Rochester-based ESL Federal Credit Union ranked 50th among 100 large companies on Fortune and Great Place to Work’s 2026 Best Workplaces for Women list.
The credit union said women make up 64% of its workforce and 69% of its supervisors, and received 66% of its promotions in 2026.
ESL announced the ranking Wednesday. It was the third Great Place to Work list to include the credit union this year, following financial services and insurance earlier in October and workplaces in New York State in June.
The credit union employs more than 1,000 people in the Greater Rochester and Finger Lakes region. Companies with at least 1,000 employees are considered for the ranking’s large-company category.
Ranking draws on women’s workplace experiences
Great Place to Work bases the list on confidential employee feedback and company information about workforce size, industry and demographics. Its Trust Index survey asks employees about trust, respect, fairness, pride and their experience working with colleagues.
For the women’s ranking, the organization analyzes self-identified women’s responses, compares them with those of their peers and considers how experiences vary across demographic groups and positions within a company.
To qualify, companies must be Great Place to Work certified, employ at least 50 women, have women in at least 20% of non-executive management positions and have at least one woman in a C-suite role.
Great Place to Work said more than 640,000 women at eligible employers provided responses used to select the 2026 list.
Other New York-based employers recognized on the list include Wegmans in the large-company category and First American Equipment Finance in the small and medium-sized category, ESL noted.
ESL reports workforce and regional growth
Maureen Wolfe, ESL’s executive vice president and chief administrative officer, said the recognition reflected the company’s investment in employees as it grows. She said ESL aims to give women support, resources and opportunities throughout their careers.
Great Place to Work’s ESL company profile, updated in April 2026, reports that 92% of ESL employees overall say it is a great place to work. The profile compares that with 57% of employees at a typical U.S.-based company, citing the organization’s 2021 Global Employee Engagement Study for the benchmark.
Founded in 1920, ESL serves more than 465,000 members and 18,800 businesses through a 33-branch network, according to its announcement. It also offers telephone, mobile and online banking and a live chat center.
The credit union reported more than $10.8 billion in assets. Its services include personal and business banking, mortgages and wealth management.
ESL said it has paid members more than $350 million through 30 consecutive years of Owners’ Dividends since 1996. It also reported more than $182 million in community grants through its Community Impact initiative, which began in 2018.
The credit union, headquartered at 225 Chestnut St. in Rochester, has appeared on Great Place to Work lists since 2010.
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