News and commentary from the April/May edition of Corporate Citizenship Briefing, issue 105
Comment
Secondments, like those offered by Ernst & Young through its Corporate Responsibility Fellows Programme, have the potential to be hugely beneficial on a number of levels. Employees enjoy experiences and opportunities that they might not get in their existing role; employers benefit from enhanced employee skills and improved team-working which in turn boosts the morale and motivation of the wider workforce; and the recipient organisation or individual has access to expertise that would not otherwise be available.
Despite these benefits, secondments have traditionally been viewed as something only big companies get involved in, with smaller businesses put off because of the effects of having a staff member out of the office. However, smaller organisations should not dismiss the option and should think creatively about the possibilities. One interesting variation worth exploring is the joint secondment route where people swap roles to benefit from developing skills in a new environment but neither organisation suffers from being a staff member down.
However it is done, the sound management of secondments is the key to realising the potential benefits. All too often, companies have a reactive approach, allowing a secondment only in response to a request from an employee. Although such secondments can motivate the employee in question, it is hard to maximize the potential positive impact on the business and the community. Structured programmes like the one at Ernst & Young give companies more control, allowing opportunities to be chosen based upon the skills need of the business. It is therefore important that HR is closely involved in the secondment process. Realistic expectations should be set, progress reviewed with benchmarks and the process should be constantly monitored and evaluated.
Ultimately, the goal should be to link community secondments to the mainstream training and development objectives of the business to maximize the significant benefits associated with this important aspect of corporate community investment.
Charities Aid Foundation reveals low awareness of payroll giving
A Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) report revealed on 22 April that there is enormous potential to promote payroll giving at a time when charities need funds to deal with the effects of recession. In a survey of 1,056 UK adults, the percentage of people who thought of payroll giving when asked to name a tax-effective form of giving was just 7%. However, the percentage of payroll giving users who said they are satisfied with payroll giving was 84%. The report, The Public Bond with Tax-Effective Giving in the UK, which looks at public awareness and usage of all taxeffective giving mechanisms, recommends, “Government should…work with companies, donors and charities to identify and address obstacles to Payroll Giving.” Contact: Charities Aid Foundation www.cafonline.org
Intel gives back €300,000 To Irish organisations
On 1 April, Intel Ireland celebrated the success of its 2008 Matching Grant initiative which rewarded 80 community organizations nationwide with ?300,000. A one million-hour volunteer challenge was posed to employees worldwide by Paul Otellini, Intel President and CEO to celebrate Intel’s 40th Anniversary. For every 1 hour volunteered by employees, Intel gave ?7.50 to selected organisations. The goal was to continue to give back to local communities by collectively donating employee time as well as donating funds. The 2008 Matching Grant initiative, which was previously open only to schools, was extended beyond education to various non-profit organisations. Contact: Intel Ireland www.intel.com
Telefónica and Nokia partner to improve education
Telefónica and Nokia have signed a strategic agreement to bring educational content to remote schools in Latin America through the use of mobile technology, it was announced on 15 April. The two companies made a commitment to transform the delivery of education in isolated areas as a way to close the digital divide and promote social development. The first implementation of this agreement is planned for Chile, where Telefónica’s mobile broadband and Nokia’s mobile software Nokia Education Delivery will enable isolated schools in Chile to have access to high quality educational content, including innovative resources, tools and services for students and teachers. The agreement will be later expanded to other countries in Latin America. Contact: Telefónica www.telefonica.com Nokia www.nokia.com
Toyota team supports healthy community garden
In the UK, a team of employees from Toyota will use the current production downturn as an opportunity to transform a community garden, which will be used to promote vegetable growing and healthy eating. The team of eight volunteers from the Burnaston Plant will transform the garden at the Home-Start South Derbyshire Offices premises, so it can be used to show families how to grow their own vegetables and to provide local
produce for a vegetable box scheme. During the intensive two-day ‘Ground force’ style makeover, the Toyota team will clear existing concreted areas, build raised seedbeds for vegetable growing and create a ‘living-wall’. In addition to benefiting the local community, the activity will also be used to further develop teamwork and leadership skills of the Toyota volunteers. Contact: Toyota Fund for Europe www.toyotafund.eu
Sony Europe and streetfootballworld unite
Sony Europe announced on 15 April its partnership with streetfootballworld, a nonprofit social enterprise, to drive positive social change through football. Alongside FIFA, UEFA and the German government, Sony is the first commercial partner to collaborate with streetfootballworld. The programme is aimed at achieving a long-term and sustainable change in disadvantaged communities in both developed and developing countries. Photography and football play a crucial role in this partnership; through the medium of photography the network members are documenting the role football plays in their environment and how it has helped to change their lives. Contact: Sony Europe www.sony-europe.com
Body Shop and MTV tackle HIV/AIDS
The Body Shop, in partnership with MTV Networks International, is launching its new interactive website, yestosafesex.com as a platform dedicated to HIV/AIDS prevention. Designed by MTV, the website is both interactive and exploratory with innovative navigation. Each visitor is asked to make their own personal pledge to only engage in safe sex to protect themselves from HIV/AIDS. The campaign also features on other websites such as Facebook, Flickr and Twitter. In addition, consumers can buy an exclusive “Tantalizing Lip Butter” at the Body Shop for a limited time. All of the money raised will go to the HIV/AIDS charity, Staying Alive Foundation. Contact: The Body Shop www.thebodyshop.co.uk
Marie Curie raises £6 million with Tesco
On 1 April, Tesco announced that is staff and customers raised over £6.1 million in 14 months for their Charity of the Year, Marie Curie Cancer Care. The amount is the largest the supermarket has raised so far through the scheme and is more than double the £2.5 million target set for the partnership. Contact: Tesco www.tescoplc.com
Kraft Foods and Save the Children fight malnutrition
Kraft Foods and Save the Children announced a partnership to help Filipino and Indonesian families suffering from malnutrition. The three-year, $3 million commitment from the Kraft Foods Foundation will support community-based meal distribution and improve nutrition education. The donation is the largest community investment ever made by the company and its foundation in Asia. Contact: Kraft Foods www.kraftfoodscompany.com
Ernst & Young develop programme in South America
It was announced on 2 April that the Ernst & Young Corporate Responsibility Fellows havereturned from three-month assignments in South America, where they helped high-impact entrepreneurs in Chile and Uruguay strengthen their businesses, free of charge. The CR Fellows leveraged their workplace skills to improve a range of business processes for their respective entrepreneurs, including overall strategy and human resources, and financial reporting. Ernst & Young, in collaboration with NGO Endeavor, have supported over 25 entrepreneurs in Central and South America. Contact: Ernst & Young www.ey.com
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