Q. What is the difference between diversity and inclusion?
A: The word diversity represents a large group comprised of different people with different experiences. These differences include race, color, religion, gender, national origin, sexual orientation, age, disability, veteran status and citizenship. However, "diversity" does not address how these different people function or work together within the company. Inclusion enables us to strive to have all people represented and included in the Newell Rubbermaid family, and make all employees feel welcomed and valued, not only for their abilities, but also for their unique qualities and perspectives.
Q. What is Newell Rubbermaid's global vision for Inclusion & Diversity?
A: To create a fair and equitable culture in which every member of Newell Rubbermaid's global team can contribute to his or her full potential while delivering products that appeal to a wildly diverse marketplace.
Q. Aren't diversity, equal employment opportunity and affirmative action the same?
A: Newell Rubbermaid is firmly committed to the principles of equal employment opportunity and affirmative action. Equal employment opportunity and affirmative action certainly support our diversity initiative, but are different than the diversity concept.
The focus of Inclusion & Diversity is to create a culture that encourages all employees to be successful, regardless of their differences. We want Newell Rubbermaid to be regarded as an "employer of choice" – one that encourages the best and brightest individuals to come work with us. We believe the cultural perspectives of our employees are a competitive strength that increases innovation and maximizes performance.
• Equal Employment Opportunity Policy Statement
• Policy Against Sexual and Other Harassment / Discrimination
• Our Code of Conduct and Ethics (North America, Latin America, APAC)
• Code of Business Conduct and Ethics (EMEA)
Q. How is diversity defined at Newell Rubbermaid?
A: Diversity is a collection of people, functions, teams, processes and qualities characterized by both differences and similarities. Outside the U.S., we recognize that the concept doesn't translate locally. The term "diversity" goes beyond physical differences such as age, race, gender and physical ability to include ethnicity/tribe, country of origin, class/caste difference, religious beliefs, sexual preferences, education, socio-economic status, work experience and other ideologies. Inclusion means a work environment where everyone has an opportunity to fully participate in creating business success and is valued for his or her distinctive skills, experiences and perspectives.
Q. I don't consider myself "diverse," so how do I fit in with diversity?
A: Although individuals may be of the same ethnicity and gender, their age, family status and experiences may be quite different. These unique differences add to a culture that nurtures problem solving, customer outreach and creative service/product development.
Q. Does Newell Rubbermaid support employee affinity or networking groups?
A: Yes, and we welcome the unique opportunity to offer our employees a forum to collaborate and share their insights and perspectives in support of our organization's goals. Please visit the Employee Resource Groups page for more information.
Q. What type of programs does Newell Rubbermaid have to educate its workforce on diversity and inclusion?
A: In October of 2006, all of Newell Rubbermaid's top executives completed a course in diversity and inclusion. In 2007, all management-level employees began completing diversity awareness training to provide them with tools to build the most inclusive environment possible for employees. Management continued to be trained throughout 2008 and into 2009, focusing primarily on newly hired managers. Also in 2008, we began providing diversity training at all levels within the organization, beginning with each new hire who will receive a basic orientation as part of his or her on-boarding process and continuing with an online training module focusing on inclusion, diversity and respect in the workplace. This training will help our workforce understand diversity at Newell Rubbermaid, how it impacts them personally, how personal perspectives and experiences shape the way we communicate, and how each person can help contribute to our positive, multicultural environment.
Q. Does Newell Rubbermaid have a program to support diverse suppliers and vendors?
A: We encourage certified Minority, Women, and Business Enterprises (MWBE) to register with our organization. For more information on the certification and registration process, visit the Supplier Diversity page.