Great Place to Work and partner PEOPLE magazine today selected American Express as one of the 2022 PEOPLE Companies That Care.
The list identifies what GPTW and PEOPLE consider the best companies to work for in the U.S. that go above and beyond for their colleagues, support their communities and strive to make the world a better place.
The magazine and GPTW cite Amex’s overall support for small businesses, including our $1 million initiative to provide grants to 25 historic small restaurants as well as our global Shop Small campaign that drives awareness to independent businesses and how they contribute to their neighborhoods and the economy.
For our colleagues, there are specific callouts to our Healthy Minds and Healthy Living programs.
The award is based on over 1 million employee-survey responses and data from companies that are already certified as Great Places to Work.
This award goes beyond companies being “nice,” says Sarah Lewis-Kulin, Vice President of Global Recognition at Great Place to Work. The companies that make this list prioritize caring for people and the environment to be “part of their daily fabric,” she adds.
American Express Chief Corporate Affairs and Communication Officer Jennifer Skyler shares below how being an official PEOPLE Company That Cares aligns with Amex’s Blue Box values:
Q: How is the idea of ‘care’ demonstrated through the American Express Blue Box values?
Our Blue Box values really serve as a guidepost for how we operate and serve our customers and communities as a team. That’s evidenced in the positive, engaging and inclusive culture we strive to provide for our colleagues; in our customer relationships that are built on trust; integrity and excellence; and in our efforts to support our communities and operate responsibly. A tangible example that reinforces the way we demonstrate care through our actions is Amex Flex, our new way of working. In designing Amex Flex, we listened to feedback from colleagues and prioritized their needs in both their professional and personal lives to so they can perform their best. We are continuing to listen, learn and iterate based on what colleagues are telling us.
Q: American Express has done a lot to drive meaningful change for its customers, colleagues and communities, why is that important to the company strategy?
Supporting our colleagues, customers and communities is imperative to who we are as a company. Our company mission is to make a positive impact on people’s lives through “the powerful backing of American Express.” We back our colleagues, customers and communities because we believe when they thrive, our company does too. That means providing our colleagues with a best-in-class experience that enables them to thrive. In turn, they serve our customers with the integrity and service excellence that they’ve come to expect from our brand, while supporting our communities to make a positive impact in people’s lives and the world we live in.
Q: How do colleagues extend the company’s values into their own communities?
We have various opportunities for our colleagues to engage in our community giving efforts. Our Give2Gether and Serve2Gether programs for charitable giving and volunteering initiatives are great examples. In 2021, we engaged over 13,000 colleagues globally through our Give2Gether campaign and matched their contributions to causes of their choice, raising over $8.9 million toward nearly 4,000 non-profit organizations across 78 countries. In addition, we are seeing increasing engagement with our Serve2Gether consulting, volunteering and pro-bono skills development initiatives. Two examples: last year our colleagues engaged with our Plant-a-Tree campaign, ensuring the Nature Conservancy could plant 100,000 trees; and those participating in our skills-based volunteering programs have doubled.
To learn more about the 2022 PEOPLE Companies that Care List, click here: https://people.com/human-interest/people-100-companies-that-care-2022/