Novozymes is committed to developing a diverse workforce. We believe diversity fosters innovation and that a diverse working culture is a vital ingredient for a successful global company. We will continue to provide an inclusive working environment in which everyone is treated fairly and with respect.
Employment with Novozymes is offered and provided, based on merit. Recruitment, terms of employment, promotion and termination of employment is practised without any distinction, exclusion or preference on the basis of:
- race
- colour
- ethnic, national or social origin
- gender
- religion
- age
- disability
- political opinion
- sexual orientation
- family responsibilities
- any other protected status designated by local or national law
Global scope with local relevance
For Novozymes equal opportunities are about adopting a proactive stance to avoid discrimination.
Our commitment to securing equal opportunities in the workplace extends to all our global operations, and to ensure local relevance it is addressed in a variety of ways at our different sites to reflect local or national conditions.
In the US for example our research facility in Davis, California, is an Affirmative Action employer to ensure that the workforce reflects the racial and gender distribution of the local community, and our site in Franklinton is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
In Brazil and Denmark, a number of initiatives have been undertaken to identify equal opportunities issues and raise awareness, e.g. seminars for managers on diversity and articles in company media and websites.
In Denmark, a survey was undertaken via the Danish Statistics Agency in 2001, 2003 and 2005 to monitor the percentage of immigrants and their descendants working for Novozymes.
Tracking progress
While Novozymes strives to monitor progress in all areas, a clear picture is difficult to obtain due to legal barriers. In Denmark, where the largest part of Novozymes workforce is employed, it is illegal for companies to keep records on what is deemed "sensitive" personal information on employees. This means that Novozymes cannot directly track and account for e.g. employees from ethnic or religious minorities, with disabilities or trade union affiliation. Similar legislation exists in other legal settings where Novozymes operates.
To ensure that we follow up on our performance, we continuously work to develop alternative diversity indicators. At the corporate level, we report annually on the number of women in management and average age. Many sites have developed indicators which are adjusted to local regulation and relevance.
Grievance procedures
Employees can file complaints on discrimination to the Novozymes Ombudsman. For non-employee stakeholders, e.g. job applicants, grievances regarding discrimination on the above grounds should be brought to the attention of the Vice President of Human Resources.