Indicators
Employees
Employee structure| Employees |
| Number | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
| Total employees as of Dec. 31 | 29.999 | 30.968 | 32.800 | 33.062 | 40.562 |
In 2010, the total number of employees increased by 23% over 2009. The change in the number of employees was mainly a result of the acquisition of the life science company Millipore, which Merck completed in July 2010.
| Employees by region |
| Number | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
| Europe | 17.167 | 18.930 | 19.106 | 18.576 | 21.679 |
| there of Germany | 8.734 | 9.097 | 9.431 | 9.562 | 10.340 |
| North America | 2.703 | 2.034 | 2.157 | 2.051 | 4.909 |
| Latin America | 3.767 | 4.054 | 4.370 | 4.272 | 4.546 |
| Asia, Africa, Australasia | 6.362 | 5.950 | 7.167 | 8.163 | 9.428 |
While the numbers of employees declined slightly in Europe, North America and Latin America in 2009 compared with 2008 due to the economic situation, we experienced growth of 14% in Asia, Africa, Australasia. The reason for this was the expansion of the pharmaceutical business in China and India, the acquisition of pigment producer Suzhou Taizhu Technology in China, and the acquisition of the bioscience firm Bangalore Genei in India (455 and 288 new employees, respectively). In North America, the number of employees declined by 4% owing to the closure of the site in Madison, Wisconsin with 243 employees. In Latin America the number decreased by 2%, because two sites – in São Luís and Barra do Corda, Brazil – with a total of 117 employees were divested. In 2010, all regions experienced growth due to the acquisition of Millipore: Europe: 17%; North America: 139%; Latin America: 6%; and Asia, Africa, Australasia: 15%. The greatest increases in the number of employees related to this acquisition were in the following countries: United States (2,712), France (1,323), Ireland (484), India (272), Japan (204), China (188), the Netherlands (153) and Brazil (105).
| Age structure * |
| Number | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
| Under 21 years | 429 | 445 | 413 | 60** | 54** |
| 21 to 30 | 1.438 | 1.518 | 1.564 | 1.368 | 1.441 |
| 31 to 40 | 2.493 | 2.507 | 2.428 | 2.305 | 2.237 |
| 41 to 50 | 2.703 | 2.907 | 3.059 | 3.215 | 3.308 |
| 51 to 60 | 1.413 | 1.532 | 1.571 | 1.620 | 1.743 |
| Over 60 years | 72 | 74 | 92 | 90 | 100 |
| Average age (years) | 39,6 | 39,7 | 39,9 | 41,5 | 41,7 |
* Pertains only to the Darmstadt, Gernsheim and Grafing sites in Germany (around 22% of the employees of the Merck Group in 2010).
** The low number of employees under the age of 21 is due to the fact that since 2009 apprentices are no longer included in the count.
| Working hours |
| in % | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
| Full-time employees | 94 | 92 | 94 | 94 | 94 |
| Part-time employees | 6 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
Employee turnover| Employee turnover |
| 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
| Turnover rate* | 1,33 | 1,27 | 1,76 | 1,43 | 0,99 |
* Pertains only to the Darmstadt, Gernsheim and Grafing sites in Germany (around 22% of the employees of the Merck Group in 2010).
The turnover rate is calculated in accordance with the BDA formula: Departures x 100/average workforce in %, adjusted, i.e. excluding departures due to retirement, death, temporary contracts or transfers to subsidiaries (BDA: Federal Association of German Employer Associations).
Basic principles of the International Labour Organization (ILO)| Compliance with ILO labor standards |
| in % | June 30,
2006 | Dec. 30,
2007 | Dec. 30,
2008 | Dec. 30,
2009 | Dec. 30,
2010 |
| Full-time employees (standard contract, excluding exempts) with contractually agreed working hours of maximally 48 hours per week 1 | 95 | 99 | 99 | 99 | 99 |
| Full-time employees (standard contract) with at least 15 vacation days/year 2 | 87 | 93 | 93 | 95 | 94 |
| Women with access to maternity leave programs 3 | 92 | 79 | 89 | 97 | 100 |
| Employees with the right to collective bargaining 4 | 84 | 61 | 78 | 76 | 96* |
| Sites that rule out child labor as defined by ILO Convention 138 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Age of youngest employee, excluding vocational trainees (years) | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 |
1 ILO: Hours of Work (Commerce and Offices) Convention, 1930 (No. 30)
2 ILO: Holidays with Pay Convention (Revised), 1970 (No. 132)
3 ILO: Maternity Protection Convention (Revised), 1952 (No. 103)
4 ILO: Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948, (No. 87)
* In 2010, Merck recorded the percentage of employees who principally have the right to collective bargaining. By contrast, in previous years, the percentage of
Local minimum salary| Local minimum salary |
| in % | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
| Percentage of sites guaranteeing a minimum salary above the local minimum salary | 99 | 92 | 94 | 94 | 100 |
Occupational safety| Workplace accidents |
| in % | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
| Lost Time Injury Rate (per 1 million working hours) | 6,9 | 4,7 | 3,9 | 3,4 | 3,0 |
| Number of deaths | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
When the indicators were determined, Merck employees were recorded. Supervised employees of external companies and independent contractors are not taken into account.
The LTIR has been continually reduced through targeted measures in the area of accident prevention (e.g. training and campaigns to strengthen the safety culture). In 2008, one fatality resulted from an explosion at the Darmstadt site. In 2007 and 2010, a total of four sales force members in Venezuela and Colombia were killed in car accidents.
Continuing education and training| Employee training expenses |
| EUR | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
| Average training costs per employee | 1.103 | 1.643 | 1.064 | 1.102 | 1.152 |
| Apprentices |
| in % | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
| Percentage of employees who are apprentices* | 6,2 | 5,7 | 5,6 | 5,7 | 5,9 |
* Pertains only to the Darmstadt, Gernsheim and Grafing sites in Germany (around 22% of the employees of the Merck Group in 2010).
Diversity in the workforce| Women by business sector and Group function |
| in % | Pharmaceuticals | Chemicals | Group function |
| Percentage of women | 47 | 33 | 21 |
| Ratio of men and women |
| in % | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
| Percentage of women | 41 | 42 | 42 | 43 | 43 |
Percentage of women in management positions
(grade 14 and higher)* | Not
recorded | Not
recorded | Not
recorded | 17 | 22 |
* The figures do not include the employees of the Millipore Corporation acquired in July 2010, since the Global Grading system has not yet been implemented there.
| Internationality |
| 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
| Number of nationalities* | Not
recorded | Not
recorded | 117 | 111 | 128 |
Number of nationalities in management positions
(grade 14 and higher)* | Not
recorded | Not
recorded | Not
recorded | 56 | 55 |
Share of non-Germans in management positions
(grade 14 and higher)* in % | Not
recorded | Not
recorded | Not
recorded | 58 | 57 |
* The figures do not include the employees of the Millipore Corporation acquired in July 2010, since the Global Grading system has not yet been implemented there.
| Employees with disabilities |
| in % | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
| Employees with disabilities* | 3,8 | 3,8 | 4,2 | 4,0 | 3,6 |
* Pertains only to the Gernsheim and Grafing sites in Germany (around 22% of the employees of the Merck Group in 2010).
Benefit obligations| Long-term benefit obligations |
| EUR million | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
| Present value of all benefit obligations on December 31 | 1.607 | 1.666 | 1.586 | 1.878 | 2.356 |
| Retirement pensions |
| in % | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
| Pension expenses EUR million | 97 | 122 | 93 | 98 | 132 |
| Percentage of employees who are obliged to contribute to the statutory pension system | 71 | 80 | 87 | 90 | 89 |
| Percentage of employees in a company pension plan (also in addition to the statutory pension plan ) | 80 | 66 | 70 | 67 | 68 |
| Percentage of employees whose dependents are entitled to a surviving dependent’s pension | 46 | 43 | 71 | 67 | 71 |
| Benefits in the event of illness |
| in % | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
| Percentage of employees with company accident insurance | 94 | 90 | 99 | 97 | 100 |
| Percentage of employees with statutory health insurance | 72 | 77 | 82 | 78 | 88 |
| Percentage of employees with employer-funded health insurance | 94 | 81 | 82 | 82 | 88 |
Reconciling the demands of a career and a family| Working hour regulations* |
| in % | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
| Percentage of part-time employees | 10,6 | 10,7 | 10,9 | 10,9 | 11,2 |
| Employees on parental leave as of Dec. 31 (number) | 211 | 221 | 234 | 162 | 426 |
| Share of employees who work during parental leave | 35 | 42 | 38 | 40 | 34 |
* Pertains only to the Darmstadt, Gernsheim and Grafing sites in Germany (around 22% of the employees of the Merck Group in 2010).
