Diversity
For the Company and the Group, diversity means a workforce reflective of different genders, generations, cultures, professional experiences, nationalities, race, origins and all the other unique differences that make each employee individual.
To support this, Eurofins is committed to encouraging the leaders of all Group companies to create an understanding and supportive workplace environment in which all individuals feel heard and respected, and where they can realise their personal potential regardless of their sex, age, race, colour, religion, origin and disability.
At Eurofins, we believe that equality for all of our employees makes us stronger together and drives excellence in our business.
As a diverse organisation spreading across 62 countries with ca. 62,000 employees throughout the world, we set the advancement of equality as a priority in all aspects of our business. Seeing the imperative both from a social and business standpoint, Eurofins launched the Eurofins Equality Driving Excellence. To drive this initiative an executive sponsorship was set up to lead and hire dedicated resources to progress the programme globally. A dedicated global Equality Ambassador Council, nominated by senior business unit leaders, works in collaboration with business leadership and HR business partners globally to drive equality, celebrate diversity and foster inclusion across Eurofins. The Council’s main objective is to not only ensure compliance with the Eurofins Group Equal Opportunities and Fair Employment Policy, but also to expand, embrace, and celebrate Eurofins’ diversity culture. Realising that there are many forms of equality, the Council has prioritised gender equality as its first social action.
Eurofins is aligning and calibrating its endeavours, using the Women’s Empowerment Principles established by UN Women and the United Nations Global Compact as guidance.
Eurofins currently has an excellent balance of male and female employees with about 55% of our workforce female. Believing in the strength, innovation, and business performance gained through equality, empowering our female leaders is a priority at Eurofins. Women currently account for over 40% of all leaders (at any level of leadership, from entry level leader with at least one direct report up to GOC level).
Eurofins’ Board of Directors is currently composed of four women and four men (50% women), of which five are independent non-executive directors. The Board of Directors diversity not only relates to gender, but also to the experience and nationality of its members. As laid out in our Group Code of Ethics, Eurofins is supporting equal opportunities and diversity. In most of its laboratories, women make up the majority of the workforce. In many entities, workers must sign a commitment to anti-discrimination as part of their employment contract.
Targeted recruitment to attract both equally qualified female and male candidates is in place and will help improve our gender equality further with regard to external recruitment.
The Eurofins Group Equal Opportunities and Fair Employment Policy reinforces Eurofins’ stance towards Equal Opportunities and Fair Employment for all diversity: “We value all of our people for their contributions to our business. The relationships with and between them must be respectful, honest, safe, and professional.”