DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION

Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is a term used to describe policies and programs that promote the
representation and participation of different groups of individuals, including people of different ages, races
and ethnicities, abilities and disabilities, sexual orientations etc. This also covers people with diverse
backgrounds, experiences, skills and expertise.

What is diversity?

Diversity involves all the ways that people are different, including the different characteristics that make
one group or individual different from another. Diversity includes race and ethnicity, sexual orientation,
religion. Age, marital status and any other personal attribute.

What is equity?

Equity aims to ensure the fair treatment, access, equality of opportunity and advancement for everyone
while also attempting to identify and remove the barriers that have prevented groups from fully
participating. Equity promotes justice, fairness and impartiality, procedures and distribution of resources by
systems or institutions. To tackle equity, people need to understand the root causes of outcome disparities
in society.

What is inclusion?

By actively asking every person or group to contribute and participate, inclusion creates a culture where
everyone feels welcome. In words and deeds, an inclusive and inviting environment promotes and
celebrates differences, and it treats everyone with respect. In a healthy, respectful, and collaborative work
environment, all employees are encouraged to engage and contribute. A diverse workplace aims to
eliminate all barriers, discrimination, and intolerance.

Why are diversity, equity and inclusion important?

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are important because they contribute to the creation of a fair society in
which all people have equal chances. DEI brings people, perspectives, and ideas together to help
individuals and organisations form stronger ties. The moral rationale for DEI is that everyone has
something valuable to give, and society has a responsibility to solve the hurdles and historical
circumstances that have resulted in unequal treatment of underrepresented groups. Non-profit
organisations, for example, should be diverse, inclusive, and egalitarian from a moral stance because their
aim is to benefit society.

DEI is the concept that businesses who seek out diverse candidates and/or provide diversity training are
stronger and more efficient. Organizations that do not welcome diversity will most likely lack new
viewpoints and will be less competitive than those that do. Employees who feel underrepresented are more
likely to leave, taking their skills with them, if there isn't a culture of equity and inclusion in place.
Now let us try to understand the above concepts with the help of taking examples of real companies.

1. MARICO

Marico’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Marico takes pride in its workforce's healthy diversity. "The workplace today is influenced by culture,
gender, and generational diversity like never before," Saugata Gupta, Managing Director and CEO,
Marico Limited, remarked in an interview regarding Marico's varied and inclusive culture. He goes on to
say that firm's key values have always been empowerment, equal opportunity, trust, teamwork, and
mutual respect.

Marico encourages people to be their best selves, professionally and personally, and how Marico
facilitates a positive and respectful work environment to support its employees and succeed together as a
family, as part of its commitment to building an inclusive, diverse, and equal-opportunity workplace.

Marico’s Values

Our values direct our actions and our conduct in the workplace. They have helped us to establish a distinct
culture at Marico. Our principles are ingrained in every member across all levels and regions.

VALUES

Marico’s Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

At Marico, we are proud of our diverse workforce and strive hard to provide a good and enabling work
environment for all of our employees. We make focused efforts to establish an Inclusive Culture where all
members feel appreciated and valued while working 'together' towards 'Creating the Marico of
tomorrow' with 'Equality, Belongingness, and Openness' as essential pillars.

Being champions of diversity and inclusion, Marico focuses on creating a socially represented organisation
and a workforce with enhanced ‘Gender’, ‘Differently Abled’ and ‘Thought’ diversity. This also
encompasses its efforts to strengthen inclusive workplace culture by raising awareness and integrating
members from LGBTQ+ community. Marico’s Core Belief

1. Gender diversity: We are committed to creating and maintaining a gender-balanced organisation.

We seek to create a welcoming and supportive atmosphere for members from all walks of life. To
do so, we've implemented Gender Neutral Policies, Same-Sex Partner Benefits, and training
programmes such as 'Managing Unconscious Biases,' 'Lead with Impact,' and 'Diversity
Intelligence,' all of which have been highly accepted by our members.

2. Thought diversity: Our diverse talent brings in diverse views and opinions leading to sustained
innovation, creativity and competitive advantage. We specifically call out ‘Thought’ diversity as a
separate pillar to ensure conscious efforts on integrating members with diverse educational
backgrounds, cultural identities, work experiences, sexual orientations, employment models and so
on.
3. Differently abled: Our focus on hiring, seamless integration, and growth of members with various
abilities within the organisation is central to our inclusion journey. Aside from training and
awareness, site accessibility, and workplace arrangements, we are devoted to developing a clear
understanding of target groups so that the focus is solely on our members' "abilities."

4. Building an agile, inclusive, entrepreneurial and high performing organisation: We triumph our
culture that promotes openness, transparency and recognition of performance. Driven by our core
beliefs of empowerment, mutual respect and trust, we enable our pople to truly have a sense of
ownership at Marico, learning and developing as individuals. We foster a positive and inclusive
work environment for all our members irrespective of caste, religion, sexual orientation, age,
ethnicity, or any other personal characteristic. Our values reinforce our commitment to be an
organisation ensuring equal opportunity, respect, dignity, fairness and human rights for all our
members. We adapt work practices such as the parental support programme and flexible work
arrangements along with sensitising our members on unconscious biases and helping them break
stereotypes.

5. Policy level initiatives:

 ‘Same Sex’ partner benefits across all applicable policies of Marico

 Specific need based Mediclaim policy for differently abled members

 Parenthood benefits for LGBT+ members

 Flexi-work options post maternity break

6. Infrastructure related initiatives

 Gender neutral infrastructure including washrooms in Corporate and R&D offices

 Differently-able infrastructure in Corporate and R&D office

 Launch of wellness, maternity care and kids-room to enable members manage their personal and
professional life priorities with ease

7. A value-driven culture: We believe that membership is superior to employee-ship, hence all

Mariconians are purposefully referred to as ‘members.’ Our basic values of trust, transparency, care
and concern, gratitude, and teamwork underpin our membership. We assist members in completely
embracing and demonstrating our principles. Our induction process includes a detailed Values
 Workshop for new members, and we have a Values Week once a year to celebrate our values
through various activities. Over 30,000 'I Value You' cards were shared between members during
Values Week this year to make them feel at home and connected with the firm.

8. How Marico engaged with its members

 Our regular engagement surveys give members a chance to share their views and provides us key
insights for action.

 Our Values Survey conducted annually in Supply Chain and Operations gives us a glimpse of how
our values are experienced across levels. The values index was at 93% in 2020 over 87% in 2019.

9. Fostering member wellness: Marico has taken significant strides in adopting and initiating the best-
in-class practices for overall wellness of our members.

 Physical wellness - At corporate locations, a thorough medical check-up facility was established. A
fortnightly general physician consultation and an on-site dietitian are also covered. Additionally,
Zumba and Yoga classes were held. For virtual consultation by a physician and a dietician, we
partnered with one of India's leading healthcare apps.

 Emotional wellness - The Marico Member Assistance Program (MAP) is a confidential

and fully free counselling programme provided to our members and their immediate
family members. There are also sessions on parenting, mindfulness, mental health, and
lifestyle modifications, among other topics.

 Financial wellness - We helped educate members on financial security and financial

management through a video series along with a financial planning expert.

COVID - EMPLOYEE HANDLING

Marico created a COVID War Room to help employees source hospital beds, oxygen cylinders and
concentrators, medicines and plasma. It also provided financial security and support to the bereaved family
in case of employee demise with free COVID-19 vaccination for employees and families.

Marico Limited, one of India’s leading FMCG companies, had announced to enforce the hybrid model of
working for all employees. Under the new ‘Ways of Work’ design, Marico offers greater flexibility to
employees thus enabling the majority of employees to work from the office at reduced frequency. The
endeavor is to offer a work model where employees will have the benefits of work from home as well as
office to better manage work and family needs while delivering on business commitments.
Its outreach in this fight against COVID-19 encompasses several areas to which we have committed a
hashtag called #MaricoUnitedAgainstCovid19. It also took several other steps towards its employees and
society at large. They are -

1. Safety and Hygiene Kits: With a commitment to safeguard lives of those who are fighting the
battle on ground –primary healthcare workers, the police force and emergency services staff we are
providing them with personal protective equipment like face masks, sanitizers, hand wash,
thermometers etc. It also partners the government in its rehabilitation initiatives.

2. Meals program: In partnership with various government agencies, it provided meals and dry
rations for migrant laborers, police force, and health-workers, poor and elderly people during this
time. It worked with CII and FICCI under the guidance of Ministry of Consumer Affairs and other
Government authorities. For this initiative, it also partnered with Swiggy and Zomato to deliver the
meals across multiple states.

3. Contribution to PM Care Fund: As the government continues its valiant efforts to fight the
pandemic, Marico also pledges contribution to the PM Care Fund.

4. Innovate2BeatCOVID challenge: With an aim to support the medical infrastructure, Marico

Innovation Foundation (MIF) has launched a unique, nationwide platform called
#Innovate2BeatCOVID. It invites med-tech entrepreneurs, corporates and innovators to share
existing cost-effective and innovative solutions to combat short supply of ventilators, personal
protective equipment and other respiratory solutions that can aid the medical fraternity. Marico
Innovation Foundation along with the A.T.E. Chandra Foundation and Harsh Mariwala in his
personal capacity offered total grants worth INR 2.5Crore to the most impactful innovations. The
challenge received an overwhelming response with 1000+ applications.

5. Supporting Each Other: Marico members are united in the fight against COVID-19 in this hour
of need. We have together created a fund through voluntary member contributions aided with
equivalent contribution from Marico Limited, through which we will help the front-line teams of
our business partners who are working on-ground ensuring the availability of essential Marico
products to consumers. Apart from securing them with personal protective equipment, they will be
given extra monetary help under “COVID Assistance”. In addition to this, in the event of any
person being detected positive with Covid-19 and hospitalized, Marico ensure to provide medical
assistance.

6. Members at the manufacturing facilities: As it continued to adhere to all Central and State
Government guidelines and orders in carrying the operations, its manufacturing teams worked to
the best of their abilities to make available the much-needed essential products to consumers. Apart
from personal protective equipment and increase in the frequency of disinfection and fumigation, it
established strict social distancing measures and have implemented mandatory thermal scanning.
Entry and exit from the plants during shift timings were demarcated to avoid gathering of members
at the gate. Minimum two-meter distance was maintained between each of the work stations.
Additionally, each site has identified a dedicated isolation room with necessary facilities. This was
a difficult time for most nations across the world, affecting thousands of people and the global
economy. In this hour of need it stepped out to make a difference to its people, its partners and
citizens alike. Above all it was committed to serve its consumers to the best of its abilities with
products which are essential.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

https://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/marico-starts-hybrid-work-model-for-all-staff-
starting-friday-121093001246_1.html

https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/companies/how-fmcg-major-marico-is-dealing-with-covid-19/
article31764671.ece

https://m.marico.com/media_pdf/Press_Note_Marico_aids_Indias_fight_against_COVID19.pdf

https://dare2compete.com/blog/diversity-builds-better-business-marico

https://marico.com/diversity/

https://marico.com/page/DigitalReport2019-2020/employees.html