Wesco 2024 Sustainability Report: People and Culture

At Wesco, our people are our greatest asset
Aug 6, 2024 10:00 AM ET

Read the 2024 Wesco Sustainability Report here

At Wesco, our people are our greatest asset. We are dedicated to offering enriching growth experiences that foster both career and personal development, empowering our employees to make a lasting impact not only within our organization but also in the communities where we live and operate. We prioritize creating a workplace culture that attracts and retains a diverse and highly qualified workforce globally. This strategic approach not only sustains a competitive advantage in an ever-evolving marketplace but also fosters an inclusive and dynamic workplace.

People and Culture

The success of our company is driven by the strength of our team. We develop and nurture a culture that attracts and retains diverse and highly qualified employees to sustain a competitive advantage in our evolving marketplace.

Human Rights

We are committed to ensuring that all employees are managed fairly, ethically and are treated with dignity and respect. In 2023, we published our updated Global Human Rights Principles, formalizing our promise to respect human rights and implementing business practices that align with principles outlined by the United Nations Global Compact, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP), ILO Convention 169 on Indigenous Peoples, OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and relevant laws in the countries where we operate. Additionally, our Human Rights Policy addresses the following topics:

  • Diversity and non-discrimination (see the Inclusion and Diversity section of this report)
  • Safety in the workplace (see the Health and Safety section of this report)
  • Freedom of association and collective bargaining (see the Governance section of this report)
  • Disabled employee accommodations
  • Harassment prohibition (see the Anti-Retaliation Policy and Business Integrity Line)
  • Adherence to laws addressing child and forced labor
  • Appropriate working hours, wages and benefits
  • Safe and healthy workplace conditions (see the Health and Safety section of this report)

As a company, our practices integrate respect for human rights, both directly within our global operations and throughout our supply chain. Wesco strives to incorporate inclusion, dignity and respect in our workplaces and to honor the various cultures that support our business around the globe.

Statement from our Vice-President, Global Inclusion, Diversity and Engagement:

“Always listen, then act.”

Inclusion is one of Wesco’s core values. We are cultivating a workplace that supports and empowers diversity in all forms. This starts with listening to our employees then acting on their feedback.

At Wesco, that means utilizing our Business Resource Groups (BRGs), where employees build meaningful connections and discuss workplace and external issues. In collaboration with executive sponsors and the Global Inclusion and Diversity (GID) committee, they bring forward tangible ways to enact change.

On a larger scale, the company listens via its annual employee engagement survey. With questions focused on inclusion, it is intended to highlight what is working and where things can improve.

Results are shared with all employees. Business leaders work with human resources and employees to develop action plans. We focus our efforts on survey themes that will lead to the biggest impact for our global team. Employees know we are listening, that we care and where possible, we will act.

Darryl Castellano 
Vice-President, Global Inclusion, Diversity and Engagement

Inclusion and Diversity

Inclusion and diversity (I&D) are at the foundation of our high-performing culture. We believe that our dedication to diversity—the many different things we individually and collectively bring to work each day— contributes to building a stronger workforce and a better company at all levels. We seek to understand, respect and appreciate the dimensions of diversity that shape our global employees’ experiences. As such, we consciously work to create an environment that respects and values the diversity of the people and world around us.

To learn more, download the 2024 Wesco Sustainability Report here.

About This Report

Unless otherwise stated, this report covers activities, data and initiatives from our fiscal year 2023.

ESG Disclosure and Framework Alignment

The topics covered in this report include those that we have determined to be material for our business and stakeholders as noted on page 12. Wesco aligns with several ESG frameworks and disclosures in support of our commitment to transparency and our fulfillment of stakeholder needs and expectations. We leverage the following frameworks and standards to provide robust ESG information disclosure:

  • Global Reporting Initiative (GRI): GRI offers a list of global standards and guidelines around sustainability reporting.
  • Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB): SASB provides a comprehensive set of industry-specific disclosure topics and guidelines.
  • Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD): TCFD provides disclosure recommendations on thematic ESG topics such as governance, strategy, risk management, metrics and targets to provide stakeholders with fuller information surrounding climate risks.
  • CDP: Formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project, CDP is an international organization that helps companies and cities measure and disclose important environmental impact information through an annual questionnaire and rating system.
  • United Nations Global Compact (UNGC): UNGC is an initiative that aims to help businesses align their strategies and work toward the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals.
  • United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (U.N. SDGs): U.N. SDGs provide a shared set of 17 toward peace and prosperity for people and planet goals and create a call to action by all countries in a global partnership.

We also regularly engage with our investors, employees, customers, regulators, ratings agencies and others on ESG and business issues. Additional information about Wesco can be found in our public financial filings—including our annual report and proxy filings—as well as on the Security and Exchange Commission’s website at www.sec.gov or on the Investors page of our website at Wesco.com.

Wesco plans to continue to report annually as we monitor, measure, and deepen our ESG initiatives and disclosures.

Wesco endorses the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are a call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity.

More information about our SDG aligned initiatives is included throughout this report.

Assurance 
We did not seek third-party assurance for this report; however, we will consider doing so for future reporting. The information and data contained in this report was vetted by internal subject matter experts on the various ESG topics included in this report.

Contact Us 
We appreciate and welcome feedback on our ESG initiatives and reporting and invite you to contact us directly via email at Sustainability@Wesco.com