Accelerating gender equality at Boehringer Ingelheim

At Boehringer Ingelheim, we strive to create an environment where everyone can thrive and reach their full potential. Our Leitbild mission statement and sustainable development for generations strategy serve as guideposts, inspiring us to break down barriers and foster a workplace that builds on the collective power of our people, communities, and partners.

We value the richness that diversity brings and recognise the fundamental importance of gender equity. It is a cornerstone of a truly inclusive and fair environment. That is why we continuously evaluate and enhance our practices and processes to promote greater gender equity at every level.

In our pursuit of fairness, we want to make it clear that our reward and compensation strategy is designed to ensure equitable and appropriate remuneration for all individuals, regardless of gender. We value and recognise the unique contributions that each person brings to our organisation, valuing them based on their work quality, skills, and performance. As part of our commitment, we offer a comprehensive suite of benefits that supports and enhances the wellbeing of our entire workforce.

Our passion for fostering a people-first approach has been recognised globally, as we are proud to be acknowledged as a best-in-class employer for four consecutive years by the TOP Employers Institute. This recognition fuels our determination to continue our pursuit of gender equity.

Workplace Gender Equality Agency Report

As we reflect on the insights provided by the WGEA report on gender pay gap at Boehringer Australia, we understand that there is still work to be done. The report highlights a median total remuneration gender pay gap of 11.4%, surpassing our industry comparison group's 4.7%. While we are above the industry average, we remain below the WGEA Australian national average of 21.7%, aligning closely with the ABS national gender pay gap of 13%.

Digging deeper, we recognise that a disparity persists in the breakdown of gender composition by pay quartile. Currently, 52% of male employees occupy higher-paying senior roles, compared to their 48% female counterparts. Although we have made strides towards pay equity in similar roles, men's average wages across the cohort still remain higher, amplifying the pay gap.

These findings underscore a snapshot of transformation within our operations. Factors such as variances in salary bands influenced by the sale of our duboisia plantation farms, predominantly staffed by male workers compensated at lower rates, and the promotion of highly paid female leaders to key regional or global roles within the Boehringer Ingelheim family, but outside Australia, have impacted gender pay dynamics. Additionally, challenges with retaining highly paid female talent as they explore new opportunities have further contributed to the complex landscape.

Moving forward, we are committed to accelerating our progress towards full gender equity. We have recently implemented important initiatives that we believe will foster greater gender equity in our workplace. Our paid parental leave policy has been reviewed and enhanced to offer 16 weeks of paid parental leave for all employees, regardless of gender, identity or caregiver status. We have also re-ignited our Boehringer Belong employee resource group dedicated to raising awareness of the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion, the impact of bias on our behaviours, and the collective accountability we hold.

We acknowledge that our journey towards gender equity is ongoing, and we are determined to go further.