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Company Narrative
UnitedHealth Group, a global corporation offering insurance and managed care services, is the largest healthcare company in the world and has been ranked as a TRAILBLAZER on the Women’s Power and Influence Index.
UnitedHealth Group has achieved pay parity and offers an employee resource group, LEAD (Learn, Engage, Advance, Develop), to help connect women within its workplace.
As of 2022, over three-quarters of UnitedHealth Group’s workforce is women, with 40% of leadership positions being held by women.
Sufficient information on UnitedHealth Group’s childcare policies, including subsidized care, could not be found.
Workforce Profile
Equitable Pay
✓ Does the company demonstrate a clear and transparent commitment to equal pay?
“We are committed to and continue to prioritize pay equity for all employees. Fair and equitable compensation practices within a pay-for-performance framework support our culture and are critical to achieving our mission.”
Ref: UnitedHealth Group Pay Equity Web Page 2023
✓ Does the company perform an annual analysis of gender pay equity and pay disparities?
“We continue to work with independent, third-party experts to perform reviews of our compensation practices and evaluate pay equity in several respects, including by gender, ethnicity and race.”
Ref: UnitedHealth Group Pay Equity Web Page 2023
✓ Do female employees earn at least 95% of what their male counterparts earn?
“A 2022 review of our integrated workforce – including our global operations – indicates females earn $1 for every $1 males earn performing similar work at similar levels. In addition, people of color in the U.S. earn $1 for every $1 white employees earn performing similar work at similar levels.”
Career Growth
✓ Does the company demonstrate a commitment to actively attracting, retaining, and/or promoting women within the organization?
“We approach diversity, equity and inclusion as a business priority. To date, we have achieved 40% representation for women in top management and are working to increase racial representation in leadership. Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino and Asian employees are key areas of focus in our future talent strategies as we work toward increasing racial representation.”
Ref: Pg. 47, UnitedHealth Group Sustainability Report 2022
✓ Does the company provide professional development programs designed specifically for female employees?
“UnitedHealth Group’s enterprise-wide Employee Resource Groups foster a more inclusive, diverse workplace. These connected communities focus on the diverse experiences, backgrounds and attributes that make each of us one of a kind. Members of these groups connect with other team members from across the enterprise to foster a greater sense of belonging and inclusion while enabling themselves and others to be heard, supported and valued by their peers and leaders. Women LEAD (Learn, Engage, Advance, Develop)”
Ref: UnitedHealth Group Our Culture Web Page 2023
✓ Does the company provide professional development programs designed specifically for diverse employees?
“As chair of the African American ERG, Dr. Kenneth Poole is championing the voices of African American employees to promote a culture of inclusion and belonging and help UnitedHealth Group achieve its mission. As UnitedHealth Group’s chief medical officer for clinician and provider experience, he is focused on fostering clinician connectedness — which provides him with a unique perspective around building community, culture and professional fulfillment… ‘Leading an ERG is my opportunity to share the lessons and expertise I’ve gained to positively impact professional and leadership growth for the African American population within our company'”
Ref: Pg. 50, UnitedHealth Group Sustainability Report 2022
✘ Does the company offer a formal mentoring program to support the career advancement of all female employees?
Information regarding this criterion was unavailable or incomplete.
✘ Does the company offer a formal mentoring program to support the career advancement of diverse employees?
Information regarding this criterion was unavailable or incomplete.
✘ Does the company have policies and programs in place to actively recruit female candidates?
Information regarding this criterion was unavailable or incomplete.
✘ Does the company have policies and programs in place to actively recruit diverse candidates?
Information regarding this criterion was unavailable or incomplete.
Work-Life Balance
✓ Does the company demonstrate a commitment to providing support and/or time off for women with children?
“In 2022, we began offering a new maternity and infant care program providing personalized care and support for pregnancy, postpartum and return-to-work needs. It also includes 24/7 access to a dedicated care advocate and more than 30 types of specialists.”
Ref: Pg. 52, UnitedHealth Group Sustainability Report 2022
✘ Does the company provide child care support for employees?
Information regarding this criterion was unavailable or incomplete.
✘ Does the company offer subsidized child care?
Information regarding this criterion was unavailable or incomplete.
✓Does the company offer paid maternity leave for birthing parents?
“Our expanded paid parental leave provides both primary and non-primary caregivers up to six consecutive weeks of paid leave upon the birth of a child or the placement of a child for adoption or foster care. This benefit can be used flexibly to support a continuous full-time leave, supplement a short-term disability claim, allow a reduced work schedule, and/or extend a leave beyond Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) requirements.”
Ref: Pg. 52, UnitedHealth Group Sustainability Report 2022
✓Does the company provide paid parental leave that extends beyond birthing parents to include surrogacy, adoption, and paternity leave?
“Our expanded paid parental leave provides both primary and non-primary caregivers up to six consecutive weeks of paid leave upon the birth of a child or the placement of a child for adoption or foster care. This benefit can be used flexibly to support a continuous full-time leave, supplement a short-term disability claim, allow a reduced work schedule, and/or extend a leave beyond Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) requirements.”
Ref: Pg. 52, UnitedHealth Group Sustainability Report 2022
✓ Does the company demonstrate a commitment to supporting the health benefits of its female employees?
“Our social responsibility efforts in 2022 continued to enhance the well-being of our communities by increasing access to integrated behavioral and medical care, addressing key health disparities and social needs for mothers, infants and older adults, and building a diverse and dynamic health workforce. Together with our grant partners, we are investing in solutions to address some of the nation’s most pressing health challenges.”
Ref: Pg. 30, UnitedHealth Group Sustainability Report 2022
✘ Does the company offer women-specific health benefits for female employees?
Information regarding this criterion was unavailable or incomplete.
Workplace Standards
✓ Does the company have a policy listing prohibited behaviors, such as harassment and retaliation?
“UnitedHealth Group does not permit discrimination or harassment on the basis of age, race, gender, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, disability, marital status, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, status with respect to public assistance, or any other characteristic protected by state, federal, or local law. Similarly, UnitedHealth Group prohibits any intimidation or retaliation against individuals who make good-faith complaints or reports of discrimination, harassment, violence, or threats, or any other violation of this Code or Company policy.”
Ref: Pg. 37, UnitedHealth Group Code of Conduct 2021
✓ Does the company mandate all employees to undergo harassment and discrimination training?
“Approximately 95% of employees agreed the compliance and ethics training provided them with adequate information to operate in compliance with the policies, laws and regulations associated with their job. We continuously work to update and improve our training with the input of subject matter experts and feedback from employees. UnitedHealth Group believes supporting human rights is core to advancing our mission to help people live healthier lives and help make the health system work better for everyone. We are committed to a company culture that embraces inclusion, diversity, innovation and growth while upholding the highest ethical standards in how we operate internally and externally. One way we demonstrate this commitment is to require all employees to complete either a manager or employee training course covering sexual and other harassment and discrimination.”
Ref: Pgs. 75-76, UnitedHealth Group Sustainability Report 2022
✓ Does the company have a defined harassment policy that includes promptly addressing reported incidents?
“If you have any concerns about reporting a potential violation to your manager, or if you have already done so but you believe the matter has not been addressed, contact your business Compliance Officer or the Compliance & Ethics HelpCenter. Managers who receive such reports are required to take immediate action, and involve Legal, Compliance, or Human Capital representatives, as appropriate. UnitedHealth Group will take all reasonable precautions to maintain the confidentiality of those who report an ethics or compliance concern to the extent allowed by Company policy and the law. Intimidation and retaliation in any form is prohibited against an individual who, in good faith, reports a suspected violation of this Code, Company policies, the law, or contractual obligations. You should immediately report any suspected retaliation to HRdirect or the Compliance & Ethics HelpCenter. Making malicious or purposely false reports also violates Company policy and will result in disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment.”
Ref: Pg. 11, UnitedHealth Group Code of Conduct 2021
Stakeholder Engagement
✓ Does the company demonstrate a commitment to helping external stakeholders address gender equality issues?
“Our sustainability efforts are overseen by the executive vice president of Corporate Affairs – in partnership with senior leaders across the company – and include engagement with external stakeholders on environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives. The Public Policy Strategies and Responsibility Committee of the Board of Directors is formally charged with overseeing our sustainability strategy and performance. Additional committees of the Board of Directors have responsibility for ESG topics, including the Audit, Compensation and Human Resources, and Nomination and Corporate Governance committees.”
Ref: Pg. 4, UnitedHealth Group Sustainability Report 2020
✓ Does the company offer and support initiatives that promote gender equality in the community?
“UnitedHealth Group is currently investing nearly $9.3 million in 13 states to address maternal and infant health issues. These philanthropic programs are designed to target at-risk populations and improve access to care with a focus on prenatal and perinatal health, infant health, workforce development, and mental and behavioral health.
For example, an estimated 500 underserved perinatal women in Brooklyn are receiving screenings, breastfeeding support and newborn care services annually through the United Health Foundation’s partnership with CAMBA Inc., which deploys community health workers to family shelters and public housing developments.”
✓ Does the company demonstrate a commitment to helping internal stakeholders/employees address gender equality issues?
“We strive to understand the lived experiences of our employees to better support their work experience. Our DEI Employee Experience Research Initiative partners with a research think tank to provide a deeper understanding of employee experiences and insights as well as identify meaningful solutions to advance DEI through stakeholder interviews, focus groups, employee journaling, and quantitative and qualitative surveys.”
Ref: Pg. 48, UnitedHealth Group Sustainability Report 2022
✓ Does the company offer equity-focused trainings, speaker programs, or events for employees?
“In June 2022, we hosted our first-ever DEI Innovation Lab, an enterprise-wide, design-thinking experience seeking to better understand the experiences of our employees. More than 100 employees participated in this opportunity to provide insights and create solutions. The event resulted in ideas for increasing leadership accountability, improving psychological safety in the workplace, making talent management work for everyone, and adding enhancements to help our employees feel valued, seen and rewarded.”
Ref: Pg. 48, UnitedHealth Group Sustainability Report 2022