Your clients want to work with socially responsible partners

What is social responsibility and why is it so important?

Being socially responsible means that organisations act ethically in all areas of their business operations including: governance; human and labour rights; environmental compliance; and anti-corruption.

It involves taking care of your staff by providing a safe work environment, ensuring equal opportunities for all, and treating staff with dignity and respect. It also means providing staff with fair pay and working conditions. It just makes sense, if you take care of your staff, they will be happier in their work environment and in turn, take care of your business.

But it doesn't stop with your own business operations and activities.  Socially responsible companies ensure they partner with companies that also have an ethical approach to business. They initiate Vendors or Suppliers Code of Conduct to ensure social and environmental compliance.

 

WHAT DOES BEING SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE MEAN?

It means

  • initiating a corporate social responsibility policy
  • developing human and labour rights polices and procedures
  • developing an anti-corruption and bribery policy and procedures
  • initiating staff training and grievance mechanisms
  • subscribing to the UN Global compact
  • GRI reporting (Global Reporting Initiative)
  • initiating suppliers or vendors code of conduct
  • providing workplace health and safety initiatives.

Common human and labour rights issues include;

  • equal opportunity concerns
  • anti-discrimination
  • freedom of association and collective bargaining
  • fair pay and working conditions
  • forced and bonded labour
  • child labour
  • workplace health and safety
  • corruption and bribery.

 

What benefit would this bring to my business? 

It would

  • lead to better workforce retention and happier staff
  • help with meeting Ecolabelling requirements
  • demonstrate an ethical approach to business
  • provide a distinct marketing and competitive advantage
  • meet tender requirements of top tier construction companies
  • provide a prerequisite for doing business with larger organisations.

 

WHAT ARE OUR METHODS OF DEVELIVERY?

First Step - understand your business, your objectives, your current polices, procedures and practices.

Second Step - help in documenting polices and procedures that are not already implemented.

Third Step - train staff on new polices and grievance mechanisms, provide one-on-one consultation with senior management and supervisors, and also with your internal staff responsible for recruitment and procurement.

Forth Step - support your organisation with any tender requirementsor sustainable reporting on social responsibility.

In a nutshell, understand your business, your business objectives and then deliver policies and procedures to meet your social responsibility requirements.

We can help you with the full implementation (Steps 1 - 4 above)  or help with the development of policies and procedures.

 Policies and procedures include;

  • corporate social responsibility
  • human rights policy
  • volunteering and charity policy
  • equal opportunity
  • behavioural conduct
  • right to work
  • forced and bonded labour (freely chosen employment)
  • freedom of association and collective bargaining
  • child labour (legal working age)
  • discipline, harassment and grievance mechanisms
  • workplace health and safety
  • suppliers Code of conduct (social and environment)
  • anti-corruption.