Dubai: Philip Morris Management Services Middle East Ltd (PMMS ME) an affiliate of Philip Morris International (PMI), today announced that it has successfully obtained the “EQUAL-SALARY” label from the independent not-for-profit organisation, EQUAL-SALARY Foundation. As the company transforms to become a smoke-free technology leader in this rapidly-changing 21st century, it recognizes that diverse teams and an inclusive culture are needed to drive innovation and be successful. PMI and its affiliates worldwide are focused on this aspect of the transformation and committed to gender equality, emphasizing the role this plays as an enabler for PMI’s vision of a smoke-free world.
“At PMMS ME, diversity is at the top of our agenda. Diversity allows for a richer perspective on collective work and thought processes within working groups. It enables a more meaningful process on decision making, strategy creation, and achievement of our goals. Continual maintenance and enhancement of the diversity in our corporate culture makes great business sense and is a core part of our overall strategy as a business. A prerequisite to flourishing diversity is fairness and that’s why the Equal Salary Certification is a gratifying testament to our efforts. This is especially important in the UAE, given the recently launched vision of becoming one of the world’s top 25 countries for gender equality by 2021. We are naturally happy to receive this accreditation and it bolsters our resolve to continue to develop a workplace that offers one of the most basic, yet one of the most overlooked, needs of human beings: an equal opportunity across all diversity lines," said Mahdi Aslan, Director of People & Culture ME, PMMS ME.
The UAE has made significant efforts to improve and excel in terms of gender equality and is currently ranked first among GCC nations for overall female political empowerment. Outside of politics, the presence of national women in the workforce has increased significantly over the past several decades. The UAE is regarded as one of the Middle East and North Africa’s best performing countries with regard to closing the gender gap. Women also benefit from the same constitutional rights as men according to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2018.[1]
Aslan added: “With the country’s pioneering efforts in the region to augment and safeguard female empowerment, as a company operating within this environment, gender inclusion is regarded as a strategic directive rather than a trending initiative.”
The EQUAL-SALARY Certification validates that PMMS ME pays men and women equally for equivalent work, and the process is helping to focus company attention on the broader issue of gender equality. Alongside the quantitative comparison of salary data, the EQUAL-SALARY certification methodology involves a qualitative audit of management commitment to equal pay principles, of employee perception of that commitment and of HR policies and practices to identify any potential gender blind spots, and recommends actions to mitigate them. The certification further helps identify areas for improvement and supports efforts to address the broader challenge of closing any gender talent gaps. This includes introducing flexible working arrangements and addressing gender bias across the employee journey.
Commenting on the certification, Véronique Goy Veenhuys, Founder & CEO, EQUAL-SALARY Foundation, said, “PMMS ME can be proud of its EQUAL-SALARY Certification, making them the frontrunner of the rigorous, independent EQUAL-SALARY methodology in UAE. While today, we still cannot take equal pay for equivalent work for granted, the commitment of companies like PMMS ME is a welcome step forward on the journey toward achieving global wage parity, and contributes to the broader challenge of closing the gender pay gap.”
PMMS ME’s EQUAL-SALARY Certification is part of PMI’s larger goal of becoming a truly gender balanced, inclusive workplace. The multi-national is already tracking and publishing progress on the gender balance of its management team. Today, women hold 35% of all management roles at PMI, and the company is on track to meet its goal of 40% by 2022.
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About 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 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 September 30, 2018, PMI estimates that approximately 5.9 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 43 markets in key cities or nationwide under the IQOS brand. For more information, see our PMI and PMIScience websites.
About 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 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.
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