Field Sales Solutions’ Guide to Understanding Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

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Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has become a widely discussed topic in today’s business world. But what exactly is CSR, and how can companies incorporate CSR practices into their day-to-day operations?

Here’s the formal definition:

CSR refers to the ethical and responsible behaviour of businesses towards society and the environment. It involves the integration of social and environmental concerns into a company’s operations and business models, with the aim of creating sustainable value for all stakeholders, including employees, customers, communities, and the environment. In short, CSR encompasses a broad approach that involves businesses taking responsibility for the impact they have on society and proactively working towards addressing social, economic, and environmental issues.

CSR encompasses a broad approach that involves businesses taking responsibility for the impact they have on society and proactively working towards addressing social, economic, and environmental issues.

So, how can you bring this to life in your organisation?

For us at Field Sales Solutions, it began with the creation of a plan.

In 2020 we launched our 5 Year Environmental Plan, which has enabled us to layout a clear roadmap and milestones for our business. We are extremely proud to have since become a Carbon Neutral organisation and were able to achieve this through a series of measures, all of which we mapped out within our plan. This included investment in renewable energy offsetting, implementing sustainable travel policies and route planning, and running companywide tree planting initiatives. We trialled, and then introduced, hybrid vehicles to our field fleet and today we are focused on a transition plan to fully electric models. We identified and remain focused on reducing our waste footprint in as many aspects of our business as we can, from paperless policies to car share and cycle to work incentives to ensure both small and big actions are considered. We work in partnership with the accredited body Carbon Footprint to ensure that our carbon offsetting activities are transparent, credible, and effective. But this is just the beginning, as our plan forms the foundations of an ongoing mission to be environmentally conscious in all we do, always!

For us it’s about peoples welfare to.

Our commitment to sustainability extends beyond environmental concerns, with a real focus on our social responsibilities, and for us that means ensuring our employees have access to support across all aspects of their lives.

We have a robust Employee Wellbeing Agenda that embodies us providing mental health support provisions, menopause support, and financial guidance as just some of the ways we prioritise the well-being of our team members. We have also partnered with GroceryAid, our industry charity, and been recognised as a GroceryAid Gold Supporter for our active involvement in promoting support services to our employees. To ensure we keep our finger on the pulse of what matters most to our people, we regularly run surveys to sense check where the support needs are. We have also invested in training line managers and accrediting Mental Health First Aiders from across our business to ensure we can recognise when help might be needed. For us, having a vested interest in the care of our employees is central to our CSR mission.

We are focused on making a positive difference.

We also recognise the importance of giving back to our communities, and we conduct volunteering days and run charitable acts throughout the year. Our dedicated in-house Charity & Social committee works tirelessly to plan and execute events, driving awareness, raising funds, and enhancing morale. We believe that by contributing to the betterment of society we really can make a positive difference.

We continue to embed CSR missions into our day-to-day business practices, wherever we can. We are a people business, and believe in conducting business in an ethical and transparent manner, adhering to legal and regulatory requirements, and upholding high standards of corporate governance, integrity, and accountability. We also ensure that our suppliers and business partners, wherever possible, also adhere to responsible environmental, social, ethical practices and promote sustainability, in partnership with us.

For any business looking to drive CSR initiatives in their organisation, we hope our examples show some ways to turn ideas into action, and how critical having a cohesive plan is, to ensuring goals are achieved. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) are not just buzzwords, but a vital part of our ethos and operations and we are committed to our CSR roadmap, and to making a positive impact on the world.