American Express Annual Report 2000: Workplace Quality


		CONSOLIDATED HIGHLIGHTS

		FINANCIAL RESULTS

		BUSINESS RESULTS

		WORKPLACE QUALITY

		BOARD CHANGES

		OUR CHALLENGES FOR 2001

		A FOUNDATION FOR FUTURE GROWTH

		TRIBUTE TO HARVEY GOLUB

		PROXY STATEMENT

WORKPLACE QUALITY

While our business was strong, we realize that an important factor for any company - particularly a service company - is the quality of its people. We have a strong, motivated management team and a talented group of employees. We continue to measure how well we are meeting their needs through an annual survey, which was initiated in 1989. In 2000, more than 77,000 employees and financial advisors in more than 50 countries responded to the survey, which was administered in 23 languages. Six of the 12 dimensions we measure were at world-class levels of 75 percent favorable or better, with the "employee satisfaction" and "customers" dimensions reaching 80 percent. And our worldwide response rate of 86 percent - up from 80 percent last year - also exceeded world-class levels.

As part of our workplace quality efforts in 2000, we created the American Express Great Citizen Awards to coincide with the celebration of our 150th anniversary. Through this special, one-time program, we honored 150 employees from around the world whose exemplary volunteer efforts embody one of our key values: "being good citizens in the communities in which we live and work." Each of the Great Citizen Award recipients designated an eligible local charity to which the American Express Philanthropic Program made a $1,500 grant in the honoree's name.

In addition to being recognized by Fortune magazine in its annual listing of the "100 Best Companies to Work For," American Express also was recognized as a leading employer by magazines as diverse as Working Mother, The Advocate, Superonda and Minority MBA.

During 2000, we continued to be recognized as a leading employer by publications as diverse as Fortune - where we ranked among its "100 Best Companies to Work For" - The Advocate, Hispanic, LatinaStyle, Minority MBA, Money, SmartMoney and Working Mother. More recently, the company received similar recognition outside the United States; The Globe and Mail in Canada and The Sunday Times of London listed the company among the best places to work in those markets.

In addition, American Express was named a Catalyst Award winner in January 2001. Catalyst, a U.S. nonprofit research and advisory group, honors a few select companies each year that have demonstrated innovative and successful initiatives to address recruitment, development and advancement of women in the workplace.

Separately, we were listed among Fortune's "America's Most Admired Companies," ranking number one in our industry for the fourth year in a row. While recognition of this sort is always gratifying, it is also helpful in several more concrete ways. It aids our ongoing efforts to recruit high performers into our workforce, while broadening the public's awareness of American Express as an employer of choice. It also enhances the way our employees feel about the company and the work they do.

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