Human rights are an important element of Merck's commitment to conducting our business in a responsible manner.

Respecting the rights of our workforce and our customers, as well as those of the communities in which we operate, provides Merck an even greater opportunity to expand the enjoyment of human rights to more people within our sphere of influence. In anticipation of several new global guidelines on human rights in business, Merck seeks to codify and standardize our approach to ensure we contribute to advancing human rights within our organization as well as globally through our vendors, partners and collaborators.

Merck is committed to respecting human rights as defined in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and its subsequent changes, the International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, the core labor standards set out by the International Labor Organization, and the principles of the United Nations Global Compact. We do not tolerate human rights abuses in our business operations, and we comply with national and international human rights laws and treaties.

We believe in the fundamental dignity of every human being and in respecting individual rights in all of our operations, and we adhere to the following principles:

• We condemn the use of forced labor and exploitative child labor and expect our suppliers to respect this principle as well.
• We respect employees' lawful freedom of association.
• We compensate our employees fairly to ensure that basic needs are met and we provide our employees with the opportunity to improve their skills and capabilities.
• We do not discriminate at any level of the organization on the basis of race, gender, age, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetics or religious beliefs.
• We provide a safe and healthy work environment.
• We respect individuals' right to privacy in accordance with legal and ethical standards worldwide.

Learn more about environmental, labor and human rights in the supply chain.

Governance

Merck's vice president of Human Resources oversees Merck's labor-related human rights responsibilities and activities, working closely with the executive vice president, chief ethics and compliance officer and regional Human Resources vice presidents. At the country level, local managing directors are responsible for ensuring compliance with both Merck corporate policies and national laws and regulations. Human resource professionals also receive additional skills training related to labor practices.