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Give the Gift of...

30 Sep 2009 by intern11

Christina Kautzky suggests ways of rewarding employees through corporate holiday giving

When it comes to the holidays, corporate giving has often focused on saying “thank you” to their staff individually either in cold, hard numbers or with gifts. However, in a time when counting one’s blessings seems few and far between, there are a number of ways that companies can reward their employees, boost morale and enforce a corporate culture that promotes world awareness, responsibility to the community, and volunteerism among employees.

Here, Business Traveller looks at some ways that Asia-based companies have used corporate activities, charity schemes and volunteer initiatives to contribute to a good cause; and how during this holiday season, others can follow suit with a gift more rewarding than a bonus.


…Livestock

lifestyleProfile Search & Selection, an independent search firm with offices in Hongkong and Singapore, has historically given personalised gifts to its 30 employees at Christmas. “But in 2008,” explains managing director Andrew Oliver, in an effort to promote awareness of issues beyond the economic crisis, “we decided to forgo corporate gifts to staff members and instead donate the money to a charity.” The group chose the Oxfam Unwrapped programme, which allows individuals or groups to give things like sheep, chilli plants, water pipes, seeds, toilets, school reconstruction and other necessary farm goods and infrastructure to villages in poverty-stricken areas.

These types of programmes are ideal in that they allow staff members to participate individually, prompting discussion and raising overall awareness. Adds Oliver: “They get to choose how their donation amount is spent, and geographically where the money is put to work.” Employees could also give additional funds beyond the company’s contribution, leading some to pick up the cause and gift quite a bit more on their own. “It was a wholehearted success, highly endorsed by all staff members and will now be an annual Christmas initiative.”

http://oxfamunwrapped.oxfam.org.hk


…Experience

While many business travellers might only see the Philippines, Thailand or Indonesia from the comfort of their sun loungers, UBS offers its employees the opportunity to see life at the grass roots level, “gaining first-hand experience of what life is like for those less fortunate, and how UBS is making a positive impact through its support” to regional community organisations, explains David Boyd-Thomas, the firm’s regional head of corporate responsibility.

lifestyleVisits have included a sustainable coffee co-op in the Philippines run by Happy Earth; an education enrichment programme in Indonesia with Yayasan Emmanuel; and a rural agricultural project at northeastern Thai schools run by the Education for Development Foundation. “The feedback from employees has been heart-warming and unanimously positive,” he says, noting long wait-lists for participation.

For those looking to launch a similar programme, there’s no better time than the holidays to gather employees around a good cause.

www.happyearth.info, www.yayasan-emmanuel.org, www.edfthai.org


…Awareness

SCMP and Radio Television Hongkong have organised an annual charity campaign aptly named Operation Santa Claus. Now in its 22nd year raising awareness for Hongkongcharities over the holiday season, the programme invites companies big and small, as well as individuals and students to donate money which is distributed among a number of beneficiary charities.

Each year, major themes like children and health or the elderly and family are chosen, with charities falling into those categories the end recipients of donations. Across the city, companies organise events, drives and programmes aimed at raising money for the cause. From golf tournaments to quiz nights, fancy dress parties to performances by carol singers, companies continue to come up with creative ways to bring employees together during the holidays to enjoy a bit of Christmas cheer and support local charity organisations as well.

http://osc.scmp.com


…Green thinking

Charity and giving can also serve to address industry issues. For instance, Cathay Pacific – in an industry often condemned for its contribution to pollution and wastage of natural resources – supports environmental programmes as well as awareness among employees and their families through a variety of initiatives. One is Change for Conservation, which partners with The Nature Conservancy, collecting change inflight that goes to conservation initiatives in Mainland China.

lifestyleTo promote participation by employees as well, the Asia Miles Eco-Action Asia Family Walk and the Eco-Adventure Race Walk are organised annually both to promote the importance of preserving the environment, and raising money to donate to local eco-charities.

All industries face issues of corporate responsibility in some way shape or form, and instead of shying away, the holidays can be a time to address these problems proactively, while providing the company and its employees a way to show they care.



…Team building

For a challenge that goes to charity, few are more gruelling than the Oxfam Trailwalker, which takes place annually on the Hongkong Trail, 100km of rugged terrain in the New Territories. Combining a team-building element, charity and a corporate matching programme, CLSA organised four teams of four walkers to train and complete the challenge, along with six people who supported them during the walk at several of the checkpoint stations.

lifestyleExplains Eve Chung, CLSA’s head of new business and projects, Trailwalker organiser and a participant on the arduous hike, the entire company rallied around the teams by making donations online. “We had twisted ankles, blown knees, heat stroke, a number of injuries and 64 blisters among us,” she says, but their efforts paid off with “a really positive feeling at the finish line, and three fundraising awards for our donation”. With staff contributing a total of HK$316,216 (US$40,800), CLSA matched the contribution for a grand total of HK$632,432 (US$81,601).

With marathons, charity walks, races and hikes in every city worldwide, Christmas is the perfect time to raise awareness and launch participation efforts for a charity that hits close to home. Depending on a firm’s corporate culture, employees’ own charity involvement and issues that surround the type of business activities companies are involved in, there are any number of worthy causes that would benefit from the time, effort, money and awareness raising that comes from corporate giving. Programmes on any scale and at all levels not only remind people that Christmas is not the happiest time of year for everyone, but that in spite of an economic crisis, a bad day at work or a problem at home, there is a way to ensure that the lives of those far less fortunate are a little bit brighter this holiday season.

www.oxfamtrailwalker.org.hk/en/home.html

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