← TruNorth

Bayer vs Merck

On overall TruNorth grade, Merck scores higher (Bayer: B, Merck: B). Both graded from public records across nine values categories.

B
Bayer
51.9/100
B
Merck
58.8/100

Political donations

Bayer

FEC: $657K in executive political donations; partisan lean split across 20 executive donors.

Merck

FEC: $7K PAC donations; 100% to Republican, 0% to Democratic committees.

Environment

Bayer

CDP A-List (2024) — top tier for climate disclosure and emissions-reduction action. Climate-commitment coalition member: LEAF Coalition (since 2022) and RE100 (since 2019; target 2030). 100% renewable electricity at all sites by 2030.

Merck

CDP Climate Change: A- (2024) — leadership-band environmental disclosure with validated targets.

Labor

Bayer

130 federal penalties totaling $16.2B since 2000 (Violation Tracker).

Merck

90 federal penalties totaling $10.7B since 2000 (Violation Tracker).

DEI

Bayer

HRC Corporate Equality Index 100/100 (2025) — top-tier LGBTQ+ workplace equality rating.

Merck

HRC Corporate Equality Index: 100/100 — Equality 100 Leader (2025). Top-rated LGBTQ+ workplace policies, benefits, and culture. JUST Capital JUST 100 — ranked #76 of Russell 1000 (2025) for treatment of workers, customers, communities, environment. Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index member (2024) — transparent on female leadership, equal pay, inclusive culture. HRC Corporate Equality Index 100/100 (2025) — top-tier LGBTQ+ workplace equality rating.

Charity

Bayer

$16M reported corporate giving in 2024 (~0.03% of revenue) via Bayer Fund.

Merck

$2.70B reported corporate giving in 2024 (~4.19% of revenue) via Merck Foundation. JUST Capital JUST 100 — ranked #76 of Russell 1000 (2025) for treatment of workers, customers, communities, environment. Newsweek Most Trustworthy Companies in America — ranked #64 (2024). Operates the Merck Company Foundation: $24.3M in charitable contributions, gifts & grants paid (FY2023, IRS Form 990-PF).

Animal testing

Bayer

No public record found.

Merck

No public record found.

Firearms

Bayer

No public record found.

Merck

No public record found.

Privacy

Bayer

No public record found.

Merck

No public record found.

Executive pay

Bayer

No public record found.

Merck

CEO-to-median-worker pay ratio 191:1 (median employee pay $108,614) — SEC proxy statement (DEF 14A, 2026).

Compare any two brands on the values you care about — personalized to your 30-second quiz.

Open TruNorth →