to focus our energy on what needs to be achieved and how we will work together to deliver results.

Like many others within and beyond our sector, we see challenges and opportunities related to the need for advanced new competencies and knowledge transfer as we continue to understand our workforce requirements in the future and what we need to do to develop and acquire talent to fulfill these needs.

Attracting and Retaining Talent

We focus on enhancing the capability of our people through activities such as accelerated leadership programs, rigorous succession planning of critical roles, and facilitating career development and mobility throughout the enterprise. We value diversity and embed inclusive practices throughout our programs and approach to people management. Furthermore, we strive to maintain industry-competitive compensation and retention programs that provide both short-term and long-term performance incentives to our employees.

We continuously look for ways to offer flexibility to our employees to obtain optimal work-life balance. We offer variable work schedules and flex-options, parental leave and other like benefits to support our employees. Our Wellness Program supports employees’ well-being by providing tools and resources to help them improve their physical, mental and financial health.

Engagement

Our employee listening strategy involves multiple channels of listening, including formal engagement surveys, formal and informal conversations, pulse surveys, town halls, company-hosted social media (Yammer) and coffee chats. By understanding the employee experience and taking action to address opportunities identified via this feedback, we continue to build a proud and energized team.

Diversity, Equality and Inclusion

“The momentum behind our diversity and inclusion work is really energizing. I’ve seen so much commitment from all levels of the Company—from our dedicated employee resource groups that shape our culture, to our senior leaders who are courageously taking on new ways of leading. I see progress every day and I am proud of our commitment to creating a workplace where everyone is welcome, valued and connected."

Kimberley Grant, Manager,
Diversity, Inclusion and Talent Acquisition Strategy

We have strong executive oversight and sponsorship of our Diversity & Inclusion Strategy (D&I), via a representative senior leadership Steering Committee that helps steward actions identified to foster an inclusive workplace. These actions include a focus on building awareness, delivery of learning programs, developing and supporting employee resource groups, engaging the workforce through local and regional initiatives, and implementing plans to close representation gaps.

We proactively support leaders and coach them to review talent decisions with a diversity lens in order to mitigate the risk of unconscious bias. For example, we leverage opportunities to coach our leaders and employees at critical decision points that impact an employee’s career, such as performance review and succession planning. Additionally a thorough analysis is conducted throughout these activities to ensure equitable representation of different demographic groups.

Tracking and monitoring our progress is important as we progress on our D&I journey. We have published an internal Gender Dashboard to provide transparency related to male and female representation metrics across the enterprise. The data collected in this dashboard is used to guide actions to bring greater diversity and inclusion to the workplace and will be expanded shortly to include other dimensions of diversity.

Enbridge’s CEO is a member of the 30% Club, an international campaign focused on improving representation of women on boards and in senior management. Our goal is to achieve 30% female representation on our board of directors and across all leadership levels. In 2019 we signed on to Equal by 30, an international commitment by both public- and private-sector organizations to work toward equal pay, equal leadership and equal opportunities for women in the energy sector by 2030.

Employee Rights and Freedoms

We act in accordance with all laws and legislation. Our corporate policies include the Respectful Workplace, Harassment and Violence Policy, the Duty to Accommodate Policy and our Statement on Business Conduct, all of which underline our commitment to:

• Ensuring fair labor practices and respecting human rights.
• Achieving a diverse workplace.
• Removing systemic barriers that could adversely affect our employees at work and in their careers.
• Implementing measures to prevent discrimination at Enbridge.
• Helping employees reach their potential.

We provide each of our business units with a training package that addresses components of human rights training, including antiharassment, violence in the workplace and maintaining a respectful workplace. Each of our business units has implemented human rights policies and procedures that contain provisions for investigation and resolution of incidents.

Freedom of Association, Labour Relations and Collective Bargaining

We believe that healthy and cooperative labor relations and collective bargaining contribute to our business success. As such, we maintain and foster a cooperative approach to union and management relationships through joint committees with various unions and industrial councils. We also follow the labor laws of the countries in which we operate as well as our own principles of business conduct.

Employee Workforce and Turnover

To enable us to adapt, compete and achieve our growth strategy, we have continued efforts to streamline specific functions to minimize overlap and duplication. The total workforce decreased by approximately 10% in 2018. We realized efficiencies and staff reductions related to central functions and the sale of our Canadian and U.S. gathering and processing businesses. Divestitures comprised about 6% of the reduction in the employee population, with all receiving new offers of employment from the acquiring company. While large-scale integration activities continue (utility, Enterprise Resource Planning), much of the disruptive change of the past few years is behind us.

We analyze our voluntary turnover trends to understand the reasons why employees may choose to move on. In 2018 our voluntary turnover rate was 5.1%. The data is reviewed with executive leadership to proactively effect change.

At all times, we have treated our people with respect and dignity, providing support both to those who have left our company and those who remain. We have implemented comprehensive change management plans to assist with transitions and post-merger stabilization initiatives. Employees who were laid off received severance packages that exceeded legislated minimum notice periods and included outplacement assistance, as well as employee and family assistance programs.