LAUSANNE, Switzerland-Monday 4 March 2019 [ AETOS Wire ]
(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Philip
Morris International Inc. (PMI) (NYSE: PM) today becomes the first
international company to be certified globally for equal pay by the
independent third-party EQUAL-SALARY Foundation. The certification
confirms PMI’s commitment to equality and is an important building block
on the road to creating an inclusive, gender-balanced workplace. PMI
has placed inclusion and diversity at the core of its business strategy
as a key enabler for the company’s business transformation from a
traditional cigarette manufacturer to a science and technology-minded
company with a pipeline of innovative smoke-free products.
“The
global EQUAL-SALARY certification demonstrates the great amount of work
our colleagues across the world have accomplished in confirming equal
pay for equal work throughout PMI worldwide,” said André Calantzopoulos,
CEO of PMI. “We need to use this moment to celebrate and continue
building an inclusive, gender-balanced organization as we deliver upon
our transformation and a smoke-free future.”
The
EQUAL-SALARY certification methodology verifies that PMI pays all of
its employees, in more than 90 countries worldwide, equally for equal
work, regardless of gender. The EQUAL-SALARY process includes a
statistical analysis of all salaries of PMI staff worldwide and onsite
audits of PMI country affiliates by PWC, the foundation’s entrusted
third-party auditor. The auditors talk to management to confirm their
commitment to gender pay equality, hold focus groups with employees to
understand their perception of that commitment, and review HR-related
policies and practices to identify gender bias, recommending corrective
actions as needed. This rigorous process spanned the course
of 18 months, involving input and commitment from top down and bottom
up, demonstrating the company’s commitment to equality.
“By
its global character, the certification of Philip Morris International
is a major step for pay equality between women and men,” said Véronique
Goy Veenhuys, founder and CEO of the EQUAL-SALARY Foundation. “That a
leading Fortune 500 company makes such a commitment is a strong signal.
We are proud of the international scale that PMI’s global certification
gives to our cause.”
The
accreditation of PMI’s global EQUAL-SALARY certification kicks off a
dedicated week of activities, the “Week of Women,” culminating in an
immersive day of discussion and learning on International Women’s Day
(Friday, March 8) that will center on everyone having their “fair
share.” The company-hosted Fair Share communications conference aims to
help male employees become gender bilingual and to break down any wall
that can exist between colleagues. PMI will also share stories of
inspiring women from across the globe throughout the week in a drive to
elevate female role models at the company. There are events and
networking opportunities planned for the women and men of PMI, all
focused on celebrating the benefits of inclusion and diversity. Read
more at www.pmi.com/inclusionanddiversity.
NOTES TO EDITOR
Philip Morris International: Building a Smoke-Free Future
Philip
Morris International (PMI) is leading a transformation in the tobacco
industry to create a smoke-free future and ultimately replace cigarettes
with smoke-free products to the benefit of adults who would otherwise
continue to smoke, society, the company and its shareholders. PMI is a
leading international tobacco company engaged in the manufacture and
sale of cigarettes, smoke-free products and associated electronic
devices and accessories, and other nicotine-containing products in
markets outside the U.S. PMI is building a future on a new category of
smoke-free products that, while not risk-free, are a much better choice
than continuing to smoke. Through multidisciplinary capabilities in
product development, state-of-the-art facilities and scientific
substantiation, PMI aims to ensure that its smoke-free products meet
adult consumer preferences and rigorous regulatory requirements. PMI's
smoke-free IQOS product portfolio includes heated tobacco and
nicotine-containing vapor products. As of Dec. 31, 2018, PMI estimates
that approximately 6.6 million adult smokers around the world have
already stopped smoking and switched to PMI’s heated tobacco product,
which is currently available for sale in 44 markets in key cities or
nationwide under the IQOS brand. For more information, see our PMI and PMIScience websites.
EQUAL SALARY Foundation
The
EQUAL-SALARY Foundation is an independent non-profit foundation whose
objective is to provide companies with a label certifying equal pay for
female and male employees. Developed in 2005 in collaboration with the
University of Geneva, the EQUAL-SALARY certification was financially
supported by the Swiss Confederation through the Federal Office for
Gender Equality. Today, it offers companies an effective way to verify
their wage policy, thanks to a statistical analysis combined with a
qualitative audit. This procedure provides an impartial evaluation
system and proposes, if necessary, ways of improving to achieve the
objective of equal treatment for women and men in terms of pay and, by
extension, a balance in recruitment and promotion practices. For more
information about EQUAL-SALARY Foundation, visit: https://www.equalsalary.org/
Contacts
Philip Morris International
Lisa McCooey
Philip Morris International Media Office
T. +41 (0) 79 253 6142
Lisa.McCooey@pmi.com
