Meeting of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
"Employment Discrimination in the Aftermath of September 11"
December 11, 2001

Remarks of Betsy Bosak
Director, Affirmative Action, Diversity and Employee Relations
TRW Space & Electronics

Thank you for inviting me to speak regarding the steps TRW took in the wake of the attack on America. TRW has a long history of being a progressive employer. It is a key part of our strategy to recruit the talent we need to be successful. Our commitment to diversity is well established, and we were able to utilize our employee network groups to address many of the concerns that arose internally in the weeks following the September 11^th incident.

Shortly after the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, D.C., many Muslims and Sikhs throughout the United States were being harassed and some even physically attacked as people vented their anger. To ensure our employees were safe, we placed calls to some of our Muslim employees to discuss TRW's commitment to a harassment free workplace. We then asked them to speak with other Muslim employees throughout the company to reassure them that if they experienced any type of harassment they should contact our diversity office and we would act quickly to remedy the situation.

As a reflection of our commitment, Dave Cote, TRW Chairman, President and CEO expressed TRW's sympathy regarding the attacks in a company-wide posting on the intranet in which he said:

"Our thoughts are with the victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks and their loved ones. This is a most difficult time, but the courage of those who are helping the rescue efforts as well as the outpouring of sympathy and support received from people everywhere remind us that the human spirit is alive and well. Together we can overcome any obstacle."

To help employees deal with these attacks, the company quickly took the following actions:

• Created a Web site titled TRW Unityto post important and relevant TRW information and announcements; listed resources and numerous volunteer opportunities and charities; as well as employees' personal stories related to the September 11 Attack Against America.
• Hosted an employee panel presentation about the Islam, Sikh, Hindu and Buddhist religions. The session originated in Redondo Beach and was audio-conferenced throughout the country to TRW sites at Rancho Carmel, Calif.; Washington, D.C.; Warner Robbins, Ga.; Dayton, Ohio; Oklahoma City, Okla.; Cambridge, Mass., and White Sands, N.M. The purpose of the panel was to raise awareness of the values, beliefs and customs for each of the religions represented and to provide valuable information so employees could better assess information being broadcast by the media.
• Held noontime seminars hosted by the Employee Assistance Program to allow employees to discuss their feelings and to help alleviate some of their personal stress from the tragedy.
• Held a moment of silence on September 14^th in remembrance of those who lost their lives.
• Posted flags at the entrance of every TRW Space & Electronics building.
• Increased physical security around many of our domestic facilities by reducing vehicular entries; increasing security patrols; searching bags, parcels and containers of all visitors; and establishing a hotline for employees to report anything they believed might compromise security or safety. In addition, once the fear of anthrax in the mail arose, TRW distributed information regarding what employees should do if they were concerned about suspicious mail or packages received at work or at home. The announcement also advised employees of the appropriate steps to take if they came in contact with a biohazard of any kind.
• Developed special procedures and trained all mailroom personnel to ensure their safety in this time of crisis.

Furthermore, the company identified a number of ways that employees could personally help the victims. Contributions by the company and employees to date total close to $1 million. These contributions arose through:

• A company donation of $400,000 to the Red Cross and the September 11 fund.
• The company went on to match the first $200,000 of employee contributions to the American Red Cross
• Two TRW Presidents and Chief Executives personally matched TRW employee Red Cross donations to a total of $10,000 each.
• One poignant story was an employee's contribution of $615 that came with a note indicating that his family had just received its IRS refund for $600, which the family had planned to use to purchase a new home computer. He wrote: "…we are an average middle class family with four children. When tragedy struck on September 11^th, it was a very easy decision to donate our money. The extra $15 is from our wonderful children…"
• Employees at our facility in Northern Virginia were offered a special vacation cash-out donation program, which made it easy for them to donate the value of their accrued vacation to the American Red Cross. TRW is matching up to $200,000.
• An employee raffle for a toy fire truck raised $600 for HEROES, Inc., an organization that assists widows and children of law enforcement officers and fire fighters who gave their lives in the line of duty.
• Employees raised money through bake sales and other efforts to purchase food for the recovery efforts at the Pentagon and to donate to the Red Cross.
• Blood drives were sponsored and supported throughout the country at numerous TRW locations.

As you can see we at TRW took a number of timely actions to address employee concerns and fears in light of the attacks of September 11^th. Our response has been noteworthy not only in support of our employees but in the money raised for the victims of the disaster.

In conclusion, I would again like to quote our CEO, Dave Cote, who in a Webcast to all employees on Sept. 19, said:

"This attack on America and the civilized world will change us, but we will become stronger. All of us can help. We can help by not living in fear; by recognizing the civilized world will not tolerate these outrages; by supporting our governments, and particularly the U.S. Government, as they work to prevent these atrocities."

We are committed to support you, and the rest of the government, in every way we can.

This page was last modified on December 14, 2001.

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