One of the issues many companies are facing is attrition. Since a study showed that millennials find value in a workplace that contribute to social good. Social responsibility initiatives, in a way, can help reduce attrition problems.
If you’re an HR practitioner, or someone holding a leadership position over a few or a handful of people, or a start-up, leading your company to adhere to social responsibility framework is not only ethical, but also value adding.
So how do you know if you are working for a company or your start up is socially responsible? And how do you make them one, in case the company fell short, haha!
First, let us define what is Social Responsibility?
Social Accountability (SA), Social Responsibility (SR) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) are fancy terms that are being used interchangeably. It refers to the global initiative to improve working condition and conformance to universal rights on labor standards. It also serves as adherence to global compact initiatives, such as human rights, environmental protection and anti-corruption.
What is a Socially Responsible Enterprise?
First and foremost, a company practicing social responsibility is adherent to ( a MUST ) the core labor standards of your country of employment. For the Philippines, please check below for reference:
- Employment Standards
- minimum age Art 139, PLC
- non discrimination Art 3, Art 135, PLC
- regularization Art 280-281, PLC
- subcontracting Art 106, PLC
- security of tenure Art 279, PLC
- night work for women Art 130, PLC
- forced labor Art 114, 116, PLC
- Workers right
- to self organize Art 3, PLC
- to strike Art 263-264, PLC
- to collective bargaining Art 253-A, PLC
- to arbitration Art 260, PLC
- Wages
- minimum wage Art 99, 120-127
- Overtime pay Art 87, PLC
- Premium pay on holidays and rest day Art 93-94, PLC
- night shift pay Art 86, PLC
- 13th month pay PD 851
- non diminution of pay Art 100, PLC
- Hours of work
- 8 hours Art 83, PLC
- meal periods Art 85, PLC
- weekly rest periods Art 91-92, PLC
- Health and Safety
- Paternity leave RA 8187
- Paid maternity leave Art 133, PLC
- Medical and dental services Art 156-161
- Health and safety Art 162-165
- Sexual Harassment RA 7877
- Health Insurance (PhilHealth) RA 7875
- Social Security
- Employee Compensation Art 166, PLC
- Social Security RA 1161 (private) or GSIS law RA 8291 (government)
As an employee who holds a leadership position or an HR practitioner, it is your responsibility to know these, and ensure your employer is compliant to these. As an start up, it is w/in your powers to align your company to the required standards.
Add to that, assuming thru you the company have done the first (adherence to the labor standards), you can now recommend programs that will promote, enhance and/or institutionalise any of these CSR global agenda:
- Child-friendly and child-labor free workplaces
- Equal employment opportunity
- Expanding social protection to domestic workers
- Global compact initiatives
- Human Rights
- Environmental protection
- Anti corruption
- Workplace population management program
Your group can have a stand alone program, or collaborate with other companies to make a high impact program for the community. This is where attrition problem can be solved, involve employees on this initiative so they can have a sense of fulfilment contributing to social good. This, likewise, can have an impact on employer branding and level up the value proposition of your company.
After reading this post, what is your take away? What will be your next steps to influence your company to be socially responsible?
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I work for Australia’s largest health and aged care provider as the Human Resources Advisor and I am so grateful that you have raised this insightful topic.
I know that an ongoing topic in our organisation is attempting to maintain equal employment opportunities.
Would you mind if I printed this topic when I return from Sabbatical and share it amongst my colleagues?
Feel free, just proper acknowledgement and testimonial if the article have helped your company. I love the photos in your blog, BTW 🙂
Of course, thank you so much! It will be some time because I’m currently on sabbatical, but it’s articles like this that we frequently share amongst each other that are abundantly useful. 🙂
Thank you for your kind words and encouragement. I’m really looking forward to your more of your work! 🙂
I work in a small company and I have never worked in the corporate world – thank god – and I think I was treated fair most of the times. I did used to have a job at some point running a hostel, where the boss was not thinking about his employees at all. He was underpaying and asking for night shifts for no extra money. Luckily I was there only for 8 months. I don’t think he will never understand that employees have rights too, he probably treats his current employees still the same.