Lilly’s philosophy about how we treat our employees began with our founder, Colonel Eli Lilly, more than 130 years ago. His values – Integrity, Excellence, and Respect for People, continue to guide our practices today and help us to reach our goal of securing the long-term trust, loyalty, and commitment of our employees so we can achieve higher levels of performance and productivity.
We provide workforce training and development opportunities for our nearly 40,000 employees around the globe, and offer competitive compensation packages and benefits that go beyond industry standards. For example, the health of our own employees and their family members is a critical component of our mission. Our corporate health services (CHS) provides medical support services to all domestic employees, retirees, and their dependents. Our health coverage significantly exceeds national standards, and employees are able to obtain Lilly manufactured drugs at no cost, subject to the deductible provisions of the health plan options. U.S. employees and their dependents enrolled in our two consumer-drive options receive 100 percent coverage for nationally recommended preventive care services. In the U.S. employees receive certain medical services at no cost, which they can access at our on-site care facilities.
Diversity is a key priority for us, and we work hard to strengthen the diversity of our employee base. Our efforts are paying off, and we are frequently recognized for nurturing diversity. Diversity is also an important issue for our patients, whose responses to medicine can vary by their ethnicity. By connecting to patients through tailored therapy strategies, we can improve care and outcomes.
Our Supplier Diversity Initiative strengthens the participation of diverse and small businesses in our supplier base. In 2008, 7.6 percent of our spending went to diverse suppliers. We have been recognized by the U.S. Small Business Administration, placing us among the top tier of U.S.-based companies in partnering with diverse businesses.
