Better Health for All

Johnson & Johnson was investigated by South Africa's Competition Commission for allegedly charging excessive prices for the tuberculosis drug bedaquiline

, which was found to potentially limit access to essential medication in a country with high tuberculosis rates . The company also implemented a rebate model in the 340B Drug Pricing Program , seen as undermining the program's goal of providing affordable medications to vulnerable populations . In contrast, Johnson & Johnson invested $25 million, matched by the Global Fund, to launch the Africa Frontline First Catalytic Fund , aiming to triple the number of salaried community health workers in 12 African countries . The company also provided 113 scholarships and promoted minority participation at the Chief Nursing Officer Institute , partnering with organizations to address nursing shortages and strengthen the healthcare workforce .

Fair Money & Economic Opportunity

Johnson & Johnson's core business is pharmaceuticals and medical devices, not financial services, which means most KPIs related to consumer lending, fees, debt, and financial products are not applicable. However, the company engages in initiatives that contribute to economic opportunity. In 2023, Johnson & Johnson achieved a total Global Impact Spend of $4.9 billion with small and diverse suppliers globally and small businesses in the U.S.

In 2024, $2.743 billion of total U.S. supplier spend was with small businesses, representing 15.3% of total supplier spend. The company's supplier diversity program in the U.S. resulted in an economic impact of 2x-3x the total U.S. spend with diverse and small suppliers. Johnson & Johnson also supports microfinance programs through partnerships, providing women in rural areas with access to credit, savings services, and financial literacy training. Its Impact Ventures fund invests in innovative companies addressing healthcare access, and the Johnson & Johnson Foundation, with the Skoll Foundation, launched a $25 million fund in 2022 to mobilize $100 million for training community health workers.

Fair Pay & Worker Respect

Johnson & Johnson's CEO-to-median employee pay ratio is 75.36:1, calculated from CEO Joaquin Duato's total compensation of $10.10 million

and an estimated median employee salary of $134,026. The company has an overall employee rating of 4.1 out of 5 stars based on 13,018 reviews , with 81% of employees recommending working there to a friend. In 2023, 91% of employees agreed that the company maintains clean and safe working conditions.

Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing

No specific, quantifiable data points were found in the provided articles to score any of the KPIs for Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing. While Johnson & Johnson's policies, programs, and efforts related to supplier responsibility, human rights, modern slavery, and conflict minerals are mentioned, the articles do not provide percentages of certified spend, average audit frequencies, incident counts, traceability coverage, median remediation speeds, ethical clause coverage percentages, or the share of spend on high-risk materials. Similarly, while supplier diversity spend is mentioned in dollar amounts ($3.9 billion in the U.S.

and $4.9 billion Global Impact Spend in 2023 ), the total procurement budget is not provided, preventing the calculation of a percentage for that KPI.

Honest & Fair Business

Johnson & Johnson has incurred over $1 billion in ethics-related regulatory penalties in the past three years (2023-2024).

This includes a $700 million multi-agency settlement in 2024 for consumer protection violations related to talc product marketing , a $302 million penalty from the California Attorney General in 2023 for drug or medical equipment safety violations , and a $9.75 million False Claims Act settlement with the DOJ in 2023. The company's 10-K filing from February 2025 does not mention any financial restatements. Johnson & Johnson maintains a robust anti-corruption and anti-bribery policy, adhering to international acts like the U.S. FCPA and UK Bribery Act. The policy includes continuous internal controls, regular training for relevant employees, and annual anti-corruption risk assessments for all J&J companies. Furthermore, 100% of covered third-party intermediaries undergo risk-segmented due diligence , and the company participates in and has independently validated results from the Transparency International UK Corporate Anti-Corruption Benchmark Survey.

Kind to Animals

Johnson & Johnson's animal facilities are 100% accredited by AAALAC International.

The company has a comprehensive animal welfare policy, updated in February 2024, which commits to the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction, Refinement) and Responsibility. This policy is overseen by a Global Animal Welfare Officer and internal ethics committees that review all animal studies. It also states that J&J's consumer companies do not test cosmetic or personal care products on animals anywhere in the world except where required by law. All medicines and therapies in development are tested in vitro first, and in 2024, an animal-free assay for pyrogen detection was developed and validated. However, 97% of research is still performed in rodents, fish, or frogs when non-animal alternatives are unavailable. Johnson & Johnson is not certified cruelty-free by any recognized organization. The company participates in collaborative initiatives, having joined the International Collaboration on Cosmetics Safety (ICCS) and signed the Transparency Agreement on Animal Research in Belgium in 2019. However, representatives from Johnson & Johnson are on the board of the National Association for Biomedical Research (NABR), which publicly stated that there is currently no full replacement for animal models in biomedical research and drug development.

Planet-Friendly Business

Johnson & Johnson's global electricity is 87% renewable, with operations in Europe, the U.S., and Canada achieving 100% renewable electricity.

The company achieved a 23% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions between 2021 and 2023, with a goal to reach a 44% reduction by 2030. By the end of 2023, 30% of immunology devices utilized recyclable trays, and a Safe Returns program for recycling expanded to Norway. Additionally, plastic pouches were removed in Europe, saving 12.7 tons of plastic annually. The WeSustain program engaged employees in 30 countries in local environmental initiatives.

Respect for Cultures & Communities

Johnson & Johnson supports more than 100 grassroots organizations, local health centers, and national associations to address health disparities in communities of color.

The company also collaborates with over 100 community-led health organizations across the U.S. to advance health equity.

Safe & Smart Tech

In August 2023, the Janssen CarePath platform experienced a data breach that exposed personal health information of thousands of individuals, leading to class action lawsuits alleging negligence and delayed notifications.

Despite this, Johnson & Johnson demonstrated strong regulatory compliance, with 100% of regulatory inspections by worldwide health authorities not resulting in a classification and zero FDA warning letters issued. The company also reported that 91% of its employees completed Information Security Training. Furthermore, J&J's AI strategy is guided by an ethical framework, outlined in its 2023 AI & Ethics position paper, emphasizing fairness, privacy, security, responsibility, and transparency. Bias in AI systems is mitigated through annual data audits, and the company proactively monitors AI models to minimize potential bias.

Zero Waste & Sustainable Products

Johnson & Johnson achieved an 88% waste diversion rate in 2024.

The company implements numerous waste reduction initiatives, including lean manufacturing, waste stream segregation, innovative material recovery technologies, and programs for recycling single-use medical devices (expanded to 14 countries, 300,000 devices reprocessed in the U.S. and Canada) and contact lenses. It also removed 10 tons of plastic annually from European ACUVUE deliveries. Circular design principles are embedded through the 12 Principles of Green Chemistry and Engineering in pharmaceutical development, the Digital Health in a Circular Economy (DiCE) initiative for digital health devices, and the Earthwards program which recognized over 100 eco-friendly products. J&J also utilizes circular shipping systems with reusable cold chain packaging and aims to repurpose used devices as new medical devices. For hazardous waste, all facilities have wastewater treatment, including advanced technologies for active pharmaceutical ingredient removal, and waste treatment facilities undergo risk-based audits; however, the company reported 63 environmental non-compliances in 2024. Environmental performance is subject to annual third-party independent reviews as part of ISO 14001 certification for 97% of manufacturing and R&D sites. Comprehensive waste program requirements are in place for direct suppliers, who are expected to meet Responsibility Standards for Suppliers, including reducing environmental impact. J&J engaged over 1,000 suppliers for EcoVadis assessments and aims for 80% of suppliers by emissions to adopt science-based targets by 2028. The company educates end-users on proper end-of-life management of products and packaging, supported by programs like Safe Returns for pharmaceutical devices and the ACUVUE Contact Lens Recycle Programme.