Sustainability in the Workplace
Five Ways to Identify a Sustainable Organization
The 2008 list of Canada’s 50 best workplaces features small firms of less than 100 employees to the 43,302 staff at TD Bank Financial Group. The list, published by the Great Place to Work Institute Canada in the April 29th 2008 edition of the Globe and Mail, highlights five sustainable business practices.
Here are five ways to spot a sustainable organization that lives what it preaches.
Workplace of Choice
Employees take pride in their work and happily recommend their employer to prospective recruits. One of the hallmarks of a workplace of choice is a high level of trust among employees, and between management and employees. That trust is built up in a variety of ways: leadership is regarded as trustworthy and competent, there is respect for personal and professional worth, and effective communication is a priority.
Sustainable Footprint
Leadership seeks a balance between growing the business and managing growth, without harming the environment. At Elements the Patagonia Store, a retailer of sportswear in Calgary, management is systematically greening its operations, from using green electricity from Bullfrog Power to buying recycled paper.
Elements is a member of 1% for the Planet, an international alliance of businesses that donate one percent of their net sales to support grassroots environmental groups. As a global leader in sustainability, Patagonia has committed to making and selling products that are 100% organic, recyclable or from recycled materials, by 2010.
Healthy Workplace Culture
Some organizations stand out from the crowd when it comes to their initiatives to support employees in leading healthy lifestyles. At Toronto Community Housing, management and staff collaborated to engage staff in assessing their own wellness. Rising employee assistance costs and an aging workforce provided the impetus. Employee-led workshops held by the union yielded information that was then used to design health and wellness programs for staff.
Ownership for the wellness initiative, which includes lunch-time fitness programs and staff outings, is high because the employees, not management, decided what constitutes a healthy workplace and how to achieve it.
Recognizing the Value of Diversity
At the Toronto terminal of Reimer Express Lines Ltd., Service Centre Manager Dave O’Connor has assembled a diverse team of more than 200 employees in an industry not celebrated for its diversity. Valuing the collective backgrounds, experiences and perspectives of his employees has enabled O’Connors’ team to grow – in spite of the labour market shortage and difficulties faced by the trucking industry.
Diversity is more than equality in gender representation, or a racial mix in the workplace that reflects the broader community, although both these indicators are important.
Giving Back to the Community
Sustainable organizations don’t operate in a vacuum. They seek to make a positive impact on the wider community in which they conduct their operations. From philanthropy to community development, the leadership and employees of these organizations are engaged in their communities. Mountain Equipment Co-op is the poster child for a business that is devoted to enriching the lives of its members, minimizing its footprint ecologically through recycling and less waste, and working with other organizations to improve the environment.
Rating Your Organization
How does your organization compare? Next to each factor, rate your organization. Give it a 5/5 if its behaviour is exemplary, and a 1/5 if it performs badly. Add up your scores; a score between 15 and 20 indicates you work for an organization that could improve its performance; over 20 indicates you work for a truly sustainable organization; and under 15 … you might want to look for another job!
