We recognize that in our business, ethics and transparency are of critical importance to patients, health care professionals, our employees and investors - and to our business success. We have strong policies and safeguards in place, and a long history of adherence to high ethical standards.
"You do not have a rigorous ethics culture just because you have a code of conduct. It starts with senior management championing ethical behavior and modeling it at every opportunity. It lives on with all Merck people embracing our ethics and applying them to their work, day-in and day-out."
— Jacqueline Brevard, Vice President,
Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer
We know that it takes more than having the right mechanisms, standards and training in place to ensure an ethical business environment. Ethics are an integral part of how a company and its employees - from the executive and Board level on down - conduct themselves everyday.
Every Merck employee is responsible for adhering to business practices that are in accordance with the letter and spirit of the applicable laws and with ethical principles that reflect the highest standards of corporate and individual behavior.
Merck's traditions demand these high standards of corporate behavior and Merck believes such behavior is essential to the success of its business endeavors. Thus, the Company will not accept anything less. Like integrity of product, integrity of performance is a Merck standard wherever we do business, and ignorance of that standard is never an acceptable excuse for improper behavior. Improper behavior cannot be rationalized as being in the company's interest. No act of impropriety advances the interest of the Company.
Merck Code of Conduct
Ethics and integrity make up one of our five core values, as outlined in our mission statement. These values are underscored in the Company's code of business conduct, Our Values and Standards, which was first developed and distributed to Merck employees in 1999. Our code of conduct applies to all employees worldwide.
Training & Development
At Merck, every new employee receives ethics training based on Our Values and Standards. This includes courses designed to help employees resolve ethics-related issues in the workplace, as well as an online training course to raise employee awareness of potential conflicts of interest.
Our standards for conduct do not vary and apply equally to every Merck facility in every country. At the same time, we understand that employees face varying situations in different parts of the world. We recognize that in some cases we are asking people to act in ways that are contrary to prevailing cultural practices. For this reason, we adapt our training to different countries or regions to accommodate cultural differences and to assist our employees in managing real-world challenges.
When employees are promoted to managers, Merck provides additional ethics training to prepare them for their new positions. A key measure in employees' annual performance reviews, ethics also play an integral role in our decisions about advancement.
Employee Resources
The Merck AdviceLine is available to employees around the world 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Merck has put several mechanisms in place to support our commitment to the highest standards of ethics and integrity in all of our business practices. Established in 1995, the Merck Office of Ethics develops and oversees global initiatives designed to deter illegal, unethical and improper behavior related to the company's business. The Office of Ethics provides several outlets for Merck employees worldwide to raise ethical questions or concerns. The Merck AdviceLine, a telephone line which is available to employees around the world 24 hours a day, seven days a week, is staffed by an independent organization that allows employees to remain anonymous.
In addition, the Merck Ombudsman Program offers a "safe haven" for U.S. employees to express work-related issues without fear of retaliation. This program confidentially addresses employees' concerns about conduct that may be inconsistent with Merck's policies, practices, values and standards. Outside the United States, employees may contact the Office of Ethics directly or use the AdviceLine to raise concerns.
To learn more about Merck's values and standards, click on the links below:
