MULTI-YEAR U.S. ACTION PLAN
Our Pledge to Equality & Fairness
In summer 2020, Whirlpool Corporation committed to our Racial Equality Pledge. This Pledge is an extension of our company’s enduring values of Inclusion & Diversity, with a clear focus on ensuring equality and fairness.
We are now three years into our five-year Pledge timeline. While we have seen some meaningful progress we also recognize that some of the actions contained in this Pledge require longer-term sustained and systemic changes to deliver the intended impact.
Whirlpool Corporation is committed to staying the course to drive sustainable positive impact both within our four walls and in our communities, in hopes this will be a ripple into the broader U.S. community.
Marc Bitzer, Chairman & CEO
Racial Equality Pledge Commitments & Progress
The work of the Racial Equality Pledge is split into what we can drive within our company and what we can influence within our communities.
The following updates highlight some of the work that has been done as part of the Racial Equality Pledge to promote inclusive environments where all can thrive.
EQUALITY & FAIRNESS WITHIN OUR COMPANY
Unconscious Bias & Empathy Training
Pledge Commitment Met.
Starting in late 2021, a three-part Unconscious Bias & Empathy training course was deployed to all U.S. based people leaders. Over 1300 employees attended this training. While this Pledge commitment was met in 2022, our learning journey continued into 2023 with global deployment of training materials and a 2nd phase for U.S. based people leaders to continue the conversation. We will continue to incorporate inclusion & diversity learning materials across the company as these remain part of Whirlpool’s Enduring Values.
Pay Practices
Pledge Commitment Met.
A review of pay practices to ensure fairness and equality was completed and has been incorporated into our ongoing HR processes.
Juneteenth Day of Impact
Pledge Commitment Met.
In ongoing conversations with Benton Harbor city officials & residents, participants identified that one of the best ways Whirlpool could positively impact the community and support the city’s plan was by revitalizing the city’s parks.
HBCU Student Support & Recruiting
Pledge Commitment in Progress
In 2022, Whirlpool Corporation formalized a relationship with Florida A&M University (FAMU) to provide scholarship funding, appliances, mentoring partnerships, and engagement with Whirlpool employees for students in the College of Engineering.
Employee Development Opportunities
Pledge Commitment Met.
At Whirlpool, providing professional and personal development is part of our commitment to our employees’ well-being. Opportunities such as mentoring, upskilling through virtual learning, educational reimbursement programs and more are available…
Inclusion & Diversity are enduring values for Whirlpool Corporation. Because of our actions to create a culture where employees feel welcomed, valued, respected and heard, we believe employees of all backgrounds will be more apt to join and stay with Whirlpool. And this, in turn, will help us deliver products that improve life at home. We will continue to take actions to listen to our employees and evolve our talent processes and expect this will continue to build and sustain an employee base that represents the diversity of our talent pools.
Whirlpool’s Global Headquarters is based in Southwest Michigan with offices in both Saint Joseph and Benton Harbor – often referred to as the “Twin Cities”. Whirlpool has been here for over a century and is invested in building a community where employees and residents can all thrive:
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Whirlpool Corporation has a long history of working with the city of Benton Harbor and our surrounding communities to drive progress and to make our communities a great place to work and live.
– Pam Klyn, Executive Vice President Corporate Relations & Sustainability
We want this community to work for all of us. This means …
Supporting students to achieve their hopes and dreams for the future.
Investing in infrastructure where families can come together to laugh, grow and learn.
Being a partner to the city to support their vision for the future
The following initiatives are intended to support the areas where residents, city officials and employees told us it is needed the most.
EQUALITY & FAIRNESS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY
Benton Harbor High School Mentoring
Pledge Commitment in Progress
Building a strong foundation and a vision for the future for high school students is one key to future success. To facilitate a mentoring program at Benton Harbor High School, Whirlpool employees partnered with Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates (JMG)...
Apprenticeship Programs
Pledge Commitment in Progress
Whirlpool Corporation supports three state-certified apprenticeship programs providing opportunities for on-the-job experiences and educational success. Participants in these programs work through a structured rotation of roles to gain exposure to…
Berrien County Internships
Pledge Commitment in Progress
After a successful pilot program in 2021, the Possibilities at Home (P@TH) internship program launched in 2022 with 10 interns and expanded to 12 interns in 2023. In the first three years of this program, these students had a broad range of…
Boys & Girls Club Technology Programming
Pledge Commitment in Progress
For many years, Whirlpool Corporation has been a corporate sponsor of the Boys & Girls Club of Benton Harbor and their now expanded footprint as the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Southwest Michigan. As we look to how the Boys & Girls Club can…
Benton Harbor Area Schools
Pledge Commitment in Progress
Investing in the area’s youth is investing in the future of the region. By partnering with Benton Harbor Area Schools, Whirlpool employees and the Whirlpool Foundation have been able to provide support in several critical areas:
Expand Housing
Pledge Commitment Met.
After breaking ground in 2021, construction began on the waterfront multi-family housing complex situated in Benton Harbor across the street from Whirlpool’s North American Headquarters and Benton Harbor Technology Center. Named after Benton…
Supplier Diversity
Pledge Commitment Met.
Whirlpool actively tracks and invites diverse suppliers to bid on our portfolio of work, promoting diverse vendors as a key component of our supply base. To enable this, we maintain partnerships with community organizations and supplier…
Entrepreneur Microgrants
Pledge Commitment Met.
Businesses owned by local entrepreneurs that have won prizes in the micro-grant pitch nights hosted by Emerge Innovation Hub, in collaboration with Whirlpool and Mosaic CCDA:
Whirlpool Corporation and City of Benton Harbor Team Up to Revitalize Community Park for Third Consecutive Year
Whirlpool Corporation celebrated its third annual “Day of Impact'' with more than 100 employees and elected officials volunteering to make improvements to Charles Yarbrough Park in Benton Harbor, Mich. Nestled along the St. Joseph River, in walking distance from...
Racial Equality Pledge News
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Whirlpool EMEA certified Top Employer Europe 2022Jan 20, 2022With a score of over 90% Whirlpool EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) obtained, for the fifth consecutive year, the Top Employer Europe 2022 Certification, being recognized in France, Germany, Italy, Poland and the UK. The Top Employer Institute recognized that... -
Benton Harbor hosts first community pitch competitionNov 24, 2021Each time the automatic doors opened to the entryway of Mosaic CCDA’s headquarters and resale store, excitement doubled and energy hummed. Despite sleet and cold attempting to invade the lobby, new hope burned and filled the room. It was Benton Harbor’s first-ever... -
Whirlpool Corporation works with American Corporate Partners to help veterans find their next careerNov 11, 2021Nine years ago, Whirlpool Corporation and American Corporate Partners (ACP) joined ranks to support our nation’s veterans. Whirlpool Corp. has positively impacted the lives of hundreds of individuals through ACP, a national nonprofit organization focused on... -
Whirlpool Corporation’s Global Inclusion Week Creates sense of belonging for 78,000 employees around the world for third straight yearOct 12, 2021Everyone wants to work in a place where they feel welcomed, respected, valued and heard. Whirlpool Corporation’s Global Inclusion Week (GIW) aims to teach employees about those four shared values and has the goal of further ingraining them into the corporate... -
Governor Gretchen Whitmer Joins Whirlpool Corporation, Local Officials for Groundbreaking in Benton HarborAug 4, 2021Governor Gretchen Whitmer joined officials from Whirlpool Corporation, along with federal, state and local officials to celebrate the groundbreaking of the new multi-family housing development in downtown Benton Harbor on Tuesday, Aug. 3. Through a partnership... -
Whirlpool Corporation Awarded a 100% Score on the 2021 Disability Equality IndexJul 16, 2021Whirlpool Corporation has once again been awarded a 100 percent score on the Disability Equality Index (DEI), making this the fifth straight year of receiving a high score. The DEI is the world’s most comprehensive benchmarking tool for the Fortune 1000 companies... -
Whirlpool Corporation Global Product Organization VP Pam Klyn inducted into the Mechanical Engineering Academy at Michigan Technological UniversityJun 11, 2021As companies around the globe celebrate the amazing work of women engineers for International Women in Engineering Day (INWED) on June 23, Whirlpool Corporation would like to congratulate Vice President, Global Product Organization, Pam Klyn who was recently... -
Whirlpool Corporation Awarded Perfect 100 on the 2021 Corporate Equality Index for 18th Year in a RowJan 29, 2021For the 18th year in a row, Whirlpool Corporation has received a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s (HRC) annual Corporate Equality Index. This distinction recognizes Whirlpool Corporation’s ongoing commitment to Inclusion and Diversity and... -
Words of Wisdom from Whirlpool Women’s Network Board of Directors Speaker SeriesDec 16, 2020Our Whirlpool Women’s Network (WWN) is celebrating its 25th Anniversary of being an Employee Resource Group. As part of our year-long celebration, we highlighted the women on our Board of Directors in a virtual speaker series. Each month from August through... -
Whirlpool Corporation Recognized as Top Company for Executive Women by Working Mother MediaDec 1, 2020Whirlpool Corporation today announced it has been named to Working Mother Media’s 2020+ Top Companies for Executive Women list. The distinction marks Whirlpool Corporation’s second time on the list and recognizes the company for its diverse and inclusive culture... -
Whirlpool Corporation Celebrates Inclusion and Diversity in Multiple Regions Around the World for Global Inclusion WeekSep 25, 2020For the second year in a row, Whirlpool Corporation in North America celebrated Global Inclusion Week (GIW) with a variety of speakers and sessions designed to engage employees and teach them about the importance and benefits of Inclusion and Diversity in the... -
Whirlpool Corporation named to 2020 Diversity Best Practices Inclusion Index for third year in a rowAug 18, 2020Whirlpool Corporation today announced we have been named to the 2020 Diversity Best Practices Inclusion Index, highlighting our ongoing commitment to engaging in effective practices of diversity and inclusion. Whirlpool Corporation is one of 98 organizations to... -
Prehoda Earns Patriot Award from Employer Support of the Guard and ReserveJul 17, 2020Department of Defense Program Honors Whirlpool Corporation Senior Manager for Extraordinary Support. Global Strategic Sourcing Senior Manager Trisha Prehoda of Whirlpool Corporation was presented with the ESGR Patriot Award from the U.S. Department of Defense in... -
Whirlpool Corporation Named a ‘Best Place to Work for People with Disabilities’ for Fourth Straight YearJul 15, 2020For the fourth year in a row, Whirlpool Corporation has been named one of the best places to work for people with disabilities, as part of the 2020 Disability Equality Index (DEI). The DEI is a prominent benchmarking tool for the Fortune 1000 to gauge their level... -
Whirlpool Canada Once Again Recognized for Workplace ExcellenceApr 27, 2020Great Place to Work, a global research and management consultancy firm, named Whirlpool Canada as one of this year’s “Best Workplaces in Canada.” The company ranked 18th of 50 among workplaces with more than 1,000 employees working in Canada or worldwide.... -
Whirlpool Corporation Scores 17th Consecutive Perfect 100 on Corporate Equality IndexJan 31, 2020Whirlpool Corporation has once again earned a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s (HRC) annual Corporate Equality Index (CEI), designating the company as a “Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality.” The CEI is a national survey that reports on... -
Department of Defense Program Awards Two Whirlpool EmployeesJan 7, 2020Improving life at home extends beyond the kitchen and laundry and even into the workplace at Whirlpool Corporation. For Martin Lach, a Global Sr. Sourcing Specialist at Whirlpool, serving in the U.S. National Guard, that means a lot. To the Department of Defense,... -
Whirlpool Corporation Recognized for Its Work in Inclusive Environments and Organizational CultureDec 16, 2019Whirlpool Corporation was recognized by ManpowerGroup Argentina for its work in the promotion of inclusive environments to advance in the development of an organizational culture where inclusion and diversity are a value. ManpowerGroup Argentina celebrated the... -
Whirlpool Corporation Continues Gold Level Status for VeteransDec 3, 2019Once again, the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA) recognized Whirlpool Corporation for achieving Gold Level status as a Veteran-Friendly Employer in the State of Michigan. This marks the fourth consecutive year for achieving this status, thanks to the... -
Stepping Up the Fight Against DiscriminationOct 14, 2019Two Whirlpool Corp. Employees Honored for New St. Joseph City Ordinance at EQMI Annual Gala. The Equality Michigan Fall Reception on Friday, Sept. 13 was attended by 400 people and resulted in record-breaking fundraising for the annual gala. Emceed by WDIV-Detroit...