Novartis continues to take concrete measures to advance pay equity and transparency companywide. In 2018, we were proud to join the United Nations’ Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC). Novartis made four commitments, which we believe will positively impact our overall pay gap, set an example for other organizations to follow, and demonstrate leadership in driving change in society more broadly. Specifically, we pledged to:
1. Monitor pay equity with global consistency
We will conduct regular gender pay equity analyses and remediate annually as appropriate. In the US, such pay analyses have been performed for several years, including not only for gender, but also for race and ethnicity.
2. Remove bias from the system
In 2017, we eliminated the use of historical salary data in the US when making internal and external job offers. We will continue to focus on an objective assessment of a candidate’s relevant experience, education and competency against internal and external benchmarking data to remove possible bias.
3. Create pay transparency
We will share with our associates their pay as compared to external (where available) and/or internal benchmarks. Novartis is committed to ensuring pay transparency for all associates.
4. Improve gender balance in management
An overall gender pay gap may result from, among other factors, unequal representation of one gender in traditionally higher paid skill sectors and/or senior leadership levels. By focusing on achieving gender balance in management by 2023, we aim to positively influence any overall gender pay gap.