Religious Freedom & Business Foundation honours MSD with its 2026 Faith-Friendly Workplace REDI Award for advancing dignity, belonging and respect for faith and belief in the workplace.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
LONDON, 28 October 2026 — The Religious Freedom & Business Foundation (RFBF) has recognised MSD as the leading global faith-friendly workplace among biopharmaceutical organisations in its 2026 Faith-Friendly Workplace REDI Index Awards.
The recognition, celebrated at the Dare to Overcome Global Awards Gala at Mansion House in London on 13 October, highlights MSD’s commitment to creating a workplace where employees of different religious and non-religious beliefs are respected, welcomed and able to contribute fully.
In an industry dedicated to improving human health and wellbeing, MSD demonstrates that respecting the whole person, including deeply held faiths and beliefs, is an important dimension of workplace culture.
MSD’s Commitment to Faith and Belief Inclusion
A significant example of MSD’s approach is its Interfaith Organisation, one of the company’s ten Employee Business Resource Groups (EBRGs). MSD describes the Interfaith Organisation as a welcoming, respectful and nurturing community for employees from all spiritual paths and backgrounds.
The Interfaith Organisation provides opportunities for employees to learn about different faith traditions and philosophies, build understanding across differences and strengthen a culture of respect and belonging.
MSD’s broader commitment to employee inclusion is substantial. According to its 2025/2026 Purpose for Progress Impact Report, more than 28,000 employees, representing over 35% of its global workforce, participated in at least one of its ten employee business resource groups at the end of 2025.
“MSD demonstrates that scientific excellence and respect for the human person go hand in hand,” said Dr Brian Grim, President of the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation. “In a sector devoted to improving lives, MSD is also showing what it means to value the whole person at work. Its leadership in faith and belief inclusion provides an inspiring example for the global biopharmaceutical industry.”
Why Faith-Friendly Workplaces Matter
The recognition comes as RFBF’s 2026 REDI Monitor: Emerging Trends in Faith and Corporate Culture identifies an important shift in corporate approaches to faith inclusion.
The longitudinal study of Fortune 500 and FTSE 100 companies found that public-facing references to religion and belief declined in 2026, even as workplace structures supporting faith inclusion, particularly faith-oriented employee resource groups, proved more resilient.
The findings underscore the importance of moving beyond public statements to meaningful workplace practices that foster trust, dignity, belonging and engagement.
MSD’s recognition demonstrates how faith and belief inclusion can form part of an organisation’s broader commitment to its people and purpose.
About the Faith-Friendly Workplace REDI Index
The Faith-Friendly Workplace REDI Index is an international benchmarking initiative of the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation. It recognises organisations that demonstrate meaningful efforts to include religion and belief, including non-religious worldviews, within their workplace cultures.
The Index assesses evidence of workplace practices, employee networks, policies and leadership commitment that help people of different faiths and beliefs contribute fully.
MSD, known as Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey, USA in the United States and Canada, was also recognised in the biopharmaceutical sector during the 2026 U.S. REDI Index Awards in Washington, DC, on 20 May.
Learn more: Faith-Friendly Workplace REDI Index
About the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation
The Religious Freedom & Business Foundation (RFBF) is a non-partisan, non-profit organisation dedicated to demonstrating the positive impact of religious freedom and faith and belief inclusion on business, workplaces and economies worldwide. Through research, benchmarking, awards and global engagement, RFBF promotes workplaces where people of all faiths and beliefs, including those with no religious affiliation, are treated with dignity and respect.
Media enquiries: contact@religiousfreedomandbusiness.org