A Champion for Our People

Designing benefits to fit the needs of our people is paramount. As a multinational company, our employees are based in over 66 countries. In her role as Head of Corporate Benefits, Maggie Lester is a champion for our people. Not only does she strategically develop and implement benefit programs, but she also works to set up support networks within the company for those seeking community.

What is your “purpose” as you come to work each day, and how does the company help you fulfill that ambition?

I come from an actuarial consulting background, and so the business rationale for any benefit is always my starting place. Fostering an environment where everyone can bring their authentic selves to work leads to diversity of thought and a more successful company. Therefore, I strive to design benefits that support a diverse workforce and enable inclusivity.

I am passionate about ensuring that the money the company invests in benefits is well-spent and valued by employees. When designing benefit programs, our team considers all aspects of our employees' unique journeys, whether it is growing a family, caring for loved ones, building a future, or handling a major life change. We are such a diverse group, at different life stages, and in so many countries, that no single benefit will be useful to everyone, but when you can see how it supports a colleague who was struggling, that is as powerful as when it helps you directly. 

How do we expand our benefits so that they cover the needs of our diverse workforce?

Benefits are always local! They must fit in with local government support, regulations and culture. We can learn from benefits that are successful at the local level and can expand them to have a global reach. The Fertility Benefit demonstrates how well this approach works. 

The Fertility Benefit program was launched in eight new markets in October 2023. Since then, we've continued to expand the benefit and will have coverage in place for all of the countries where Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany operates by the end of 2024. While the global roll-out allowed us to expand our reach and offer fertility coverage worldwide, the benefit is tailored by each jurisdiction to support the needs of our people at the local level.

It makes me proud to work for a company that supports its employees in this way because I know how impactful this benefit is to those who need it. We are on a journey to be more and more family friendly, so there will be more to come.

Why do you believe it is important that we provide additional levels of support for employees financially and socially? 

The last few years have taught us all about the importance of community. Within a company the size of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, there are bound to be people going through similar life journeys. Our Fertility Benefit program offers employees financial support for fertility treatments, but we felt it was important to facilitate community support as well. With this in mind, we launched a new chapter of the global Employee Resource Group (ERG), Colleagues Supporting Colleagues, called Colleague Fertility Community (CFC), which focuses on offering information, community, and support to employees going through a fertility journey. CFC provides space for colleagues to support one another in a trusting and caring environment. 

Along with our Fertility Benefit, we aspire to support all our diverse employee groups when they are celebrating the good moments and navigating through tough times. At this company, we go above and beyond to attract and retain the brightest talent to be our colleagues.