Community Policy
As a major player in global healthcare, Shire is very committed to responsibility and a key aspect of our responsibility approach is our interaction with our community. For Shire, we define our community as the environment in which we work (where our offices and manufacturing plants are located and where our field forces operate); however, we also take into account the communities that affect our patients and key customers.
Ultimately, the objective of all our community activities is to assist us in meeting our strategic goals and to benefit the development of our business.
Our purpose is to enable people with life-altering conditions to lead better lives. And our corporate brand promise is to be as brave as the people we help.
Our community strategy plays a significant role in our goals.
Community Stakeholders and key focus areas
We are very strongly driven by the desire to provide better lives for patients and to contribute positively to the health of the community. The prime stakeholder group for Shire’s community strategy is employees; it has been clearly demonstrated through employee feedback that Shire has succeeded in attracting new colleagues due to positive reactions to Shire’s community initiatives; we also know that current employees are positively motivated by Shire’s community involvement and philanthropic donations.
Other key stakeholders in our communities are patient groups and medical/healthcare education bodies as well as established not-for-profit organizations that are linked with our therapy areas of focus and related research bodies.
As well as these medical related groups, we connect with and support local schools and support groups that offer advice to young people who experience behavior disorders, learning difficulties or social problems.
In addition, we recognize the value of relationship building with local community and industry business groups such as chambers of commerce, local councils and business interest groups with a particular emphasis on those with a focus on pharmaceuticals.
Management of Community Programs
The Company’s Community strategy and plan of activities is led and implemented by Shire’s Corporate Communications department in conjunction with HR Business Partners, Country or Site Managers and local groups of employees where relevant. The Senior Vice President for Global Corporate Communications is a member of the Shire Responsibility Committee and a report of progress with significant initiatives is provided to this group where relevant.
The Corporate Giving program is also led by Corporate Communications and funded from the Corporate Communications budget; however, a charity committee or activities committee involving representative employees is usually involved to ensure that nomination of a ‘Charity of the Year’ or dissemination of major matched donations is agreed with input from all parts of Shire’s organization.
The Corporate Communications department in consultation with Human Resources manages requests from individual employee fund-raising matching.
Employee volunteering activities are agreed and arranged with line managers in consultation with Human Resources.
Reporting
View our Responsibility section to view reports on the implementation and success of our Community programs
Components of the Shire Giving Program
Shire’s program is varied and comprehensive; it includes the following components:
Corporate donations (to include both cash and in-kind giving) to local, national or international organizations that support Shire’s community and/or disease in its therapeutic focus area.
Donations that focus on providing benefit to organizations that support the therapy areas in which Shire has or will have a commercialized product or is developing a therapy; this can involve donation of product and/or management time. Importantly, these donations are not linked to requiring the beneficiary to support Shire or its products in its messaging, marketing or communication with opinion leaders in government.
Contributions to employee’s own fund-raising - whereby Shire will consider providing a donation to the employee’s own raised amount for events that are in support of a charitable non-profit organization, and where the employee is actively participating in the event or the organization. Please know all requests cannot be honored, and requests for funding to alumni organizations should not be presented for consideration.
Volunteer schemes - for all employees; Shire provides one fully paid day off per year to spend working for a not-for-profit organization. In addition, the Company supports community-related activities by its employees including involvement in helping schools, homes for senior citizens and counseling services through the provision of paid time off.
Patient Assistance Program - with this program we aim to provide free products to patients who may not be able to cover the cost of their treatment through adequate health insurance in the United States. In other countries where we operate, the cost of treatments is provided by appropriate State funding.
Political Donations - we do not make donations to political parties, candidates or other political organizations in the European Union or in any other country in which such donations are not permitted by law. Any political contributions by Shire group companies in any country outside the European Union must be lawful and approved under procedures laid down by the Leadership Team. Approval should not be given to any political contributions by Shire group companies, which by their scale, destination or timing might be seen as inappropriate or excessive.
Give As You Earn - where possible, Shire provides a payroll deduction program for its employees to enable ongoing individual donations to a charity of their choice.
Corporate fund-raising campaigns - are launched at both global and local levels. On these occasions, Shire invites employees to make personal one-off donations to a topical high-profile cause; the Company agrees to make a matching donation to the total raised by all employees.
Annual nominated charity - Shire does not send seasonal greetings cards to customers or suppliers. Instead, a group of employees at each site nominates a not-for-profit beneficiary and a one-off donation is made. This organization is then publicized via Shire’s outgoing emails during the month of December.
Responsibility
It’s at the core of everything that we do at Shire. Read about our involvement in our communities, and our initiatives promoting responsibility.
