POWER OF ATTORNEY

The undersigned hereby constitutes and appoints Laura A. Coyne, Gregory S.
Konzal, Sara A. Martin, and each of them singly as true and lawful attorneys
with full power to them and each of them, to execute, on behalf of the
undersigned, in the capacity listed below, any and all statements or reports
under Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, with
respect to the beneficial ownership of reportable securities issued by John
Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund (HEQ) including,
without limitation, all initial statements of beneficial
ownership on Form 3, all statements of changes of beneficial ownership on
Form 4 and all annual statements of beneficial ownership on Form 5, and any
and all other documents that may be required, from time to time, to be filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission and any exchange upon which such
Funds are listed, to execute any and all amendments or supplements to any
such statements or forms, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto,
and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange
Commission and any exchange upon which such Funds are listed, granting to said
attorney, full power and authority to do so and perform each and every act and
thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully
to all intents and purposes as the undersigned might or could do in person,
hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys or any of them may
lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

This Power of Attorney shall remain in full force and effect until the earlier
of: (i) the undersigned is no longer required to file Forms 3, 4 and 5 with
respect to the undersigned's holdings of, and transactions in, securities
issued by the above listed issuers, (ii) the undersigned is no longer employed
by Wellington Management Company LLP or its affiliates, or (iii) the Power of
Attorney is revoked as to any attorney-in-fact by the undersigned in a signed
writing delivered to such attorney-in-fact.  In affixing his signature to this
Power of Attorney, the undersigned hereby revokes any and all previously
executed Powers of Attorney for the same or similar purposes.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has set his or her hand on this 13th day
of December, 2023.


/s/ Scott I. St. John
Name:  Scott I. St. John
Title: Senior Managing Director