Employee engagement—the emotional and psychological connection our associates feel about their workplace and the work we do—is central to both individual and business success. We are committed to strengthening employee engagement at Nielsen, because engagement isn’t just a Human Resources (HR) priority—it’s one of Nielsen’s key strategic priorities.

We aim to engage all of our associates through the Nielsen Employee Experience, which focuses on the three aspects of our employee value proposition:

• Be Yourself: We aim to enable associates to be their best selves, offer unique and varied perspectives and respect and embrace the diverse perspectives of each other. 
• Make a Difference: Every Nielsen associate has the ability and the power to make a positive impact on our company, our clients, our teams and colleagues, and the communities in which we live and work.
• Grow with Us: We encourage each associate to own their career by sharing their goals and engaging in learning and developmental programs.

We also foster engagement through:

• Regular employee/manager one-on-ones;
• A new learning experience platform, myLearning powered by Degreed; 
• Employee Resource Groups, Green Teams and Nielsen Cares volunteer opportunities, which come together at the local level through our office-based Inclusion Impact Teams;
• Regular town hall meetings that foster dialogue between leaders and employees; 
• The Engagement Influencer program, a community of ambassadors who work within their sphere of influence to promote engagement; and
• Google Currents communities, which enable associates to connect on a variety of topics, including career growth, learning and development, as well as to ask questions directly of our CEO and senior management. 

Measuring and monitoring employee engagement and satisfaction 

To track our progress, we maintain open communication channels and feedback mechanisms that help to deepen connections between leaders and their teams and ensure that associates feel connected no matter where they work within the company.

Since 2017, we have enlisted Gallup to gauge employees’ level of engagement through an annual, companywide survey. The survey, available in multiple languages, includes questions that tie to measurable performance outcomes, which demonstrate effective employee engagement. We share survey results with senior leaders, managers and all associates through our company newsletter, global town halls and manager-led team discussions. Managers are expected to develop team-specific action plans based on the survey results, focusing on areas important to the team and where they can make meaningful progress. 

Our Talent Engagement & Development strategy seeks to engage and develop associates to support their personal and professional development and drive better business outcomes for Nielsen. We believe that managing one’s career development and growth should be an ongoing collaboration between each associate, their manager and the broader Nielsen community. We are committed to ensuring that our people feel valued and know their work matters, and to empowering them to learn, grow, make a difference and reach their full potential.

In our annual talent review, our HR team and business leaders do a deep dive into their organizations to plan for leadership succession, talent movements and development paths for our associates. This review helps to support employees’ career development and the development of a talent pipeline that meets business needs. 

All employees have access to myCareer, our career management system. Through this system, associates can create a profile that summarizes their career background, experiences, product knowledge, technical skills, languages spoken and career aspirations, and indicates when they are actively seeking new opportunities. Hiring managers then use this tool to select potential candidates who may be a good fit for open roles.

We also offer mentoring programs that provide valuable learning, development and networking experiences, matching associates with mentors who can support their personal and professional development objectives. We enable these mentoring relationships both within and beyond an associate’s business unit, country or region through our global myMentor program.

Finally, our Diverse Leadership Network helps to further diversify our workforce, especially our management and leadership team, as described in the Diversity & Inclusion section.

For more information about careers at Nielsen, see our career stories webpage.

Performance review process

All employees receive annual performance reviews. We also encourage associates to have focused “check-in” discussions at least three times per year as well as ongoing one-on-one conversations with their managers. During the check-ins, managers provide feedback on job performance and discuss associates’ career and skill development, future aspirations, work-life balance and other issues that may impact job satisfaction and performance. 

Access to career planning resources and performance reviews, including percentage of employees receiving performance reviews and percentage receiving multidimensional feedback 

All associates have access to career development resources and performance reviews. Four percent of employees elected to receive multidimensional performance reviews in both 2018 and 2019. 

Employee training programs, including training policy, programs to upgrade employee skills and training for nonmanagers

We have made significant investments in technology and programs that provide easy-to-access, on-demand learning and skill development anytime, anywhere.

In 2019, we introduced two significant improvements to our training toolkit: 

• A new learning experience platform—myLearning powered by Degreed—that enables employees to engage in learning activities best suited to their individual needs and supports our commitment to build a culture of learning at Nielsen. 
• A new Associate Development program that provides learning across a wide spectrum of soft skills, including those required for the workforce of the future. 

myLearning by Degreed leverages free content and subscription-based resources, such as Harvard Business Publishing, as well as internally developed programs presented in a blended and highly personalized manner. It features a robust learning catalog, including manager and leadership development, technical skills and product knowledge, as well as modules about Nielsen’s global responsibility and sustainability efforts, including information about how associates can engage and make an impact through Nielsen Cares and Nielsen Green. As we evolve as a company—and give associates new ways to learn and grow—we are providing opportunities to “re-skill” and “up-skill” for associates who may take on new career paths, whether as a result of changing technological trends or new areas of interest. Degreed allows us to expand our training offerings to meet these changing needs. 

We are also focused on building leadership skills, as these have a direct impact on business performance, employee engagement and helping our clients address critical business issues. We offer leadership development programs for associates at all levels, including:

• The Emerging Leaders Program (ELP), which is for early-career associates and includes tracks for associates across HR, Finance and our Commercial business;
• Workshops for mid-level leaders on a path to more senior positions;
• Functional- and business-area Leadership Forums;
• The Diverse Leadership Network for mid-career, high-performing diverse talent; and
• A Manager Excellence program that focuses on key behaviors such as managing the business, leading teams, developing people and employee engagement, as well as on leading with integrity, including how managers should (and should not) handle any integrity issues they receive.

For some of these programs, we have worked with educational institutions in order to deliver the most cutting-edge content to our participating associates. For example, participants in our Diverse Leadership Network participated in coursework at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School in Atlanta. 

We also create new training modules as needed to support associates in specific functional areas. For our client-facing associates, for example, we have developed courses on presenting effectively to clients, sales, and negotiation skills.

Overall, we remain committed to helping prepare the workforce of tomorrow for successful careers. We offer a variety of internship programs and apprenticeships in locations around the world for those just getting started in their careers, based on specific business needs. Since 2016, we have offered students the unique opportunity to complete a fellowship at the Nielsen Media Lab, where they can leverage Nielsen’s resources to research a topic of their choosing.

Apprenticeship programs

Nielsen U.K. has managed an award-winning apprenticeship program since 2014, with graduates successfully transitioning into roles across our organization. In 2017, we launched a degree-level apprenticeship, through which students complete rotations at Nielsen while studying for a degree in business and management practice certified by Oxford Brookes University. In 2018, we welcomed 12 new apprentices to this program. In 2019, we had 24 apprentices working across Nielsen, all of whom are guaranteed a role at the end of their program.  

In early 2020 in Karachi, Pakistan, we collaborated with the Institute of Business Administration to launch an educational market research initiative for graduating students called Nielsen Academy. The program, comprising both coursework and fieldwork, aims to not only equip students with the knowledge necessary to excel in the workforce, but also provide them the opportunity to learn about the latest research dynamics from experts in the field.

Measuring training effectiveness, including quantitatively measuring benefits from investments in employee development programs, and monitoring and measuring human capital development

We track the effectiveness of our training programs by measuring skill development, internal role changes, retention, international job transfers and other measures. We do not track the total number of hours spent in training as a measure of success, because we know that much learning happens outside of formal training programs through day-to-day engagement across teams and associates, and because we are focused on cultivating the positive outcomes of these development opportunities through meaningful metrics such as those mentioned previously, like employee satisfaction and growth in the organization. 

We recently upgraded our learning management and training system to myLearning by Degreed. Since its launch in September 2019, we have engaged more than 16,000 employees through this new platform. In addition to myLearning by Degreed, our associates are also offered other training opportunities in person in our offices around the world, as well as other options that are relevant to their job functions and responsibilities.

Initiatives for talent recruitment

To succeed as a company, we need the right people in the right jobs. As much as possible, we seek to hire from within. In 2018, 27% of open positions were filled by internal candidates; in 2019, 28% of open positions were filled by internal candidates.

When hiring externally, we work hard to ensure the right fit. All university hires and most experienced hires attend in-office sessions where we can observe how they engage with a diverse group of associates—from first-year analysts to senior executives—and with each other in a variety of formal and informal settings. 

To ensure we consider and hire more diverse candidates, we require diverse candidate slates. In the U.S. we define “diverse slates” as including at least two ethnically diverse candidates and at least two female candidates. Globally, diverse slates focus on having at least two female candidates in the slate. We are also rolling out training on unconscious bias, to educate our managers about biases in their hiring practices that they may not be aware of. Our Employee Resource Groups often assist with recruitment through candidate referrals and recruitment events at universities.

We are also committed to expanding our talent recruitment channels to include candidates with nontraditional backgrounds and career histories. Similar to our commitment to impact sourcing, we seek to increase the number of applicants from nontraditional channels in order to provide a path to employment for those who may otherwise be excluded.

Onboarding process

We work to successfully integrate employees into the company from day one by helping new hires understand our culture, be clear on their roles and feel connected to their new team and to the broader Nielsen community. Our First 30 onboarding initiative includes a Discover Nielsen training that provides a welcome from our CEO, an overview of the company and our culture—including our focus on diversity and inclusion—an introduction to growing their careers, and an overview of our global responsibility and sustainability programs, among other topics. It also emphasizes the value of integrity in everything we do.

As new associates continue through their first 30 days at the company, they have access to an onboarding website that provides a one-stop resource for information about training, benefits, travel and expenses and technical support. The First 30 program also includes manager and HR onboarding guides and access to our Google Currents new hire community, to help new associates feel more connected.

To track the effectiveness of our First 30 initiative and continually improve the new hire experience, we regularly seek guidance from an onboarding network composed of global colleagues.

Hiring cost per full-time employee (FTE)

In 2019, our hiring cost per FTE was $1,670; in 2018, it was $1,781. These figures include all recruiting costs and reflect a global average.

Compensation approach

Nielsen is committed to providing appropriate pay and benefits for all associates, commensurate with the work being performed and in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. Our associates are rewarded and promoted based on performance against priorities and how they live the Nielsen values. Similar roles may have different pay levels due to factors such as the overall performance of the business and team, the associate’s experience, geographic location and market conditions.

Our pay philosophy is to provide a total compensation package that is market-competitive based on data provided by independent third parties and that also provides an opportunity for pay growth and role progression based on individual contribution and company performance. We regularly review our compensation practices to ensure they are equitable and support our pay-for-performance philosophy and culture of diversity and inclusion.

Gender pay equity 

Gender pay equity is fundamental to Nielsen’s compensation philosophy and practices. We have robust employee data on gender globally, and we conduct regular audits to ensure that our pay outcomes reflect our commitment to pay equity. 

All of our compensation decisions take gender equity into consideration, and with each of our annual compensation planning processes, we review associate pay for gender balance and fairness. Additionally, we conduct our detailed pay equity analysis annually, including a review with our Board of Directors. To do this, we developed a scientific and statistically driven analytic method to assess the gender pay gap. The method controls for variables that may influence pay (such as performance, experience, location, tenure and other factors) and is applied consistently and globally. The results from the 2019 assessment show that, on average, across all countries measured, we have a global pay gap of less than 1%. We prioritize individual level reviews for countries where we have a pay gap above 2%. Should we find specific instances of pay inequity for individuals in similar jobs, we develop action plans to close gaps. We are fully committed to gender pay equity, and we continue to review and refine our methodology and drill down by country and job to ensure pay equity is continuously addressed across the organization. As the business continues to evolve and population shifts, we are focused on equality across the employee lifecycle, and gender pay equity is an ongoing process and a constant goal.

Median employee vs. CEO pay

1. Median annual salary of all global employees, excluding CEO.
2. Mitch Barns was Nielsen’s CEO until December 3, 2018. 
3. In 2018, the Compensation Committee approved David Kenny’s compensation package. The package was constructed to attract a candidate of his leadership caliber and proven entrepreneurial and digital technology experience in a highly competitive recruitment market. His target compensation was positioned at the median of our market benchmarks. More details about all aspects of his total compensation are included in our 2019 Proxy Statement, pp. 39-40. 

See 2020 Proxy Statement, p. 68, and 2019 Proxy Statement, pp. 39-40, 70.

Short-term pay incentives

Nielsen’s compensation programs include several short-term incentive programs, such as the global Annual Incentive Plan (which covers approximately 11,000 employees and rewards individual contributions to producing superior business results) and Sales Incentive Plans (which reward client-facing associates based on their growing relationships with existing clients or expanding services to new clients). We also offer long-term incentive plans through our equity plan. Restricted Stock Unit and/or Stock Option awards are granted annually to senior-level and professional associates. Additionally, our Employee Stock Purchase Plan provides associates at all levels of the company the opportunity to purchase Nielsen stock on a quarterly basis at a 5% discount.

Retirement planning and savings, including defined benefit plan obligations

Financial well-being is a critical part of our total well-being approach, and we recognize that financial concerns contribute to employees’ well-being. We assess measurable financial metrics—including 401k participation, contributions and investment type—to assess whether employees are optimizing retirement planning benefits. As a result of direct employee feedback, we decided to offer employees the opportunity to purchase Nielsen stock at a 5% discount through our Employee Stock Purchase Plan. 

We also offer financial well-being training through regular seminars and webinars for our associates. 

We use internal employee data to identify opportunities to promote participation in our financial benefits program using segmented approaches by age, generation, location, correlation among risk scores and other relevant factors.  

See also our 2018 10-K, pp. 90-91, and our 2019 10-K, p. 93.

Healthcare programs

Nielsen offers medical insurance benefits and wellness programs for associates that meet or exceed market norms. We’ve expanded our focus to promote total well-being, including personal health, financial health and work-life balance, and to encourage engagement in activities such as exercise, healthy eating, stress management, resilience and volunteering. Through our Whole You program (see more below), we strive to bring all of the pieces of employee health and well-being together in a comprehensive and coordinated benefits program. 

Reproductive health benefits, including adoption benefits, fertility benefits and gender reassignment benefits

Adoption: Full-time associates in the U.S. are eligible for up to $25,000 in reimbursement for adoption expenses under our Adoption Assistance program. Adoptive parents also receive 12 paid weeks for bonding time. In 2019, Nielsen was named No. 8 out of the top 100 Best Adoption-Friendly Workplaces by the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. To make the top 100, organizations are assessed on their financial reimbursement and paid leave offerings,  compared with other companies across the U.S.

Fertility: In the U.S., Nielsen covers in full two cycles of fertility treatment (with no dollar limit) and offers a $25,000 surrogacy reimbursement for families that choose that path to parenthood.

Gender reassignment: In the U.S., gender reassignment is covered by our health plan, subject to medical criteria.

Employee well-being/additional health and wellness benefits, including nonoccupational health programs; healthy lifestyle incentives; and substance abuse, mental health, fitness, health and nutrition, and stress management programs

Whole You program: Nielsen is committed to creating a culture of health and well-being and to giving associates and their families the resources they need to live healthier lives. Our Whole You program focuses not just on physical health—though that’s an essential part—but also on the emotional, financial, social and environmental well-being of our associates.

The Whole You online interactive platform provides associates with self-assessments, tools, resources and guides to holistic wellness in areas such as nutrition, exercise, stress management and work-life balance. We offer regular webinars on these and other topics for our global associates, and we also offer a variety of on-site wellness initiatives at our office locations around the world, ranging from webinars on stress management to financial planning to exercise classes. Some Nielsen locations also offer monthly on-site visits from holistic health and wellness coaches, nutritionists and exercise experts.

We offer incentives to encourage employee participation in our wellness programs. In the U.S., associates and insured spouses/partners can earn up to $300 in incentives for exercising, making healthy eating choices, tracking their sleep, and getting appropriate immunizations and relevant health testing as well as an annual physical.  

Also in the U.S., those covered through our medical plans can earn annual premium discounts for healthy or improved weight, blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels, as well as for being tobacco-free (or completing a cessation program), through our voluntary Healthy Measures program. Additionally, U.S. employees are eligible for a Get Healthy Rewards Program reimbursement to cover out-of-pocket costs for fitness classes, gyms, bike-share programs and weight-reduction programs.

To support consistent and high-quality health and well-being offerings across our global operations, we have a set of global coverage guidelines that outline the types of programs that should be offered in each of the Whole You program areas of physical well-being, emotional well-being, financial well-being, and environmental and social well-being. In our initial compliance assessment in 2016, we reviewed all global sites with 50+ employees—representing approximately 150 worksites in 68 countries and about 70% of Nielsen’s global employee population—and found that 96% of the worksites received either a bronze, silver or gold certification. Nearly half (70 worksites) received gold-level certification, meaning that at least 10 of the 14 guidelines were met. We will continue to reassess initiatives periodically as we use the insights from this assessment and other feedback to evolve our global well-being strategy.

Mental health: In the U.S., we provide twice-annual mental health awareness/suicide prevention training to both associates and people leaders as well as a Mental Health Resources Guide. Globally, we provide ongoing webinars around topics such as suicide prevention, stress management, mindfulness and relaxation techniques. Most locations have access to mental health services in some capacity. During Global Mental Health Month, we sponsor global efforts to destigmatize mental illness and urge associates to talk about their challenges and support themselves and each other. 

We also provide annual training for HR business partners, people leaders and associates to recognize the signs and symptoms of an associate in need of emotional assistance or intervention. This training is specifically designed to provide the information and tools necessary to help ensure the safety of the associate and fellow co-workers.  

Stress management: We provide regular webinars throughout each year hosted by medical doctors, psychologists and social workers around the topics of stress reduction, mindfulness and relaxation techniques. Many offices also bring in experts in the areas of meditation, yoga and stretching.

Substance abuse: We address substance abuse as part of our ongoing well-being mental health webinars. These webinars include tips for identifying potential substance abuse and how to seek and provide help. 

Fitness programs: In the U.S., we subsidize almost all fitness programs at the rate of $75 per quarter. Additionally, we offer free on-site fitness programs or events in most global offices. We also encourage employee fitness through our Global Step Up Challenge. In this month-long competition, associates form teams and compete at the country, location and business-unit level to see which team can collectively walk the greatest number of steps during the challenge. This voluntary challenge provides opportunities for associates to set goals and encourage one another, no matter where they are on their health and wellness journey.

Nutrition: Where applicable, we focus on providing healthy offerings in our cafes and cafeterias. In several offices, we provide an array of free healthy snacks and drinks. Our ongoing well-being webinars include nutrition topics, such as eating for health, and weight loss. In the U.S., our health coach provides on-site nutritional counseling and demonstrations (which are live-streamed to accommodate associates from around the world) as well as one-on-one counseling. We also offer Platejoy, a menu planning/recipe/grocery shopping app, to all U.S. associates. Our global well-being ambassadors work to help provide healthy options during events.

Employee emergency support: Through the Nielsen Global Support Fund, associates can donate to fellow associates in need and apply for grants in times of personal hardship or natural disaster. In 2018 and 2019 collectively, the fund administered 30 grants to associates in need (13 grants in 2018, and 17 grants in 2019).

Paid time off, including parental leave

We offer generous paid and unpaid leave options for a range of employee needs. The options include paid vacation, parental leave, bereavement leave, sick days, military training and active duty, short- and long-term disability, volunteering and community service, and jury duty. 

To help ensure a healthy work-life balance, we have implemented myTime, through which there is no maximum limit on the number of vacation days that associates can take in a year. Our myTime program gives associates the flexibility and autonomy to manage their work time and decide when and how much vacation time to take. It enables associates to take the time to follow their own passions, explore and recharge with friends and family throughout the year.

Parental leave: We offer paid time off for our associates to take parental leave. In the U.S., we offer a market-leading paid leave of 20 weeks for birth mothers, with 12 weeks of paid leave as bonding time for all parents.

Employees Taking Parental Leave

Please see our Guide to Time Away from Work for full details on paid time off at Nielsen. Also see our Family and Medical Leave Policy statement. 

Flexible work hours and work-life balance

All global offices provide flexible schedules when and where practical. And we offer the myTime program, described above. 

In addition to flexible work schedules and flexible time off, in the U.S., Nielsen provides subsidies for backup childcare at home or at a daycare center. We work with Bright Horizons to provide support to families in need of child care and elder care as well as other services such as college admissions support.

Responsible management of reorganizations and employee layoffs

No major layoffs occurred during the reporting period. For more information, please see our 2019 10-K pp. 44-46 for the consolidated results, including restructuring charges, for the year ended December 31, 2019 compared to the year ended December 31, 2018.

Nielsen offers a severance program in many countries that includes salary continuation and often transition assistance such as outplacement and continued employee benefits, if a separated associate qualifies for severance. In all countries, all applicable laws are followed for separation benefits. Separation notice to employees is governed either by minimum notice periods or governing law.

We have implemented a retention program connected to our Strategic Review. To support retention during times of change, we also have strong financial incentives in place for our senior leaders to encourage them to stay with the company and to drive growth and margin expansion.

In the European Union, Nielsen guarantees the right of information and consultation through employees’ representative bodies. Consultation takes place within a timeframe that allows works councils to deliver an opinion and/or recommendation about possible consequences and impact to the employees of business changes. In the exercise of their function, workers’ representatives are protected. The company ensures that members of works councils and trade unions are not adversely affected in their careers as a result of the exercise of their function. 

Grievance mechanisms training/compliance

Nielsen associates may file formal or informal grievances through any member of management, including their own or next-level managers, and any member of Human Resources. We also maintain a Helpline through which associates can bring formal and informal grievances anonymously. Associates and others can share concerns or ask questions via the Helpline in a number of different ways, including but not limited to: by country-specific phone numbers, on the Helpline website, and by reaching out to our Global Compliance & Integrity team at SpeakUp@nielsen.com or Integrity@nielsen.com. Additional contact details and options are listed on page 49 of our Nielsen Code of Conduct. 

All grievances are investigated promptly. Our Code of Conduct and trainings assure that no associates are to be retaliated against for bringing forth formal or informal grievances. As part of our continuous improvement approach, our Global Compliance & Integrity team recently refined our reporting process for many grievances to be investigated directly by HR as well as Integrity Leaders globally.

All employees have access to our grievance process and related policies, including our Code of Conduct, on our company intranet site, Nielsen Now, which is translated into all major languages as well as any others where required by law.

See also: 

• Nielsen Code of Conduct
• Global Commitment to Human Rights

Working conditions policy

As it relates to our direct employees, Nielsen follows all national, federal, state and local wage and hour laws. Nielsen associates are not required to work “excessive hours,” and all employees are free to leave work during breaks and meal allotments as well as at the end of their shifts. Terms of employment are covered in each individual associate’s employment letter. In the U.S., Nielsen follows all guidelines outlined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. We expect our suppliers to abide by our Supplier Code of Conduct as it relates to their own labor standards. 

See also: 

• Nielsen Code of Conduct
• Nielsen Supplier Code of Conduct
• Global Commitment to Human Rights

Collective bargaining and freedom of association policy

We fully support workers’ right to freely associate and bargain collectively. Approximately 30% of Nielsen employees are covered by collective bargaining agreements and local works councils. In the European Union, 100% of Nielsen employees are covered by the European Works Council (EWC). We consult with the EWC regularly and request their opinions and/or recommendations about significant business decisions.

In some countries, we have multiple agreements to cover works councils and unions. In other countries, we may have no written agreements but follow all laws and government regulations.

In Europe, to ensure collective bargaining rights, we periodically review freedom of association and share the results with the EWC. 

See also:

• Global Commitment to Human Rights

Minimum notice periods for operational changes

In the U.S., we follow a best practice of at least 30 days minimum notice period for operational changes. 

Incidents of noncompliance with labor standards

There have been no instances of noncompliant labor standards during the reporting period. Also, no back wages or civil penalties were assessed by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division during the reporting period.

Health and safety management system, prevention of incidents, and training

In 2019, we were proud to be named one of the Top 100 U.S. Companies Supporting Healthy Communities and Families by JUST Capital, and as a silver winner in the National Business Group on Health’s “Best Employers: Excellence in Health & Well-Being” awards.

Our workforce is predominantly based in offices, where occupational safety issues are minimal. Therefore, this issue has not risen to the level of high materiality for Nielsen.

However, we do have a significant population of field associates who recruit and maintain relationships with our research panelists, visit retail stores for inventory tracking and/or service Nielsen equipment. These associates are critical to our success as a company, and we strive to ensure that they stay safe on the job. The most common health and safety issues they face are slip-and-fall injuries and traffic accidents.

We track all relevant incidents to determine causes and trends, and then develop preventative steps to minimize those occurrences through adoption of additional safety measures and training. 

Nielsen maintains workers’ compensation safety guidelines and manager training presentations to equip our associates with the tools they need to prevent—and as needed, to report—work-related injuries or illnesses. For associates who drive as a function of their job, we provide a fleet safety manual and safety training.

For our Television Audience Measurement Operations in the U.S., we maintain a safety committee that looks at ways to help reduce safety risks that might result in workers’ compensation claims and auto injuries. In 2018, we updated our field safety training program. All new hires to this team participate in this training, and existing associates take an annual refresher training. The committee also created a safety dashboard, to give managers an up-to-date look at workers’ compensation claims and auto loss data. The committee continues to work on additional issues, including personal safety devices, procedures for avoiding exposure to contagious diseases, and drug screening and testing.

Nielsen’s approach to safety management includes:

• Safe work procedures and written instructions;
• Health and safety training and instructions;
• Identifying hazards and managing risk;
• Inspections of premises, equipment, workplaces and work practices;
• Investigation of incidents, as needed;
• A Joint Health and Safety Committee and representatives;
• Occupational health and safety programs; and
• System auditing.

Work-related injuries

Because our workforce is predominantly based in offices, where occupational safety issues are minimal, we do not publicly report work-related injury data. The primary types of work-related injuries experienced by Nielsen associates, primarily occurring among our field staff, are motor vehicle accidents, slips and trips, animal/insect bites, and manual material handling/lifting injuries.

Headcount details

Please note that for the purposes of our 10-K reporting, we use full-time equivalents, whereas for this more detailed reporting on our workforce, we have used total headcount. Percentages may not sum to 100 due to rounding. Total headcount includes full-time and part-time headcount. Temporary headcount includes consultants and interns. See the Diversity & Inclusion section for additional data. 

New hires and turnover

¹ Absolute turnover rate includes voluntary and involuntary exits divided by December 2018 and December 2019 headcount.

² This metric shows internal hires as a percentage of total hires, calculated as % Internal Hires = # Internal Hires / (# Internal Hires + # External Hires). Internal hires are defined as lateral moves and promotions.

Percentages may not sum to 100 due to rounding. Please note that for the purposes of our 10-K reporting, we use full-time equivalents, whereas for this more detailed reporting on our workforce, we have used total headcount.