Genentech, Horizon Earn Spots on List of ‘Companies That Care’
Genentech and Horizon Pharma were the only two biopharma companies that made People’s 2018 list of “50 Companies That Care,” a list that highlights how a company makes a difference in the lives of its employees, as well as the communities those companies call home.
People partnered with Great Places to Work for its “50 Companies that Care” list. The rankings for the People list reflect Great Place to Work's “assessment of the generosity of each organization's benefits, philanthropic and community support, with a particular focus on activities occurring in the last year,” according to the announcement.
Genentech came in at number eight on the list. The South San Francisco-based company, a division of Swiss pharma giant Roche, was named to the list for its support of underserved students. People said employees volunteer in the community to coach students as “part of a four-year biotech pathway co-designed with the local public high school district.” People also pointed to Genentech’s involvement with FutureLab, a K-12 science education program that “engages” more than 1,500 Genentech employee volunteers on an annual basis.
Genentech is no stranger to lists that highlight its impact on communities, as well as taking high spots in “best places to work” lists compiled by various organizations. Earlier this year Genentech came in at numbers 91 on Fortune Magazine’s 2018 top 100 Best Workplaces for Millennials. Earlier this year Genentech took the number two spot in the biopharma rankings of Fortune’s top places for employment in the healthcare and biopharma industries.
Last year, Genentech claimed the overall top spot on the 2017 BioSpace Ideal Employer survey. According to Great Places to Work’s assessment of the pharma company, 92 percent of Genentech employees say their workplace is great.
Ireland-based Horizon Pharma, which has its U.S. headquarters in Lake Forest, Ill., came in at number 46 on the People list. People pointed to Horizon’s partnering with Miracle Flights, an organization that provides free flights to children with rare diseases and their families. Additionally, Horizon “adopted a community math and science academy that has been struggling with violence and poverty.” People said Horizon provided grants that helped the school add a technology laboratory. Horizon employees also organized a backpack and school supplies drive for Florida students affected by last year’s Hurricane Irma.
“It is a great honor to be recognized by People and Great Place to Work as one of the ‘50 Companies That Care,’” Timothy P. Walbert, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Horizon Pharma plc said in a statement. “This distinction is a realization of what we work so hard for at Horizon – to be a positive force for good amid a constantly changing health care system. Our social responsibility programs, patient advocacy support and awareness, dedication to individual employee volunteerism, as well as inclusion initiatives, reflect our company ideals, a commitment to our patients and the communities we serve.”
While Horizon did not make the Fortune Millennials list, it did top the list of best pharma companies to work for, earlier this year. Horizon Pharma earned a 93 percent level of overall support from employees.