The certification is a validation that PMM pays men and women equally for equivalent work, a process that is helping to focus attention on the broader issue of gender equality.
Speaking about the achievement on International Woman’s Day, Kang Tae Koo, managing director of PMM said in a statement, “For our employees, PMM’s achievement as the first EQUAL-SALARY certified company in Malaysia makes us an employer of choice committed to equality and to fostering an inclusive and dynamic workforce.”
Kang said the company’s success depended on a talented and diverse workforce where individuals enjoyed opportunities to learn, grow and prosper in their career.
“This means providing fair and equal remuneration for men and women for equivalent work, and at PMM our values and principles call for nothing less,” he added.
Commenting on the certification, Véronique Goy Veenhuys, Founder and CEO of EQUAL-SALARY Foundation, said in a statement, “PMM can be proud of its EQUAL-SALARY Certification, making them the frontrunner of the rigorous, independent EQUAL-SALARY methodology in Malaysia.”
She said PMM’s commitment to ensure equal pay for equivalent work was a welcome step towards achieving global wage parity.
Besides equal salary, the methodology of the certification involves a qualitative audit of management commitment to equal pay principles, of employee perception of that commitment, and of HR policies and practices to identify potential gender blind spots, and recommends actions to mitigate them.
The certification helps identify areas for improvement and supports efforts to address the broader challenge of closing any gender talent gaps.
This includes introducing flexible working arrangements and addressing gender bias across the employee journey.
The statement said that despite reaching many important milestones towards gender parity in education and health, the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2018 still ranked Malaysia at 101 out of 149 countries.
The report also highlighted that gender gaps in terms of labour force participation and salary equality still existed in the country.
In Malaysia, the gender pay gap is at 23%.
As the first to earn this certification, PMM is now leading the way for other organisations – both local and international – to ensure equal work and equal pay in Malaysia.
PMM is a country affiliate of Philip Morris International.