Bayer U.S. Recognized as a Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion
Whippany, NJ – July 11, 2023 – WHIPPANY, N.J. -- For the fifth consecutive year, Bayer U.S. has been awarded and recognized by The Disability Equality Index (DEI) as a “Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion.” This is the third year that Bayer has received a top score of 100% in the DEI, which is the most comprehensive disability inclusion tool designed and embraced by both business leaders and disability advocates across the country.
As part of Bayer’s inclusive vision, “Health for All, Hunger for None,” the company embraces and values diversity of ideas, perspectives and cultures. The U.S. Executive Inclusion and Diversity Council and Business Resource Groups (BRGs) are a vital part of the company’s Inclusion and Diversity strategy. ENABLE, one of Bayer’s Resource Groups, supports employees who have disabilities, or family members with disabilities, leveraging a network to help them manage situations at home, while maintaining focus at work. They partner with leaders from across the organization to build awareness and improve access to facilities, opportunities, and resources.
“At Bayer, we believe diversity drives innovation, and we are inspired everyday by the impact and contributions of employees with diverse abilities. We are committed to fostering an environment where people feel they can be their authentic selves, and we’re proud to earn a top score as a Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion for the third year in a row,” said Beth Roden, Senior Vice President and Head of Communications, Bayer U.S. Roden serves as the U.S. Co-executive Sponsor for ENABLE, Bayer’s Business Resource Group dedicated to the wellness and development of employees with apparent and non-apparent disabilities and their families. She continued, “At Bayer, we’re constantly pushing ourselves to make our workplaces more accessible for employees with diverse abilities. This includes creating Sensory Rooms at several of our U.S. sites, the first of which was launched at our Indianola campus.
“I’m proud to lead DE&I for Bayer North America, and I’m especially proud that we’ve been recognized by the Disability Equality Index as a 2023 Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion. At Bayer, we are dedicated to ensuring all employees feel valued and enabled to be the best version of themselves,” stated Asha Hope, Head of North America Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. “I’ve seen tremendous commitment from Team Bayer to embracing and celebrating the diverse and unique backgrounds, perspectives, and knowledge of our colleagues to create impact in the communities we serve. From how we develop products to how we design our workplaces, we always strive to reflect the diverse world we live and work in. Respecting every employee’s unique needs helps us become a more inclusive, dynamic company and helps us achieve our vision: Health for All, Hunger for None.”
“During my 18 plus years as a disabled employee at Bayer, I have appreciated the culture which exists that has never made me feel anything other than supported and enabled,” stated Gerret Van Duyn, an LCM & Data Protection Lead for Bayer’s Crop Science Division and a member of ENABLE. “The attitudes, professionalism, and support of my colleagues over the years is above and beyond meeting workplace “obligations” and generates a world class environment for recognizing the value of diverse perspectives from the disabled community. I will always be grateful for the sense of empowerment and purpose that the opportunities given to me at Bayer have provided.”
The DEI was launched in 2015 by Disability:IN and The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) and is acknowledged today as the most robust disability inclusion assessment tool in business. It was created by the DEI Advisory Committee, a diverse group of business leaders, policy experts and disability advocates. Now in its ninth year, the DEI exists to help businesses make a positive impact on the unemployment/underemployment of people with disabilities.
“Businesses have the power to drive the global advancement of disability inclusion, and we’re thrilled to see more companies than ever leverage the Disability Equality Index to measure their progress. We recognize these top-scoring companies as a ‘Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion’ for their passion and efforts to lead the way in creating greater equity for people with disabilities in the workplace, marketplace, and supply chain,” said Jill Houghton, President and CEO of Disability:IN.
In 2023, 485 corporations, including 71 Fortune 100, 207 Fortune 500, and 249 Fortune 1000 utilized the DEI to benchmark their disability inclusion efforts.
For more information on the 2023 Disability Equality Index, visit https://disabilityin.org.
About Bayer
Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition. Its products and services are designed to help people and the planet thrive by supporting efforts to master the major challenges presented by a growing and aging global population. Bayer is committed to driving sustainable development and generating a positive impact with its businesses. At the same time, the Group aims to increase its earning power and create value through innovation and growth. The Bayer brand stands for trust, reliability and quality throughout the world. In fiscal 2022, the Group employed around 101,000 people and had sales of 50.7 billion euros. R&D expenses before special items amounted to 6.2 billion euros.
About the Disability Equality Index®
The Disability Equality Index (DEI) is a comprehensive benchmarking tool that helps companies build a roadmap of measurable, tangible actions that they can take to achieve disability inclusion and equality. Each company receives a score, on a scale of zero (0) to 100, with those earning 80 and above recognized as a “Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion.”
The DEI is a joint initiative of the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), the nation’s largest disability rights organization, and Disability:IN, the global business disability inclusion network, to collectively advance the inclusion of people with disabilities. The organizations are complementary and bring unique strengths that make the project relevant and credible to corporations and the disability community. The tool was developed by the DEI Advisory Committee, a diverse group of business leaders, policy experts, and disability advocates. Learn more at: www.DisabilityEqualityIndex.org.
About the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD)
AAPD is a convener, connector, and catalyst for change, increasing the political and economic power for people with disabilities. As a national cross-disability rights organization AAPD advocates for full civil rights for the 60+ million Americans with disabilities. Learn more at: www.aapd.com.
About Disability:IN®
Disability:IN is a global organization driving disability inclusion and equality in business. More than 270 corporations trust Disability:IN to activate and achieve disability inclusion across their enterprise and in the broader corporate mainstream. Through the world’s most comprehensive disability inclusion benchmarking; best-in-class conferences and programs; and expert counsel and engagement, Disability:IN works with leading businesses to create long-term business and societal impact. Join us atdisabilityin.org/AreYouIN #AreYouIN.
Forward-Looking Statements
This release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer Group or subgroup management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Bayer's public reports which are available on the Bayer website at www.bayer.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.
Contacts:
Bayer
Nicole Hayes
Director, U.S. External Communications
Nicole.Hayes@Bayer.com
(201) 421-5268
DEI:
Becky Curran Kekula
Becky@DisabilityIN.org
(781) 424-4203