Environmental, Social, and Governance / Our People

Our People

Discovery is dedicated to creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment that is deeply rooted in our core values, supports employees and social justice, and drives an award-winning culture. Our Guiding Principles define the character and spirit of our employees and how we operate: We are… One Team, Creative Dreamers, Doers, Consumer Obsessed, Global, Quick and Agile, Purposeful, and we Do the Right Thing.

Jump to: Talent Recruitment & Retention | Diversity, Equity & Inclusion | Leadership Diversity & Inclusion

  • Talent Recruitment & Retention

  • We embrace a very simple philosophy: when you are successful in your personal life, you will naturally excel at work. Discovery is proud to provide an array of benefits and programs that support our diverse employees in their personal lives. We are a talent-driven business, aiming to attract, develop, and motivate top talent in every corner of our company so that we can ignite curiosity in audiences in every corner of the globe. Competitive, locally-relevant benefits, performance-based pay, and nonfinancial support and incentives work together to deliver on our promise of being a great place to work.
  • Benefits
  • Discovery has a generous set of benefits and perks to support employees in their personal and professional lives. Highlights include:

  • On-Site Wellness Centers: Discovery has on-site Wellness Centers in its New York, Silver Spring, Knoxville and London offices that are open to all Discovery employees in the UK and employees and their dependents over the age of 12 in the U.S.

  • On-site/Virtual Fitness & Wellbeing Programs: On-site and/or virtual fitness classes and wellbeing programs are available to all Discovery employees globally and their families. Our Knoxville office also has a fully-equipped on-site fitness center. 

  • Mental Health & Crisis Management Support: Recognizing that mental wellbeing is an important part of overall health, Discovery provides tools and resources to support our employees and their families. Our Mental Health Ambassadors program trains employees around the globe to listen, communicate non-judgmentally, and raise awareness of available mental health resources. Discovery’s on-site Wellness Centers offer mental health counselors to employees in the respective locations. Discovery also provides a 24/7 confidential, dedicated line for employees to contact and speak with a counselor in the event they need mental health support.

  • Family Support: Discovery offers myriad family support programs around the world…from childcare locator services and back-up childcare to maternity/paternity leave, adoption assistance, and elder care. In 2017, Discovery launched its Discovery Cares program in the U.S. and Latin America for new parents or caregivers. In the U.S., Discovery Cares allows new parents or those who care for a qualified family member with a serious health condition to take up to 12 weeks of paid leave which can be combined with other leaves (bringing maternity leave, for example, to over 5 months). In Latin America, Discovery Cares supplements local maternity/parental leave policies and provides 4 weeks of paid leave to new non-birth parents (same & opposite sex), adoptive parents (same & opposite sex) and those who care for a qualified family member with a serious health condition. In 2020, we also opened the Discovery Kids Place on-site childcare facility in our Knoxville office to support the needs of our working parents.

  • Health Insurance Offerings: Discovery offers competitive and comprehensive local medical, dental, and vision plans in many countries around the world to support our employees with access to high-quality health care, supplementing any state-provided health care. In the U.S., we also offer specific prescription drug and pet insurance plans in addition to HRA and FSA accounts.

  • Financial Wellbeing & Retirement Savings Plans: Along with life, accident, and disability insurance plans, we offer a variety of products and services to support employees’ financial wellbeing to provide financial security when most needed, including discount benefits and financial planning tools. In the U.S., we provide a 401(k) Savings Plan to employees that includes a competitive company match. We also offer a Supplemental Retirement Program to employees at the VP level and above to provide a vehicle for these employees to save monies in addition to 401(k) deferrals and to receive disbursements while still employed. Internationally, we offer retirement/pension plans in 20 countries, with competitive contributions from Discovery for employees at all levels in the Company.

  • Unique Local Benefits: In addition to traditional benefits, Discovery aims to tailor what we offer to employees around the globe where possible, aligned to unique needs and interests of the location. Some of our local programs include product and shopping discounts, fitness classes, pet insurance, commuter discounts, health assessments, financial advice, healthy snacks, and childcare benefits.

  • Discovery Employee Stock Purchase Plan (DESPP): Discovery offers employees globally (where legislation permits) an opportunity to invest in the success of the Company while they save and invest for their future. Through the DESPP, employees can buy Discovery, Inc. stock at a discounted price through convenient after-tax payroll deductions with no commission charges.

  • Flexible Working: Discovery offers a variety of arrangements to support time off and flexible working around the globe to enable our employees to better balance work and personal commitments. Flexible working options include: flextime, working remotely, compressed work week, job sharing, summer hours, and working from another Discovery location. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, many employees took advantage of remote working opportunities, but once COVID-19 hit, nearly all of our employees became full-time work-from-home employees. As our offices reopen, new hybrid working policies are being put in place to promote a mix of home and in-office working for employees.

  • Learning & Development
  • Discovery’s Global Learning & Development (L&D) team provides learning opportunities for employees around the world. The L&D team uses a variety of delivery methods suitable to the content and audience, including live in-person sessions, Zoom-based virtual workshops, webinars via Discovery’s Workplace by Facebook platform, and asynchronous online learning through our global learning management platform. In the spirit of providing continuous learning opportunities for all, we offer:

  • Virtual Learning Groups: We offer Workplace-based learning groups for employees at different levels of seniority and in different roles. Our groups feature carefully curated ongoing webinars and links to online resources on themes that are relevant to each group’s needs and interests.

  • Learning “Sprints”: External experts facilitate interactive programs available to all employee levels that address topics such as leading across global boundaries, unlocking leadership potential, managing complex initiatives, personal career development, energy management, and executive communication skills, among others.

  • Leadership Essentials: We encourage our leaders around the world to attend this program that helps them develop key skills to successfully navigate their important responsibilities. The program focuses on building foundational skills such as delegation, emotional intelligence, feedback/coaching, leading through change, and navigating organizational complexities.

  • Mentoring: Discovery’s global mentoring program, Mentornet, which is open to all employees, matches mentees with mentors in group and 1:1 settings.

  • Upskilling: Discovery values internal promotion and growth, and to achieve this, our managers leverage their expertise, external programs, peers, and other programs to develop the talent on their teams. Our internal training resources have also developed team programs including focused development for our Ad Sales and Finance teams.

  • Top Talent Programs: Discovery has created best-in-class programs to build the abilities of our leaders and emerging talent. Discovery executives and external thought leaders participate in these highly experiential programs.

  • Awards & Excellence

  • Updated: 12/22/2021 

  • Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

  • Discovery’s mission is to understand and share the world around us through the stories we tell. Discovery is at its best when bringing the world a little closer together. We are proud to play an important role as the most-trusted portfolio of family-friendly brands around the globe, creating awareness, understanding and embracing differences. Discovery fosters a culture of inclusion for all peoples, all cultures, and all creatures that inhabit our planet.
  • We stand for equity, inclusion, and mutual respect. The most innovative ideas and solutions come from the widest range of thoughts and perspectives. It is the diverse minds, experiences, cultures and unique points of view brought by our employees, partners, and creators that is reflected in our storytelling and continues to drive the ongoing journey that is diversity, equity, and inclusion.
  • At Discovery, we approach the DE&I journey holistically, across all functions within the organization, through Mosaic: Discovery’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Activation. Mosaic covers a range of initiatives, including: Unconscious Bias, Respect & Integrity, Allyship; Recruitment and Career Development; Content Diversity; Supplier Diversity; and Social Impact. Mosaic is spearheaded by leaders across the organization supported by employee volunteers of all levels from across Discovery, who set and action the strategy, goals, and outcomes that embody who we are and strive to be as an organization.
  • We are committed to transparency in our diversity, equity & inclusion efforts. While we know there is progress to be made, we are proud of the work we have done.
  • In the U.S., Discovery conducts an annual self-evaluation of compensation with respect to gender, race, and ethnicity. The evaluation is guided by the OFCCP standards applicable to U.S. government contractors. Any significant compensation disparities identified are thoroughly investigated, and if required, are remediated through compensation changes.
  • In the UK, a gender pay gap analysis is conducted and reported on externally. You can find our 2020 UK Gender Pay Gap Report here.
  • Social Equity
  • Discovery respects the human rights and dignity of all. We comply with all applicable laws that promote and protect human rights and prohibit slavery and human trafficking when conducting business, but also use our influence and reach to promote equality and respect. Click here to see our compliance statement to the Modern Slavery Act and click here to see our Code of Ethics.
  • While Discovery has always stood for diversity, equity, and inclusion, some recent activities and initiatives include:

  • In response to the national and global outcry from the George Floyd murder in 2020, Discovery used its platforms to foster increased understanding of all peoples, cultures and creatures. In 2020, Discovery aired a global PSA supporting the #BlackLivesMatter movement and aired a wide range of programming to educate and inspire audiences on racial equity and justice issues. (e.g., OWN’s OWN Spotlight: Where Do We Go From Here?, ID’s The Murder of George Floyd: A Nation Responds, and Discovery/Science Channel’s Why We Hate). Discovery President & CEO David Zaslav penned a memo to employees in June 2020 condemning injustice and expressing that Discovery stands for equal treatment and inclusion. Additionally, Discovery annually supports various causes and organizations that promote equal rights.

  • In 2021, OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network launched their first ever OWN Your Health initiative, a campaign partnering with health equity leaders to provide tools and resources to empower Black women to own their health.

  • We are committed to using our voice to advocate for action around important issues of our time, and have signed the following letters to ensure our voice is heard on issues of inequality:

  • We urged the U.S. Government to reconsider the suspension of H1-B and other non-immigrant visas through the end of 2020.
  • We joined many of our media peers to express support of the Trans community to the UK Prime Minister in response to anticipated amendments to laws that would roll back Trans rights.
  • We authored a letter with other Tennessee-area businesses in support of efforts to remove the bust of Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest from the Tennessee State Capitol building.
  • Our UK team signed onto the “If Not Now When” open letter, committing as a UK business to take long-term, sustainable actions on Black inclusion.
  • We joined other Tennessee companies in signing onto the 2021 Open Letter of Tennessee Businesses Against Discrimination authored by the Nashville LGBT Chamber of Commerce asking lawmakers to recognize the value of diversity and not pursue legislation that would target or exclude LGBT people.

  • Through a partnership with Making an Exoneree Enterprises LLC, in January 2021 Discovery launched a social justice project entitled Making an Exoneree. Through this program, groups of Discovery employees work in teams to help reinvestigate potential wrongful conviction cases, produce short-form videos, and create social media campaigns to raise awareness about the cases and seek justice. Discovery’s program is based on the Making an Exoneree program founded by Marc M. Howard and Martin Tankleff.

  • In May 2021, Discovery launched its All RISE mentorship initiative. This program facilitates mentorship and career development opportunities for Discovery employees with underrepresented students and communities around the world.

  • Discovery sponsored and hosted a session at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) 2021 Annual Legislative Conference. The session focused on racial disparities in the criminal justice system and shined a spotlight on one of the cases Discovery is partnering on with Making an Exoneree. Discovery was joined by key leaders on the topic including CBC members, legal experts, and activists.

  • In 2021, Discovery partnered with Save The Children on a Backpack Bus Tour in Los Angeles – visiting four underserved local elementary schools over two days and providing approximately 6,000 backpacks filled with school supplies to kids as they got ready to go back to school. The mobile tour, powered by an eco-friendly, clean fuel bus, also hosted educational games and activities on site to promote family engagement, learning and fun.

  • Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)
  • ERGs function as a cornerstone of Discovery’s diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Representing veterans, ethnic minorities, women, members of the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender community and more, ERGs draw upon their collection of unique experiences to help drive our mission of fostering a diverse and inclusive environment. We have over 30 chapters of ERGs across the globe with more than 2,500 members. ERG groups include: genD, Discovery Women’s Network, Discovery Family Forum, ableD, Discovery Veterans Association, worD, greenD, Multi-Cultural Alliance, Asian Culture Alliance, Black Cultural Alliance, and unidaD. In 2019 alone, ERGs held over 50 national/global events and initiatives, including: Global Pride 50th Anniversary, Take Your Parents to Work Day, Transgender Panel Discussion, Transgender Awareness Week, International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Green Fairs, family events, countless community programs, and language sharing. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, ERGs switched to virtual events and were instrumental in creating and fostering community, hosting over 100 global and local virtual events, from meaningful conversation series and coffee chats to virtual cooking classes and more. Currently, our ERGs are working in a hybrid environment, hosting in-person and virtual events and initiatives.
  • Internship Partnerships
  • At Discovery, one of the ways we build diversity in our entry-level candidate pipeline is through our corporate internship program. We form targeted partnerships with transformative industry partners in the U.S. and UK including: The Emma Bowen Foundation, T. Howard Foundation, Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls, The Posse Foundation, Prep for Prep, Ladders for Leaders, BroadFutures, Promax BDA Promo Pathway, Media Trust, MyGWork, Employability, Kick It Out, Creative Spirit, Color Vision Creates, ReelWorks/MediaMKRS, The Center for Communication, Pellissippi Community College, and Montgomery College.
  • Associations
  • We are also proud to annually support industry associations that support diversity in media including The Walter Kaitz Foundation, NAMIC (National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications), and The WICT Network (Women in Cable Telecommunications Network).
  • Updated: 12/28/2021 

  • Leadership Diversity & Inclusion

  • Discovery is a leading global media and entertainment company, made up of a talented Leadership team with a wealth of industry experience. During 2020, our most recently completed fiscal year, Discovery delivered solid operating and financial performance and showed incredible resilience, creativity and focus as one global team during a challenging year. We finished 2020 with strong operating momentum and were well positioned to balance our core and next generation business. The Board’s compensation philosophy is to pay for performance, encourage excellence and reward executives who deliver. The Board believes our executive compensation program plays a key role in our operating and financial success by attracting, retaining, motivating, and rewarding a talented Leadership team who can continue to grow our business and engage audiences around the world. See our most recent proxy statement for more information.
  • Discovery strives to ensure the Company’s leadership reflects the diversity of our employee workforce and audience base and also prioritizes equal remuneration.
  • Eight of Discovery’s twelve directors have served on the Board since our public offering in 2008 and have been fundamental in providing leadership stability and creating and building Discovery into the global leader it is today. The Board has increased its gender and racial diversity and the overall diversity of thought and experience by adding four new directors since 2016, including a female director and an African American director. The Board has also engaged a director search firm to assist it in developing a diverse list of candidates should a Board vacancy arise.
  • We understand that governance plays an important role in Discovery’s success and sustainability and are committed to being transparent and accountable about our efforts. Discovery complies with all of the corporate governance requirements applicable to NASDAQ-listed companies. In addition, we have adopted a number of governance best practices including: 11 of our 12 directors meet all relevant independence standards; our CEO and Board Chair positions are separate and our Board Chair is an independent director; our key committees – Audit, Compensation and Nominating and Corporate Governance – are fully comprised of independent directors; our Board has adopted Corporate Governance Guidelines that are available on our website, along with the charters for our Audit, Compensation, Finance and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees; and we maintain a Code of Ethics applicable to all directors, officers and employees. In addition, we have adopted an executive compensation claw back policy, implemented robust stock ownership guidelines for our CEO and other named executive officers and directors, and disclose the means by which stockholders may contact directors in our proxy statement and on our website.
  • Updated: 12/28/2021