Duke Energy : Forbes once again names Duke Energy one of America’s Best Employers

• Company's comprehensive benefits and inclusive culture set the company apart

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Forbes magazine has named Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK) to its 2019 list of America's Best Employers. Out of 500 companies ranked, Duke Energy moved up one spot to No. 105 and is the highest-ranking Charlotte-based employer.

'Our people are our power,' said Melissa Anderson, Duke Energy's executive vice president, administration and chief human resources officer. 'Every day, we strive to create a working environment where each employee is valued for their unique background and significant contributions.'

The ranking is determined by an independent, anonymous survey of more than 30,000 U.S. employees working for companies employing at least 1,000 people in their U.S. operations. Respondents are asked to respond on several work-related topics, including working conditions, salary, potential for development and company image.

Company performance highlights include:

• Fostering diversity and inclusion - A 20-year-old network of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) that work to address the needs of employees, communities and customers. The ERGs represent African Americans, Hispanics, women, people with disabilities, new employees, veterans and the LGBT community. Duke Energy's commitment to diversity and inclusion has received frequent recognition, including the 2018 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award, the highest honor the U.S. Department of Defense gives to companies for their outstanding support for employees who serve in the National Guard and Reserve.
• Valuing work-family balance - Duke Energy offers mothers and fathers fully paid parental leave - totaling six weeks - to allow for bonding, bolster work-family balance and help attract and retain highly skilled workers. Duke Energy's other family-focused employee benefits include a $5,000 reimbursement for costs associated with adopting a child, generous vacation time, paid sick leave, and paid time off to care for a sick or injured child, parent or other family member.
• Supporting our communities - Through the Duke Energy In Action program, the company sponsors volunteer projects for employees throughout the year and provides them with 10 paid hours to volunteer for a cause of their choice. Employees can also earn company donations through volunteerism and receive dollar-for-dollar matching donations to the cause of their choice from the Duke Energy Foundation.
• Focusing on safety - In 2018, Duke Energy maintained an industry-leading safety performance, with an employee Total Incident Case Rate (TICR) of 0.43.
• Investing in professional development - Through both formal training and knowledge transfer, the company invests in positioning employees for success. The Duke Energy Leadership Academy offers a variety of learning and development opportunities, including independent studies and facilitated programs to address the needs of each leadership level.

Duke Energy

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 125 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of the largest energy holding companies in the U.S. It employs 30,000 people and has an electric generating capacity of 51,000 megawatts through its regulated utilities and 3,000 megawatts through its nonregulated Duke Energy Renewables unit.

Duke Energy is transforming its customers' experience, modernizing the energy grid, generating cleaner energy and expanding natural gas infrastructure to create a smarter energy future for the people and communities it serves. The Electric Utilities and Infrastructure unit's regulated utilities serve approximately 7.7 million retail electric customers in six states - North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky. The Gas Utilities and Infrastructure unit distributes natural gas to more than 1.6 million customers in five states - North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The Duke Energy Renewables unit operates wind and solar generation facilities across the U.S., as well as energy storage and microgrid projects.

Duke Energy was named to Fortune's 2019 'World's Most Admired Companies' list and Forbes' 2019 'America's Best Employers' list. More information about the company is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos, videos and other materials. Duke Energy's illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

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