Global Reporting Initiative Reports

GRI Indicator 405-2
Reporting Level Complete
Sustainable Development Goals

Ratio of Basic Salary and Remuneration of Women to Men

IPG is committed to compensating employees fairly based on their job, skills, and experience, and without regard to protected characteristics.

IPG is committed to compensating employees fairly based on their job, skills, and experience, and without regard to protected characteristics. Ensuring the absence of a gender pay gap requires achieving two goals.

  • First, we must reach and maintain pay equity by ensuring that women and men are paid the same for work of equal value. IPG regularly monitors compensation to ensure gender pay equity across our network and to correct any discrepancies we identify. We have also established a high-level pay equity task force with representatives from across the IPG network.
  • Second, we must ensure that senior roles are filled by equal numbers of women and men wherever possible. IPG was the first in our industry to tie the compensation of CEOs to diversity hiring, promotions, and representation, and we recently committed to expanding the scope of this strategy.

IPG has been named to the Bloomberg Gender Equality Index for our performance against a global threshold for equal pay and gender pay parity, among other aspects of gender equality.

POLICIES AND COMMITMENTS

IPG’s Code of Conduct expresses our respect for the International Labour Organization (ILO) Conventions on discrimination and equal pay.

Our detailed policy on Anti-Harassment and Equal Employment Opportunities Policy (SP&P 400) aims to ensure a fair, ethical, and respectful work environment for all employees. This policy states that IPG and its subsidiaries will provide equal pay for equal work. The policy prohibits discrimination or harassment on the basis of any protected characteristic, details the methods for employees to make complaints regarding any such conduct, and protects them from retaliation. The policy also covers other priorities such as preventing sexual harassment.

In 2020, IPG announced our adoption of the UN Global Compact’s Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs), a program that has been adopted by 3,000 business leaders around the world. IPG is working to integrate these seven principles, including by establishing a high-level pay equity task force with representatives from across the IPG network.

TAKING ACTION

IPG is working toward our gender equity goals using both analytical tools and programming strategies.

Monitoring Pay Equity: IPG annually reviews pay equity by both gender and race in conjunction with an independent consultant. Currently these audits cover U.S.-based operations, and we are working to expand our pay equity review internationally in the coming years. IPG’s pay equity audits utilize a multivariable regression analysis, allowing us to compare the pay of individuals in similar roles. This yields a more specific analysis than a raw gender pay gap measurement.

When gender-based pay gaps are identified, we examine and remediate each case.

We are committed to continuing our ongoing pay reviews to help further improve our pay practices and meet our pay equity goal.

Improving Talent Management: IPG is also working to advance women’s representation in senior roles by: improving hiring and promotion practices, increasing peer support, and addressing disproportionate pressures on women to balance work and family commitments.

  • Hiring practices: IPG was the first in our industry to tie the compensation of CEOs to diversity hiring, promotions, and representation. In 2020, IPG announced plans to increase the accountability of IPG senior leadership for hiring, promoting, and improving representation of women and other under-represented groups.
  • Peer support: IPG has committed to investing additional resources in our Business Resource Groups to scale them up in the U.S. and globally, including through hands-on learning opportunities to “create supportive environments that work for everyone.” One of these Groups is the IPG Women’s Leadership Network, which leverages new findings on gender equality to advocate for every colleague to contribute to creating a more inclusive workplace. The IPG Women’s Leadership Network has chapters in 14 U.S. locations as well as Japan, London, Mumbai, Shanghai, Singapore, and Sydney.
    • In 2020, the IPG Women’s Leadership Network launched the ‘She Has a Point’ campaign to increase the visibility of IPG’s female talent. Launched in conjunction with IPG’s adoption of the WEPs, the campaign aims to help bring the seven Principles to life. The program includes a social media campaign, video content and a website that highlights the business perspectives of senior women leaders across IPG.
    • In August 2020, the Los Angeles chapter of IPG’s Women’s Leadership Network hosted an event featuring women in leadership positions across IPG’s agencies. They discussed their journeys, stories, and experiences, sharing advice on best practices and moving their careers forward.
    • IPG’s Diversity & Inclusion team hosts programming on issues of concern, such as an intersectional discussion on gender bias in media and entertainment, and a panel discussion on implementing and sustaining a more inclusive culture.

Family-friendly schedules and benefits: There are no easy answers for managing both children and jobs during a period of limited school and daycare, or at any time when a parent has a busy career. We not only understand and support the need for flexibility, but celebrate it. For IPG, the diversity of our people and the richness of their lives is what makes us who we are.

  • Parental leave: Our parental leave benefit applies to all employees globally, ensuring they receive a minimum of six weeks leave at 100% pay. Many employees will receive additional paid time off depending on duration of disability, tenure with the company, and local paid leave provisions. See more information and benefits related to IPG’s Parental Leave program under GRI 401-3.
  • Returning to work: Several IPG agencies have a work-from-home practice and flexible schedules, particularly for parents easing back into work after the arrival of a new child. IPG also provides employees with back-up childcare and other related benefits to further support the right work-life balance for each family.
  • Culture of organized flexibility: In 2020, IPG introduced the concept of “organized flexibility,” encouraging managers to make schedules that work for each individual on their team.

Supporting women in our community and industry: IPG plays a leading role as a founding member and Vice-Chair of the UN Women’s Unstereotype Alliance, which aims to eliminate harmful stereotypes from advertising and marketing campaigns. In this capacity, IPG is working toward having all our agencies implement processes that make it routine to eliminate such stereotypes.

IPG participates in and sponsors industry initiatives to highlight, celebrate, and promote increased representation of women in client organizations and in media and technology industry organizations. For example, in 2020, an IPG agency developed a campaign to promote women’s financial empowerment for International Women’s Day, shedding light on stereotypes and terms like “gold digger” and “trophy wife,” and the lifelong consequences of societal beliefs and messages that women are uneducated about money. Another IPG agency worked with the #MeToo organization to launch its next chapter with “Act Too,” a breakthrough platform and brand campaign that engages the world to take part in ending sexual violence.