American Electric Power, parent company to Public Service Company of Oklahoma and a number of other subsidiaries, was named in Forbes magazine’s America’s Best Employers for Women 2023 list for the fourth year in a row.
Forbes partnered with Statista to compile the list based on an independent survey from a sample of more than 60,000 employees, including more than 40,000 women, in the United States working for companies that employ at least 1,000 people. The participants were asked to rate their employer based on criteria such as working conditions, diversity, salary and wage, and the likelihood of recommending their employer to others.
Female respondents were asked to rate their employers regarding parental leave, family support, discrimination and pay equity. Respondents were also given the opportunity to recommend other employers based on their diversity efforts, as well as rank their own employer based on the share of women in executive roles. The list consists of 400 companies that received the highest total score.
“It is an important part of AEP’s business strategy to attract and retain a talented and diverse workforce representative of the communities we serve,” said Julie Sloat, AEP president and chief executive officer. “Receiving this award shows our dedication to creating an inclusive work environment that supports women and continues to ensure our female colleagues can excel.”
Based in Columbus, Ohio, AEP has 17,000 employees and 5.6 million regulated customers in 11 states, including Oklahoma.
AEP’s family of companies includes utilities AEP Ohio, AEP Texas, Appalachian Power in Virginia and West Virginia, AEP Appalachian Power in Tennessee, Indiana Michigan Power, Kentucky Power, PSO, and Southwestern Electric Power Company in Arkansas, Louisiana, east Texas and the Texas Panhandle.