“I have been working with PepsiCo since 2015. This was a momentous year for those of us in the LGBTQ+ community, as the marriage referendum had just passed and there was a real feeling of change and acceptance in Ireland – the first country in the world to approve marriage equality by public vote at that time. I had already been with my other half, Aaron, since 2012 and this was the first time where we could imagine a future for us that looked the same as that of our peers. We got married in 2019 surrounded by our friends and our family – something that we could not imagine just a few years before!
PepsiCo Ireland put a plan in place to introduce several new benefits for our employees. A few of these have been the focus of our EQUAL ERG (employee resource group) colleagues, and we are delighted to be able to bring them to life in 2024. Specifically, we are proud to introduce Surrogacy Leave of 26 weeks, at full pay for those with 52 weeks’ service. We have added 2 week’s Adoption Leave to the statutory 24, again at full pay for those with a year’s service. We have also shared that paid Fertility Leave of 7 days in a 12-month period is available as part of our existing leave entitlements. To compliment these leaves, we have launched Carrot: a fertility, hormonal health and family-forming support and guidance benefit. Carrot provides comprehensive, personalized guidance to help our employees and their family navigate fertility health, pregnancy and postpartum, adoption, surrogacy, perimenopause/menopause, and more.
When I joined PepsiCo, there was no established support group for LGBTQ+ employees – whilst I never experienced any direct discrimination, I also did not see any overt support or encouragement. In 2019, PepsiCo EQUAL launched in Ireland – for the first time, pride flags were displayed. PepsiCo became involved in Cork Pride and everyone was encouraged to take part. This action alone prompted lots of great conversations in PepsiCo – people approached me to ask for advice with family members who were part of the LGBTQ+ community and needed support, and people engaged in conversations about equality in the workplace that had not happened before.
The rapid pace of PepsiCo’s journey in Cork from 2019 to 2024 is admirable – I find myself in a workplace now where I know that difference is not just accepted, but celebrated, all are welcome and the support provided is tangible. I am proud to sit on the Cork R&D site lead team as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. This year, I became a member of PepsiCo’s Ally to Advocate group. It can be easy to sit back as a member of the LGBTQ+ community and think it is enough just to be part of it – but we need to push ourselves more to think about our internal biases, and to question whether each of us could do more to create an environment where everyone belongs. A2A is about taking an active role in having a meaningful impact for anyone who feels that they don’t fit in – it is not just a tick-box exercise, but a way to build trust and to prompt introspection.
Alan Barry, R&D SRA Director I volunteer in my community every week as an Emergency Medical Technician with St John Ambulance Ireland – supporting events, assisting with emergencies and backing up the National Ambulance Service. Volunteering as ambulance crew at Cork Pride over the last few years has been a fantastic way to combine my two passions – volunteering in the community and supporting LGBTQ+ pride!” -
“I joined PepsiCo two and a half years ago as a graduate and I’m still going strong! PepsiCo fosters a supportive environment where it really gives you the tools to succeed. I have been given lots of opportunities professionally and allowed to pursue my passions, such as joining some of our employee resource groups; EQUAL and ENABLE. I’m passionate about EQUAL because it is important to give back and try to make the world that little bit more inclusive. Working with like-minded individuals who portray such passion, interest, and knowledge about LGBTQ+ topics and who actually strive to take action in that area is really inspiring. I’m part of three LGBTQ+ sports teams; The Cork Rebels football team, Hellhounds for rugby and Laochra Aeracha for GAA. Joining these teams has been absolutely world-changing for me. I’ve gotten fitter, happier and made huge group of LGBTQ+ friends and allies that I didn’t have before. I’ve really felt unity in my community and can’t imagine my life without them. I was fortunate enough that PepsiCo sponsored my football club last year, which allowed us to get new training jerseys, enter competitions and helped with the day-to-day running of the club. I was really moved that my work supported me and my community with their actions as well as their words. ” - Aidan Pierce, CTO Analyst
Unity & Community
“I have worked at PepsiCo in Ireland for over 10 years and have always felt the people and culture are the core reason why so many of us have such long tenure with the organisation. The community spirit, looking out for one another, and being allies and advocates for those whose voice might not be heard as individuals, but with others standing beside them might be better supported, is what makes PepsiCo an award-winning multinational. To that end I have done by best to attend the PepsiCo sponsored Pride Family Fun Days for the past number of years. My son has joined me in years past and latterly my lurcher Mossy has been my companion – happily donning the Pride flag.
Within the work environment, in 2023 we rolled out Mental Heath First Aid training, with over 40 employees becoming certified in March. The balance of year was a flurry of activity for the team; attending functional and global townhalls to spread the word that there was now internal support for anyone who needed a non-judgemental listening ear to guide them to where more formal help might be available, e.g. through our EAP or their family doctor. This year we are building on the promotion of Mental Health, with Manager Mental Wellbeing Awareness training throughout Q2 and Q3 2024 and are looking forward to continuing this journey over the coming years.” - Clare Cahill, Total Rewards Analyst
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