ARTICLE

What Women’s Equality Day Means to Us

August 26, 2020 | 3 min Read


Today, UnitedHealth Group and our UnitedHealthcare and Optum businesses are celebrating Women’s Equality Day. The celebration commemorates the day a century ago when women won the right to vote under the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution.

This day marks a historical turning point in the fight for equal treatment of women. However, it’s worth noting that voting rights for people of color — especially women — wasn’t guaranteed until passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. 

Reflections on Women’s Equality

In the spirit of celebrating Women’s Equality Day, here are inspiring words from a few of the many women who contribute their talents to our organization. 


Join the Conversation #UnitedForEquality
 


Advancing Women’s Equality

UnitedHealth Group regularly reviews hiring, promotion and compensation practices and evaluates equity in several respects, including by gender, ethnicity and race. We openly and transparently shared information on employee demographics in our first-ever Sustainability Report.

73% of U.S. UnitedHealth Group employees are women  

Our most recent workforce review indicates there is no difference in pay between females and males performing similar work at similar levels. Also, 73% of U.S. UnitedHealth Group employees are women. View the data in detail.

While these metrics are a good starting point, we have some gaps, with only 36% of our top managers who are women. We’re committed to advancing equity to the next level as we focus on creating an even more diverse workforce that is reflective of the nation’s population, particularly among people in senior leadership roles.


“We can all do our part to ensure we have a culture that encourages women to speak up and share their perspectives. We can also embrace practices that amplify each other’s voices and lift each other up. While we sometimes succeed by adapting to an existing system, a more effective approach is to shift that system — to create change, making it more equitable and inclusive for everyone.”

– Karen Sachs, Chief Inclusion and Diversity Officer, UnitedHealth Group

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Our Sustainability Report

To openly and transparently share information about the company’s long-standing commitment to sustainability, UnitedHealth Group in July published its first Sustainability Report. The report highlights actions the company is taking to build a health system that works better for everyone and includes updates on its environmental, social and governance efforts. 

Learn More About Our Sustainability Efforts