Merck

Employees say: "I feel this company really invests in their people. I started out 25 years ago on a temporary assignment that was to last four days. As long as you have the drive and determination, your career at this company can make an impact and can grow significantly. They provide many tools and opportunities, but it is up to the employee to leverage them. I have a disabled husband who I have to take care of financially and physically, and this company has always been flexible and supportive, which allows me to maintain a great work-life balance and still efficiently get work done. They also support innovation, and I feel new ideas are encouraged and I have seen impact of change initiatives, by either myself, or that my team have brought up."

Employees say:

"Merck is outstanding at seeing the employee as a "whole person," as a valuable resource to the company and its patients. Over the past several years, I have seen how the Company has put concerted effort into ensuring that employees take time away, care for themselves, care for their families, etc. To get the best out of employees, the employees need to BE at their best. And I certainly appreciate how Merck has pivoted and built that flexibility into the rhythms. It truly is a great place to work. "

Employees say:

"The culture of support for the Employee Business Resource Groups creates a physical environment of care, community, and collaboration that fosters trust in both the EBRG teams as well as in the DE&I journey within the greater company culture."

Employees say:

"The main thing that drives me is the sense of ethics and always putting patients first, and not profits. This makes me proud to work here and confident that everyone at the company is driven by the same north."

New Jersey–based pharmaceutical company Merck climbed 36 spots from No. 98 on last year’s Best Companies list, with about 75% of the company’s employees worldwide undergoing a pay equity study as of 2021, which grew to 90% in 2022. That 2022 study, by the way, showed that Merck had achieved over 99% pay equity for both women and men and white and non-white employees in the U.S. 

Merck’s diversity programs have worked to address gender pay disparities and representation of women in the workplace. The company’s board of directors has more gender diversity than the industry norm, consisting of 46% female representation, while women make up 33% of Merck’s executives. Merck’s Women’s Leadership Program and Emerging Women’s Leadership program provide professional development training for women employees.

• Roughly 4,000 managers have been trained on how to connect their workers with well-being resources and educated on how to respond with compassion toward someone who may be struggling.


• Roughly 100 workers have completed Mental Health First Aid training and are available to help colleagues access mental health information and resources. It’s a grassroots project to reduce the stigma and raise awareness of mental health issues.


• Lyra, launched in 2021, ensures both employees and their families have quick access to high-quality evidence-based mental health care.


• Employees are provided with a membership to relaxation app Calm, as well as a flex day, time off to volunteer, and a generous parental leave program.


• “Merck shows that we are people, not just employees, with lives outside of work and honors that and promotes balancing work/home life,” said one worker.