Social
As your community energy company, we engage our employees, customers and communities. Working together is how we achieve our goals and strengthen our communities for the benefit of all we serve.
Companywide Safety Initiatives
Safety is a core value at MGE. Employees embrace our philosophy of continuous improvement.
In 2014, MGE launched a companywide safety initiative to improve our safety culture and begin MGE’s journey to safety excellence. Our Safety Steering Team, made up evenly of exempt and non-exempt employees, meets bimonthly to examine safety topics and to identify and to prioritize continuous improvement opportunities.
Occupational Health and Safety Policy
As part of our ongoing commitment to safety, the company approved our Occupational Health and Safety Policy in 2022. The policy recognizes the risks inherent to occupational health and safety and embraces safe work practices and environments as fundamental values at MGE. Our commitment to safety and how we govern our commitment isn’t new, but this policy allows us to document our commitment in a more formal manner. MGE is committed to serving our community and to conducting our business in accordance with this policy, which is governed by the following systems:
- Beyond Compliance. We are committed to the health and safety of every person working on behalf of MGE. We strive to ensure their work environment is free from known hazards and goes beyond regulatory rules and industry guidance.
- Safety Culture Continuous Improvement. Through continuous improvement and training, MGE is continually evaluating opportunities for improvement.
- Corporate Safety Management System. MGE is developing a Corporate Safety Management System, which will impact all operations of our organization. It will be based on industry standards and will have defined systems to create, manage and improve safety processes.
- Data-Driven Safety Performance. By utilizing leading and lagging indicators, trend analysis, contractor management tools and the performing of incident investigations, we are able to incorporate performance data into our daily processes to make decisions.
MGE's Occupational Health and Safety Policy is available at mge.com. More information related to our safety performance is available in our Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Report.
A Culture of Diversity and Inclusion
At MGE, we value diversity, equity and inclusion. MGE promotes an inclusive, respectful work environment where individuals and groups can achieve their full potential. MGE supports all employees and provides equitable access to employment and development opportunities.
MGE’s goal is to create a healthy, inclusive, safe and productive work environment for all. All employees are responsible for assisting MGE in meeting the objectives of our diversity and inclusion policy as well as supporting the concepts of equal opportunity and affirmative action. We believe our collective diversity makes us stronger and more complete, both within MGE and throughout our community.
One of our corporate initiatives aims to ensure our increasingly diverse customers and employees experience us as “their” community energy company. Through an executive-led working group with representation from across the company, we continue our focus on customer communication and engagement as well as skills development and training to further promote an inclusive and respectful work environment to better serve our customers and communities.
Every employee at MGE experiences programming around a wide range of topics including diversity, harassment and our Code of Ethics. Employees who witness any harassment or discrimination issues are encouraged to bring them to the attention of Human Resources or file a report using our anonymous employee hotline.
MGE’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Statement is available at mge.com.
Our Statement on Human Rights
As your community energy company, MGE recognizes its impact on human rights and embraces the protection of human rights as a fundamental value. MGE’s statement on human rights outlines the company’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion; safe and healthy working conditions; and fair labor and worker rights. The statement also outlines expectations for vendors, suppliers and partners as well as guidance for MGE employees.
The statement was developed through a collaborative effort of employees from across the company and adopted by MGE Energy’s Board of Directors. It is consistent with guidelines and standards set forth in United States human rights laws and applicable international human rights principles.
Read MGE’s Statement on Human Rights.
Freedom of Association
We comply with all federal, state and local employment ordinances. We also adhere to principles and norms that protect human rights in employment, including the freedom of association and the freedom to bargain collectively.
MGE recognizes its employees’ right to organize and engage in collective bargaining under the National Labor Relations Act. The MGE workforce is represented by three different unions:
- International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), Local 2304
- United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union, Local 2006, Unit 6
- Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU), Local 39
The unionized workforce is 43.3% of MGE’s total workforce, far exceeding the average private sector unionization rate in the United States of 6%.
Community Support
As your community energy company, we are committed to improving the quality of life for those we serve. We contribute to and help to better our community in three different ways:
- Charitable giving by the MGE Foundation. Established in 1966, the Foundation is our philanthropic arm. Throughout the last five years, the Foundation has given more than $8.3 million to more than 400 community organizations. Visit mge.com/foundation to read our Report on Giving.
- Corporate giving by MGE through partnerships, collaborations and projects with local organizations and stakeholders.
- Volunteerism and service of our valued employees.
United Way
MGE is a longtime supporter and partner of the United Way of Dane County. MGE consistently ranks among the top 10 companies in total donations to the United Way of Dane County. In 2022, MGE and our generous employees and retirees gave more than $277,000 to the local campaign.