Company achieves best in class certification on equal opportunities and equal pay JTI is one of the first companies in the world to receive EY's new Global Equality Standard (GES) certificate, achieving several of the highest assessment scores possible on equal opportunities and equal pay. THE GLOBAL BENCHMARK FOR BUSINESS LEADERS EY's GES is one of the first worldwide Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) certifications measuring equal opportunities and equal pay in the workplace. It allows multinational businesses to assess the extent to which D&I and equality are embedded throughout their global operations. The certification is a challenging process and requires evidence of comprehensive practices that protect and promote a level playing field for all employees, creating a safe haven of equality which is free from all forms of discrimination. "We are delighted to award JTI with a GES certification. This has been an extensive assessment process and JTI should be proud of the level of ambition and commitment that it has shown to advance D&I on a truly global scale," said Arun Batra, CEO and Founder of the Global Equality Standard. "D&I is business critical, and it is important that the places we work be held to account. We are therefore very proud to have received the GES certification for equal opportunities and equal pay, but it does not mean our work is done. It is crucial that our D&I policies and procedures are audited on a regular basis to ensure we are meeting our responsibility to serve the needs of our over 40,000 employees around the world," added Christiane Bisanzio, Vice President of Diversity & Inclusion, People and Culture at JTI. The eight-month assessment process included consultation with JTI employees across 19 different countries, the review of over 200 pieces of supporting evidence and one-to-one interviews with JTI's leadership. EY's GES report commended JTI for several of its corporate initiatives, including: an analysis that found the company to be fully compliant on equal pay, which is embedded in the culture of the organization; flexible working measures, which, among other key benefits, give employees the option to work 50% of their time away from the office; its progressive global family leave policy, enabling employees across the world, regardless of gender, sexual orientation or the way they become parents, to benefit from 20 weeks fully paid leave when welcoming a child; a market-leading approach to its LGBT+ inclusion initiatives, such as its employee resource group, global workshops, and virtual pride events; and its 'Men Advocating Progress' sessions through the TOGETHER program, which engages men in the company's drive towards gender equality. AN ONGOING COMMITMENT TO EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES JTI aims to build on its strong foundations and set even more ambitious goals to continue developing as an equal opportunities employer. The company is well on its way to take its recruitment approach to the next level and ensure diversity and inclusion continues to grow across the organization, for the benefit of all its employees. EY exists to build a better working world, helping to create long-term value for clients, people and society and build trust in the capital markets. Enabled by data and technology, diverse EY teams in over 150 countries provide trust through assurance and help clients grow, transform and operate. Working across assurance, consulting, law, strategy, tax and transactions, EY teams ask better questions to find new answers for the complex issues facing our world today. The Global Equality Standard (GES) is EY's flagship global D&I certification. It uses an assessment framework that was developed in partnership with the UK Government and in collaboration with 20 leading public and private sector organisations. EY has assessed over 300 organisations against the competencies in the GES assessment framework. JTI is a leading international tobacco and vaping company with operations in more than 130 countries. It is the global owner of both Winston, the number two cigarette brand in the world, and Camel, outside the USA. Other global brands include Mevius and LD. JTI is also a major player in the international vaping market with its heated tobacco brand, Ploom, and e-cigarette brand, Logic. Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the Company employs over 40,000 people and was awarded Global Top Employer for the seventh consecutive year. JTI is a member of the JT Group of Companies. For more information visit www.jti.com. Logo(s): https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1697909/JTI_Logo.jpg https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1697908/Global_Equality_Standard_Logo.jpg Source: JTI