Merck 2010 Annual Report Download - page 34

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We live up to our responsibility for our employees, our products and the
environment. We also live up to our responsibility for society. That is because
not only ownership, but also business success creates responsibility.
Firmly establishing and managing responsible behavior throughout the company is one of the
basic principles of company management at Merck. As the top executive body of the company,
the Executive Board examines overarching corporate responsibility issues at least twice a year.
During 2010, these included such issues as greenhouse gas emissions, access to medicines,
supply-chain monitoring, and Merck’s special responsibility as a research-based company. The
latter resulted in, among other things, the adoption of policies on stem cell research and on
the use of nanotechnology. In November 2010, Merck signed the “Code of Responsible Conduct
for Business”, an initiative by German companies aimed at firmly establishing measurable
standards with respect to fair competition, social partnership, merit, and sustainability.
Merck is a member of the FTSE4Good Index, a leading international stock index for socially
responsible investing. Environmental protection as well as adherence to and support of human
rights are examples of the inclusion criteria.
As part of a materiality analysis, we identified and prioritized those sustainability topics of
greatest importance to Merck. The results of the analysis influence the selection of corporate
responsibility (CR) activities and key issues described on the following pages as well as in the
extensive Corporate Responsibility Report, which is published every two years and posted on
our website. The analysis took into account the perspectives of different stakeholder groups,
including for instance employees, business associates, site neighbors, and investors.
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As of December 31, 2010, our company had 40,562 employees, which was 7,500 more than in
2009. Merck was represented in 67 countries by 236 companies and had 70 production sites
located in 26 countries.
The change in the number of employees was mainly a result of our acquisition of the life science
company Millipore, which we completed in July 2010. The following countries saw significant
increases in the workforce in connection with this acquisition: In the United States 2,712
employees came from Millipore to Merck, in France 1,323, in Ireland 484, in India 272, in Japan
204, in China 188, in The Netherlands 153, and in Brazil 105.
In Germany, Merck had 10,340 employees, which was 436 more than in 2009. Here, the increase
was attributable to research and development in the Merck Serono division, to chemical
production, to the establishment of a global purchasing organization, and to the addition of
Responsibility is one of
the basic principles of
company management
Merck Annual Report 2010 30