Onboarding

During your recruitment process you most likely learned that Boehringer Ingelheim hires employees across the US, supporting various areas of our business. Given our geographical diversity, there is not a one-size fits all onboarding program for our new employees and your onboarding schedule may look different than other new employees starting on the same day. 

While the agenda information for your first few days will vary, all new employees will attend our remotely-hosted New Employee Orientation sessions, NEO for short, on Days 3 and 4 of their first week. These sessions were developed during the changing professional landscape that arose in 2020 and have provided us the opportunity to connect all our new hires across the US. Our NEO sessions allow for our newest employees to hear from colleagues across the organization including members from our Senior Leadership, IT, DICE (Diversity, Inclusion, Culture, and Equity), Ethics & Compliance, Environmental Health, Safety & Security, and our Talent Acquisition teams. 

Invitations for these remotely-hosted sessions will be sent to you within 1-2 business days of your start date, look for these in your Boehringer Ingelheim email once you have access to your equipment. 

Although we’re excited about our NEO sessions, you are probably wondering what to expect during your first two days with Boehringer Ingelheim. As we’ve mentioned, these days will look different for everyone, and the specific agendas will depend on where you are scheduled to work on Day 1 of your employment: Onsite at one of our locations or Remote.

Specific agendas can be found under the next section “Your First Week.”

Your first week will be filled with excitement and opportunities to connect with your new manager and colleagues.  

The agendas for Days 1 and 2 vary by location as each of our sites offer a unique orientation set-up to ensure you receive the necessary information regarding your specific location and department. Your manager, team members, and department colleagues will provide guidance during the days and times not detailed in our orientation agendas. 

We have included links to each site’s agenda below which will provide you more specific details around what topics will be covered during your first day or two. To view the agenda for your first few days with Boehringer Ingelheim, please select the location that corresponds with where you will be on Day 1 of your employment with us.  

If you do not see your Day 1 location listed, please be assured that our team still has an exciting onboarding prepared for you; however, the agendas for these locations during your first few days of employment will be driven by your manager and department colleagues. You will receive more information regarding these details during your first week. You and your manager will want to connect prior to your first day to ensure you align on your arrival time. 

Select your Day 1 location to view your specific agenda:

Once you receive your equipment / system access, you will have a library of resources available to you on INSITE, our company intranet.  

During your first few days, you will want to take some time to complete the following actions within your personnel record:

• Review and update your personal information within SuccessFactors

• Add emergency contact information

• Enter your tax withholding information for W4

You will have access to a new hire checklist that will guide you through these action items and more. 

During your first week, you will want to take a few moments to review your direct deposit information and enter the tax withholdings for the W4. You can change your direct deposit and tax withholdings throughout the year.

Pay Dates:
Specific pay dates are available to you via our company intranet, INSITE. General information regarding the pay frequency is as follows:

• Salaried / Exempt Employees: Paid semi-monthly on the 15th and last day of the month

         *If these dates fall on a weekend or holiday the pay date will be adjusted

• Hourly / Nonexempt Employees: Paid bi-weekly, every other Friday

We all have times where taking time off work is necessary, whether for personal enjoyment, relaxation, caring for oneself or others during sickness, civic duties, military service, or observance of company holidays. Boehringer Ingelheim wants to ensure that our employees feel supported and can strike a balance between their personal and professional needs. As such we offer generous time off plans for all employees.

Paid Time Off
Your offer letter indicated the amount of paid time off you are eligible to accrue. Just like our onboarding agendas, our paid time off amounts vary and there is not typically a one-sized fits all number of days that you are eligible to accrue. Paid time off accrual amounts are based on your education and experience prior to joining Boehringer Ingelheim, as well as your location and position, as some of these have set amounts not requiring a calculation form to be completed pre-hire. 

You can use your paid time off for any reason including, but not limited to, vacation, personal time, and illness. At the end of the year, you will not lose your accrued paid time off hours, instead the hours continue to accrual until you reach the maximum amount allowed for your annual accrual amount. More information on this topic will be available after you start with Boehringer Ingelheim and can access INSITE. 

Other Time Off
For those times when personal and civic obligations, such as jury duty, bereavement, and military service, impact your availability to work, Boehringer Ingelheim provides payment under our Other Time Off policy.  

Company Holidays
Most employees enjoy 13 company observed holidays annually. Depending on your role and / or your location this may vary.  

Boehringer Ingelheim offers a comprehensive total rewards program, broken into four categories: Personal, Professional, Financial, and Physical Wellbeing. 

You will have access to complete benefit details through our Total Rewards Portal. Our benefits team has prepared a video for you to view explaining important information related to our offerings. During your first week, you are highly encouraged to take the time to view the video and review the benefit materials. In addition to these resources, you will have access to a dedicated team, Boehringer Ingelheim Benefits Direct, to assist with any questions you have as you review the materials and complete your enrollment.

Personal Wellbeing

Included in the Personal Wellbeing category are:

• Time Off – previously discussed in separate section.

• Emotional Health – Boehringer Ingelheim partners with Spring Health to provide high-quality support for mental health for you and your household members age 6+. Aetna members also have access to Telemedicine for therapy and psychiatry sessions.

• Family Resources – Programs such as Milk Stork, Adoption / Surrogacy reimbursement, Paid Parental Leave, Short Term Disability (Maternity leave), and discounted childcare through KinderCare Learning Center. For employees working at our Ridgefield campus in Connecticut, we also have a childcare center onsite – Apple Blossom Child Care Center – which has extended hours compared to many area centers.  

• Perks & Voluntary Programs – Options ranging from Auto & Home Insurance, Legal services, Pet Care discounts / rebates, and discounts on various merchandise and services. Our best advice here is to familiarize yourself with all the available options so you can choose what you want to take advantage of as part of this program.

Professional Wellbeing

Our Professional Wellbeing category includes:

• My Career – Access to our internal career opportunities, employee referral program, relocation and immigration program details. 

• Development – You’ll learn quickly that Boehringer Ingelheim has a strong focus on employee development. Employees have the opportunity to join one or more of our many Business Resource Groups (BRGs), advance their development through Boehringer Ingelheim University, mentoring opportunities, educational assistance, skills-based volunteering, and more.  

• AAI & Performance – Accountability, Agility, and Intrapreneurship, commonly referred to as AAI, are the fundamental behaviors our employees utilize to deliver Value Through Innovation. 

• Rewards & Recognition – Boehringer Ingelheim offers an exciting and interactive platform, Boehringer Ingelheim High Five, which empowers our employees to acknowledge their colleagues for their performance, results, and AAI behaviors. Boehringer Ingelheim High Five also allows us to celebrate service milestones and birthdays. Employees can also earn points through the platform that can be redeemed at any time during their employment for merchandise, experiences, and gift cards. 

Financial Wellbeing

Plan for your future with the following resources:

• Retirement – including Boehringer Ingelheim’s Pension plan, which is fully funded by the company and requires no separate enrollment, and our Retirement Savings Plan (RSP), also known as 401(k). More on the RSP is available in a separate section below.

• Total Rewards Statement – You have access to view your Total Rewards statement showing a personalized snapshot of your annual rewards, including both your contributions and the company’s investment in you.

• Compensative & Incentives – Information related to our annual compensation planning cycle, our Variable & Performance Related bonus (VPR), and other job / pay related information. Please note that not all employees are eligible for VPR, including employees who are eligible for the sales incentive plan. Please reference your offer letter for information plan eligibility.

• HSA & FSA – Health Savings and Flexible Savings plan information and a link to the plan provider’s website.  

Physical Wellbeing  

This category includes:

• Health Plans – Medical, Dental, and Vision.

• Resources – Materials related to Telemedicine and Tobacco Cessation.

• Expert Medical Opinion – Information about Teledoc / Medical Experts, helping to answer your questions and provide in-depth medical review.

• Fitness – Information on our virtual fitness resources, including group exercise classes and 1-on-1 personal training, a fitness facility discount network through Active&Fit Direct, and for those working at our Ridgefield campus, details related to our on-site fitness facility. 

For the core benefits, such as medical, dental, and vision coverage, you will have 31 days from your hire date to complete your enrollment.  

Annual enrollment is offered each year in the fall and allows you to make changes to your benefits. Changes to your benefits outside your initial enrollment or the US-wide annual enrollment are not allowed unless you have experienced a qualifying life event.   

Benefits are effective the 1st of the month following your hire date; the exception to this is if your start date is the 1st of the month. In these instances, your benefits would be effective the same day as your start date on the 1st. 

Retirement Savings Plan – 401(k)

All employees are automatically enrolled in our retirement savings plan after 35 days of employment unless you choose to opt out. You can make changes to your contribution through our My Future portal. If you have an existing 401(k) or other retirement plan from a former employer, you will want to work with the My Future team and your existing retirement plan provider if you’d like to rollover your savings into your plan with Boehringer Ingelheim.

Hopefully, you are as excited as we are to be a member of the Boehringer Ingelheim team. Share your enthusiasm with your friends, former colleagues, and anyone else you know who may be interested in joining us. We LOVE referrals and offer an incentive for successful referrals. You can begin referring candidates Day 1 of your employment. Please note we do have a process and policy in place for our referrals, so please make sure you are aware of the details so there are no hiccups when it comes to your opportunity to be incentivized for referring quality candidates.