Pepco writes to Cheh on new Domestic Partner policy

pepco
A PHI Company

Thomas H. Graham
President
Pepco Region

701 Ninth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20068

March 14, 2007

The Honorable Mary H. Cheh
Chairperson, Committee on Public Services and Consumer Affairs
Council of the District of Columbia
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20004

Dear Council Member Cheh:

Thank you for your letter of February 23, 2007, urging "Pepco to provide health insurance benefits so that domestic partners have the same benefits that married couples receive." This has been an issue Pepco Holdings, Inc. (PHI) has been studying for several months. As you can imagine, the challenge of developing any new benefit that applies not only to Pepco employees but spans our entire company in Maryland, District of Columbia, Virginia, Delaware and New Jersey is considerable. However, I am pleased to inform you that commencing July 1, 2007, PHI will provide Domestic Partner benefits to all active PHI employees who are in a "committed relationship" as defined by our policy.

Offering domestic partner benefits is consistent with PHI's stated commitment to respecting diversity, valuing all employees and being an employer of choice, which may enhance our ability to recruit and retain the talent needed to meet our business goals. Providing such benefits to all employees will underscore PHI’s commitment to prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, race, gender, age, religion, ethnicity and disabilities.

Thank you again for sharing your thoughts on this issue with me. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call me directly at (202) 872-3251.

Sincerely,

(signed)

Thomas Graham

cc: Mr. Craig Howell, GLAA
Mr. Vincent B. Orange, Pepco