Employees
Diversity And Inclusion
As a company with global operations and influence, it is only appropriate that we maintain a global mindset as well. At American, we have long celebrated diversity of thought and experience among our employees, and we have no doubt that the varied insights and perspectives existing within our company have had a positive impact on our overall performance and corporate culture. We truly feel that diversity should be explored, respected and thoroughly celebrated; that's the American way.
The year 2011 marked another successful milestone in the annals of our diversity leadership. For the tenth consecutive year, American Airlines has received the highest possible recognition in the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index — an annual review of diversity-friendly workplaces. We have also launched or maintained a host of education initiatives, geared toward creating a culture of respect and inclusiveness at American Airlines and American Eagle. We feel that this work contributes to the empowerment of all employees at our company, and so we remain proudly committed to our efforts.
Management Approach
High-level oversight of American's diversity and inclusion initiatives takes place within our Diversity Advisory Council. This body is composed of representatives from 17 Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), and draws upon diverse perspectives to help inform business decisions, policies and education initiatives at American. ERGs are employee-led, grassroots organizations, fostering interaction and engagement on a number of social and cultural issues. We consider these to be the building blocks of inclusivity, expression and thought leadership at our company.
Our Diversity Advocates also represent an indispensable company resource, as the go-to people for guidance on navigating diversity and inclusion issues that may arise in the workplace and marketplace. These dedicated individuals help facilitate the integration of employees coming from diverse cultural backgrounds — an ever-important service as our global business network grows.
Diversity Performance In 2011
Employee Age Groups Within Our Domestic Workforce (81,303 total domestic employees)
Age < 30 = 4,744 (6 percent)
Age 30 - 50 = 42,177 (52 percent)
Age > 50 = 34,382 (42 percent)
Gender Composition Within Our Domestic Workforce (81,303 total domestic employees)
Male = 49,574 (61 percent)
Female = 31,729 (39 percent)
Ethnic Composition Of Our Domestic Workforce* (81,303 total domestic employees)
- 34 percent Ethnic Minority
- 12 percent African American/Black
- 15 percent Hispanic/Latino
- 5 percent Asian
- 1 percent American Indian/Alaskan Native
- 1 percent All Other (two or more races, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander)
*Ethnicity is tracked in the United States only, as the collection of diversity information is often prohibited by law in other countries.
Diversity Award Recognizes American Employees
American Airlines employees Lynette John-Finn, a training instructor in Cary, North Carolina, Mike Navarro, Director of Employee Safety in Miami, Florida, and Bruce Sickler, a Reservation Representative in Fort Worth, Texas, were awarded the third annual Earl G. Graves Award for Leadership. This award recognizes their work in advancing diversity and inclusion at American Airlines.
The award was established to honor Earl. G. Graves, Sr., founder and publisher of Black Enterprise Magazine. He influenced many of American's diversity initiatives during his 13 years on AMR's Board of Directors and helped establish a practical, business-minded approach to diversity, demonstrating that diversity efforts are integral to business goals.
Award candidates are nominated by fellow employees and then chosen by a selection committee composed of senior management and members of the Diversity Advisory Council. Selection criteria include:
- Long-term commitment to leadership
- Demonstrated passion and commitment to diversity and inclusion
- Legacy of leadership in diversity by having a lasting impact on the company and community
Roger T. Staubach, AMR Board Diversity Committee Chairman; Bruce Sickler, AA.Com Res Rep, Southern Reservations Office; Lynette John-Finn, Instructor, Southeastern Reservations Office; Mike Navarro, Director of Employee Safety - Miami; Gerard J. Arpey, former Chairman and CEO
John-Finn, Navarro and Sickler were selected from an impressive list of nominees for their continuous commitment to the company's diversity mission and for their ability to incorporate diversity into American's daily operations through their personal spheres of influence.
A video of the awards ceremony is available online.
Establishing An Even Playing Field
In 2011, we launched the Officers' Insight Initiative, a program designed to establish closer and more frequent contact between American's senior leaders and the rest of
our employees. Through this initiative, American's Leadership Team can often be found making appearances in our dining facilities and other public spaces to meet and converse with employees in an open forum. The success of this program in 2011 has been evident both in terms of its general popularity, and in its capacity to create informal and open communication between senior leaders and management and non-management employees in corporate environments.
Respecting And Valuing Coworkers
Maintaining a positive, non-discriminatory work environment is essential for the well-being and cohesiveness of our workforce. Our continued action on this front produced several significant training and guidance documents in 2011 including:
- Value Respect 3.0 - A training initiative focused on non-discrimination efforts, inclusion and policies at American Airlines and American Eagle. This is offered as an in-person learning map experience as well as an online module.
- Non-discrimination policy - A recent whitepaper detailing American's management approach, training, counseling and investigation mechanisms associated with hate-related behavior.
