Diversity and Equal Opportunities at Bayer

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Diversity and EqualOpportunities at Bayer

• 15th Bayer European Forum August/September 2006

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Bayer
EUROPA FORUM
MARKET
BeforeMAASTRICHT(1993)
ECONOMY
SOCIALPOLICY
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Bayer
EUROPA FORUM
SOCIAL
FromLISBON(2000)
ECONOMY
EMPLOYMENT
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Bayer
EUROPA FORUM

• Report
• The enlargement of the Bayer European Forum to
  include the new Member States of the EU makes
  diversity no longer an objective, but a reality.
• The age structure at Bayer will be upset between
  2010 and 2015, with demographic change and active
  ageing.
• The revival of the Lisbon strategy in particular
  aims at improving access to employment and at
  encouraging training facilities.
• In the European chemical industry, the EMCEF
  (European Mining and Chemical Energy Federation)
  and the ECEG (European Chemical Employers group)
  has adopted a joint position on vocational and
  lifelong training.

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Bayer
EUROPA FORUM

• Starting point
• Minutes of the 14th European Forum
• The subject of equal opportunities and diversity
  at Bayerwas to be dealt by the Joint Committee.
• Working Group
• Irène Gorrebeeck.
• Inga Rudschinski.
• François Vergne.
• Co-Contributors
• Dagmar Diergarten (Bayer AG HRO).
• Berenice Hantson (Bayer Antwerp).
• Diana Kamyk (BCBS Pittsburgh).

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Bayer
EUROPA FORUM

• Goal
• Establish a framework under which all employees
  at Bayer will be able to contribute and develop
  their full performance potential.
• Achieve equal opportunities and create an
  inclusive environment for all employees at Bayer
  regardless of their gender, origin, beliefs,
  disability, age, or other factors.
• Short-term goal enhance equal opportunities for
  employees within current workforce structure.

• Target groups
• In practice we agreed to focus on specific target
  groups to start with
• Equal opportunities for women and men at Bayer.
• Treatment of older employees at Bayer.

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Bayer
EUROPA FORUM

• Challenges arising from demographic ageing
• Confronted with competition, Bayer must attract
  more younger employees and high potentials.
• Our innovative potential and our competitiveness
  tomorrow depend on our success in passing on the
  know-how of todays 40-50 year olds.
• The increasing proportion of older workers
  compels us to adapt their motivation and working
  conditions.
• In case of reorganization we will have to address
  the problem of the reduced flexibility of
  companies and employees regarding early
  retirement. We need to find solutions to maintain
  flexibility and we have to develop creative
  alternatives and solutions to the social
  consequences of possible restructuring.
• In the future certain pension systems (companies
  or individual) will become more important. We
  will have to ensure viable financing models.

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Bayer
EUROPA FORUM

• Fields of action Policies
• Group-wide principles on diversity and equal
  opportunities incorporated in
• Values and Leadership Principles.
• Corporate Compliance Programme.
• Several examples of policies at local level
• Germany.
• Belgium.
• France.
• United Kingdom.
• But nothing at European level
• Possible approachDiversity Declaration of the
  Bayer European Forum

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Bayer
EUROPA FORUM

• Fields of action Tools and Measures
• At the local level, we listed about fifteen
  measures in the fields of
• Promoting equal opportunities for men and women
  at Bayer.
• Tackling the challenges of demographic ageing.
• Possible idea for European Forum Diversity
  Toolbox to share best practice from all European
  countries

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Bayer
EUROPA FORUM

• Fields of action Awareness
• The issue of Diversity is not new at Bayer.
  Many realisations but not well communicated to
  the employees or the management.
• So far no exchange between the European countries
  (networking).
• In planning
• Intranet presentation on Equal Opportunities
  Diversity topics (D)
• Statement on equal opportunities to be included
  in job postings (B)
• Values and Leadership Principles already
  incorporated into general management training -
  but no specific focus on diversity and equal
  opportunities.
• Possible further ideas
• Chapter on diversity issues in Sustainable
  Development Report
• Diversity success story on BNC
• Posters to increase awareness
• Diversity brochure (e.g. as download on Intranet
  page)
• Topical discussion rounds

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Bayer
EUROPA FORUM

• Fields of action Monitoring
• Workforce demographics, e.g.
• Percentage of women in the workforce (D 20).
• Percentage of women in management (D13.4).
• Percentage of women in top management (Group
  approx. 4).
• Age structure (D Ø age 40.8).
• Comparison to structure of labour market and
  possibly benchmark companies.
• Analysis of applications received compared to
  employees hired.
• E.g. Managerial Staff Survey.
• Possible approach to further analysisevaluation
  by gender and age

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Bayer
EUROPA FORUM

• For approval by the 15th European Forum
• Report and evaluation European working group on
  Diversity and Equal Opportunities at Bayer.
• Approval of a declaration on Diversity and Equal
  Opportunities at Bayer in Europe.
• Continuation of the work of the Joint Committee,
  concentrating on 2 target groups
• Men and women (gender).
• 45-plus.
• The drafting of a Diversity Toolkit with
  examples of best practices in Europe for both
  target groups.
• Examine further need for research
• Where are we now?
• Where do we need action?
• Cross-border consultation to be continued.