LAUSANNE, Switzerland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mar. 4, 2019--
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/
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190304005585/en/
Source: Philip Morris International
Philip Morris International
Lisa McCooey
Philip Morris
International Media Office
T. +41 (0) 79 253 6142
Lisa.McCooey@pmi.com