Valuing Our Employees and Communities

At Gulf Island, our fundamental strength lies in our talented workforce, which sees our projects from concept to completion. We are committed to continuously providing an inclusive and secure work environment where all of our employees are valued, respected, and successful, which helps contribute to the Company’s success. We will continue to promote honesty and integrity in all interactions with our employees and actively support the communities in which we operate with our time and resources. We continuously invest in employee training on safety, harassment, diversity and inclusion, environmental awareness, hazardous waste management and minimization, leadership, technical skills, and communication and other soft skills. Training is administered through various methods, including face-to-face presentations and discussions, computer-based, and third-party delivery. We appreciate the ongoing efforts of our employees and their commitment to enhancing the quality of life in our local communities.

Employee Recruitment, Engagement and Retention

We strive to attract, develop, and retain a highly qualified workforce, as we recognize that our future success is a direct result of their efforts. As such, we provide attractive compensation and a comprehensive benefits program, as well as a positive work environment designed to drive a culture of safety and innovation. We present employees with a complete summary of their benefits at the time of employment.

We conducted annual employee benefits surveys in 2023 and 2022 to better understand how our employees value our various benefit programs. The feedback from employees highlighted a desire for additional medical plan options, a preference for communication via smartphones and email, and increased education regarding health and wellness and long-term care. As a result, we incorporated a high-deductible health plan option and health savings account option in our benefit program offerings for 2023 and 2022, along with an identity theft benefit offering. Furthermore, in our 2024 benefit program, we introduced health and wellness incentives and expanded education opportunities.

Throughout 2023 and 2022, we incorporated employee feedback into our training and safety programs. The feedback was collected through our annual employee satisfaction and safety culture surveys, which provided employee perspectives on working for the Company and their suggestions for improvements.

Diversity and Inclusion

We focus on promoting diversity and inclusion in our workplace and seek to attract and develop top talent to continue building our unique culture. We leverage multiple platforms to expand our reach for diverse talent and use recruiting sites focused on veterans and individuals with disabilities. During 2023, we also began tracking our annual spending with veteran and minority-owned vendors in connection with our diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. As an equal opportunity employer, our policies and practices support diversity of gender, race, ethnicity, thought, perspective, sexual orientation, culture, and professional experience, among others. We declare as a matter of policy that there shall be no unlawful discrimination among the entire body of employees or applicants for employment based on physical or other conditions.

At December 31, 2023, approximately 54% of our workforce were women or minorities. During each of 2023 and 2022, we conducted our annual leadership workshop for approximately 150 front-line leaders. The workshop consisted of, among other things, a two-day interactive training on communication skills, mental health awareness, leading the “younger generations” and prevention of sexual harassment.

Our commitment to diversity extends across every division and discipline, right up to our Board of Directors, which has approved a policy of promoting diversity within the Board. The policy requires the Board’s Nominating and Governance Committee to interview at least one candidate who would increase the diversity of the Board with respect to gender, race, sexual orientation, or disability when filling any vacancy on the Board, including an increase in the size of the Board.

Human Rights and Capital

Gulf Island’s strength lies in its talented workforce, who see our projects from concept to completion. From the board room to the drafting board, the shop to the loading dock, we call this The Team Approach. No matter the size or scope, each of our projects is embraced by a motivated team of professional project managers and craft personnel working together to produce the highest-quality product.

We want to positively contribute to every community where we have employees, customers and suppliers. We want to make sure that all of our stakeholders are treated the same way we want to be treated. As such, we do not tolerate harassment in the workplace, including sexual harassment and bullying. We support and protect the rights of minority groups and women and advocate for equality regardless of race or gender. We prohibit any form of discrimination and we respect employee privacy. In addition, we have a strict policy against and do not tolerate child labor, forced labor or human trafficking. Finally, we provide fair wages and benefits in compliance with federal laws.

We respect the land, culture, history, and customs of Indigenous peoples. We do not currently operate or conduct business on any lands of Indigenous peoples, nor do we have any net proved or probable reserves. Should our operations or business activities coincide with lands of Indigenous peoples or other culturally significant areas, we will work to comply with all appropriate rules, regulations, and laws.

Philanthropy and Community Involvement

Over the last several years, our employees have participated in various community activities, sharing their time and resources to help others. Some examples of such activities are

Junior Achievement – We are partnering with Junior Achievement in Houston sponsoring their pioneering Sales event and JA Company Program Trade Fair.  

Relay for Life – We partnered with Terrebonne Parish to raise funds for Relay for Life by selling lunches, t-shirts and luminary bags to memorialize loved ones. In 2023, we were the presenting sponsor for the Relay for Life of Terrebonne Parish event. We have also hosted an annual golf tournament since 2021, which benefits Relay for Life of Terrebonne Parish and supports the fight against cancer. All proceeds collected were donated to the American Cancer Society.

Hurricane Relief – When Hurricane Laura hit the Lake Charles and Jennings area of Louisiana, Gulf Island and our employees jumped into action, raising funds and volunteering to assist in clean-up activities and to provide essential items and warm meals for the impacted community.

Gulf Island Emergency Relief Fund

Following the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, we provided our employees and their families with essential personal items, food and water. Our fellow employees and business partner companies donated a portion of these goods. Additionally, in 2021 we partnered with the Employee Assistance Foundation, an industry leader in providing disaster relief in a time of need, to establish the “Gulf Island Emergency Relief Fund.” This partnership allows us to help our employees who have experienced significant losses due to unforeseen events like Hurricane Ida.

To make a tax-deductible donation to the Gulf Island Emergency Relief Fund, click here. All funds collected will assist eligible Gulf Island employees and their immediate families directly.