U.S. Businesses of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, Named a 'Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion'

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Jul 11, 2023, 09:11 ET

Company scored 100 on the "Disability Equality Index" as a second-time applicant
Recognized for culture, leadership, and community engagement, among other key measures
Company offers initiatives, projects, Employee Resource Groups, focused on inclusion, accessibility, and mental well-being

DARMSTADT, Germany, July 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, a leading science and technology company, today announced that its U.S. businesses have been named a "Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion" by the Disability Equality Index^® (DEI), recognized as the most comprehensive benchmarking tool for the Fortune 1000 and Am Law 200¹ to measure disability workplace inclusion against competitors. The businesses of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, operate in the U.S and Canada as MilliporeSigma, EMD Serono, and EMD Electronics, employing approximately 15,000 people and operating 74 sites and manufacturing facilities.

Pictured left to right: Adrienne Dawson, Head of DE&I, North America, and Eric Reyes, DE&I Relationship and Program Manager for North America and Latin America, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. Reyes is also a founding member of the employee resource group, I'M Able, a network that supports and fosters unity and empowerment for individuals with disabilities, both visible and invisible, alongside their allies.

"In the U.S., the businesses of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, aim to lead, not follow. We continuously challenge the status quo so that we may raise the bar – for our business, our customers, and most importantly, our people. We are strongly committed to moving the needle and achieving our diversity, equity, and inclusion aspirations with a workplace where all can belong, grow, and thrive," said Renee Connolly, Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer, supporting the businesses of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. "Every day, we are working to continually infuse accessibility across our value chain and throughout our facilities so that we can create an environment where all can bring their best selves to work and contribute to our joint success. That is why we are immensely proud to have been recognized as a 'Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion'."

In the U.S., the businesses of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, offer 30+ programs and projects, including Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), focused on disability inclusion. In just the last year, the U.S. businesses launched a mental well-being program called "Colleagues Supporting Colleagues," which is currently serving more than 600 employees nationwide, giving people unique access to support and resources to ensure positive mental well-being in and outside of the workplace. The businesses also launched a new ERG, focused on neurodiversity, a community that encourages different ways of thinking, and empowering colleagues to be role models while increasing representation.

The 2023 DEI measured: Culture & Leadership; Enterprise-Wide Access; Employment Practices (Benefits, Recruitment, Employment, Education, Retention & Advancement, Accommodations); Community Engagement; Supplier Diversity; Non-U.S. Operations (non-weighted). The U.S. businesses of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, received the top score of 100.

¹ America's top 200 revenue-grossing law firms.

About the Disability Equality Index

The Disability Equality Index (DEI) is a comprehensive benchmarking tool that helps companies build a roadmap of measurable, tangible actions that they can take to achieve disability inclusion and equality. Each company receives a score, on a scale of zero (0) to 100, with those earning 80 and above recognized as a "Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion".

The DEI is a joint initiative of the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), the nation's largest disability rights organization, and Disability:IN, the global business disability inclusion network, to collectively advance the inclusion of people with disabilities. The organizations are complimentary and bring unique strengths that make the project relevant and credible to corporations and the disability community. The tool was developed by the DEI Advisory Committee, a diverse group of business leaders, policy experts, and disability advocates. Learn more at: www.DisabilityEqualityIndex.org.

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About Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, a leading science and technology company, operates across life science, healthcare and electronics. More than 64,000 employees work to make a positive difference to millions of people's lives every day by creating more joyful and sustainable ways to live. From providing products and services that accelerate drug development and manufacturing as well as discovering unique ways to treat the most challenging diseases to enabling the intelligence of devices – the company is everywhere. In 2022, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, generated sales of € 22.2 billion in 66 countries.

The company holds the global rights to the name and trademark "Merck" internationally. The only exceptions are the United States and Canada, where the business sectors of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, operate as MilliporeSigma in life science, EMD Serono in healthcare and EMD Electronics in electronics. Since its founding in 1668, scientific exploration and responsible entrepreneurship have been key to the company's technological and scientific advances. To this day, the founding family remains the majority owner of the publicly listed company.

SOURCE Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany