Ethics and transparency
We are focused on ensuring ethical, open and inclusive behaviours across our organisation and value chain
Our approach to Ethics and transparency
We seek to create positive societal impact and embed ethical behaviour in all our business activities, markets and value chain. We do this by promoting ethical, transparent, and inclusive policies and practices, both within our company as well as across all our partners and suppliers. It’s important that we create value beyond the impact of our medicines on patients. Building trust by demonstrating integrity, transparency and fair treatment is central to everything we do.
Our focus areas
Ethical business culture
We are committed to driving the highest ethical standards guided by our Code of Ethics and Values. We encourage principle-based decision making in all we do and across our entire value chain. This includes many different areas, such as bioethics, bribery and corruption, ethical use of personal data, sales and marketing practices, and human rights, to name a few. We aim to meet the expectations of our patients, investors and society.
Workforce safety and health
We are committed to providing a healthy and safe working environment and are embedding a safety, health and environment (SHE) culture across the whole organisation. Areas of focus include fostering a culture of learning, human and operational performance principles, engineering and preventative maintenance, and supporting employee health through flexible ways of working, access to disease prevention, and treatment and mental health services.
Inclusion and diversity
We are strengthened by a diverse workforce, one that is empowered to challenge conventional thinking. We value our differences because we believe we are at our most creative and innovative when we have diversity of thought. We are committed to a workforce which reflects the communities in which we operate and the patients we support.
We aim to create a working environment where every employee has a sense of belonging.
Our ambition
By 2025:
Gender equality
reached in management positions
Maintain 100%
of active employees trained on the Code of Ethics
75%
of all critical manufacturing partner sites are rated ‘bronze’ or better in our Sustainability Partner Guide and Framework
10 new countries
to deliver supplier diversity programmes
Our achievements
48.1%
of senior middle management roles and above are held by women*
85%
of employee survey respondents feel that AstraZeneca is a great place to work*
83%
of employee survey respondents feel that AstraZeneca has a ‘Speak Up’ culture*
3 countries
launched new supplier diversity programmes, bringing the total to 8 countries so far*
*as of December 2020, source: Sustainability Report
Our highlights
Your concerns related to our ethics or conduct are important to us
We value speaking up as part of our ethical business culture. We want anyone who has a concern about our ethics or conduct to report it without delay. With our AZethics platform, we are making it easier for individuals to make a report using a simple, one-step intake form and the option to remain anonymous where permitted by local law. Internally, we also encourage a culture of transparent reporting of concerns to the relevant manager, HR or Compliance. We are committed to investigating and responding to all concerns of alleged misconduct or breaches of law or policy that are raised to us.
