Social Responsibility
Labor Practices
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As a global company, BD has a strong commitment to those with whom we interact worldwide – at work, in the marketplace and in the community. This commitment earns us the trust and dedication of our associates and customers. Providing safe working conditions and promoting safe behaviors in the workplace for our associates and customers is a critical part of running our business. It is one of the “keys” to our manufacturing operation and is the first topic at every shift start-up meeting (which take place at the beginning of each shift at every BD manufacturing facility).
BD employs more than 28,000 associates worldwide in approximately 185 locations in nearly 50 countries. The Company aspires to become a great company, and one of the elements of achieving greatness is being a great place to work. Throughout the world, BD provides associate benefits that meet or exceed local standards. For example, in approximately 30 countries, BD offers a Global Share Investment Program (GSIP), a matching program that promotes associate savings and ownership of BD shares. BD is continually expanding the program to include more countries and associates. Examples of country-specific benefits that go beyond what are locally required include: In Nogales, Mexico, BD associates benefit from assistance to first-time home owners, credit assistance for general services, an in-house doctor, matrimonial ceremony assistance (three days of paid leave), funeral assistance, petty cash loans for emergencies (up to $200 interest free), drug intervention assistance, a subsidized day care center, a subsidized cafeteria and bus transportation. In Oxford, England , associates receive free private medical coverage and reduced rates for dependent medical care, a free associate assistance program, on-site gym facilities and annual flu shots. In the United States, BD provides associates with numerous benefits, including a family resource program, a savings incentive plan (SIP/401(k)), education assistance, a matching gift plan and access to fitness centers at many sites.
Our corporate learning initiative, BD University (BDU), is strengthening our organizational and individual capabilities. Founded in 2000, BDU represents the Company’s formal commitment to ensure ongoing learning and development. In 2007, 12,000 associates participated in over 400 BDU programs, ranging from negotiation skills to ethics to how to conduct a training course. The instructional design approach in all of BDU's programming is to engage participants in the learning environment and subsequently apply the learning. BDU is unique in that Company leaders teach approximately 90 percent of all courses. This strongly reinforces BD as a “teaching, coaching and learning organization.” BD believes that a correlation exists between better business performance and companies with cultures that value teaching, coaching and learning. We further believe that engaging leaders in teaching improves their own capabilities as well as those of the associates in their classes. Structurally, BDU is organized into five “colleges:”
BDU is integrated with other key levers for leadership development, including talent acquisition and HR planning, creating a robust engine for the identification and development of current and future leaders. In 2007, ASTD, the world’s largest professional society focusing on workplace learning and performance, recognized BD with a “BEST” Award and ranked BD in the top five submissions from over 100 companies from eight countries. BD emphasizes formal learning – through programs such as BDU – and also encourages assignment-based development, which is rooted in the principle of placing associates in the right job, with the right challenge and the right timing. BD recognizes the importance of all associates receiving ongoing coaching and annual performance reviews and is committed to creating a coaching and performance management culture. Managers and associates both play roles in creating a partnership that delivers on this commitment. BD's Performance Management Process (PMP) emphasizes coaching and developing all BD associates on an ongoing basis. The PMP Process consists of six interconnected steps:
The Company offers other avenues for ongoing learning and personal/professional development. For example, we offer tuition reimbursement in the U.S. and encourage associates to participate in professional societies and associations globally. Diversity and Equal Opportunity Diversity Diversity is a crucial component of BD’s success. We have implemented the BD Diversity Inclusion initiative to help us become a more inclusive work environment. We welcome people of diverse ethnicity, culture, gender, religion, age, personal style, sexual orientation, physical ability, appearance and tenure, as well as people of diverse opinions, perspectives, lifestyles, ideas, thinking and being. Within our Company, diversity is about understanding and respecting differences and using them effectively to BD’s competitive advantage. This means developing a deeper knowledge of the world, having a greater understanding of the needs and the markets we serve and strategically engaging a variety of individuals and perspectives. Great companies all have one thing in common: great people who embrace change. As BD strives to become a great company, we respect each individual as we celebrate the richness of our diversity. Always seeking to improve, BD will become more innovative as different ideas and thinking are nurtured. In an innovative environment, our associates will take responsibility for their personal development and growth, seek new challenges and drive performance. Striving toward our common goal, our differences will form the basis for our strength. Members of BD’s Board of Directors include two women and directors with African-American, Jamaican and Egyptian backgrounds. BD counts four women among our corporate officers. Talent Management Talent Management at BD is the process whereby diverse and talented individuals are recruited, hired and retained. It is responsible for guiding, developing and mentoring associates with an eye toward opportunities for growth and expansion as they move throughout their careers at BD. In short, it is the process that facilitates the full utilization of our greatest resource, our associates and encourages associate engagement at all levels. |
