Green works: a new way of thinking about social sustainability

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When most people think about sustainability, it is primarily in connection with green buildings and changes to environmental practices. However, the core concept of sustainability — meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs — has a social equity component that applies to all facets of a business, including its workforce and the surrounding community.

To the extent the concept of social equity or social sustainability is addressed in the employment context, there are formal standards. The AS8000, for example focuses on employing a greater number of people in better-paying jobs, and affording what we in the United States consider fundamental protections, such as collective bargaining, safe workplaces, and prohibitions on discrimination, and child and forced labor. However, social sustainability goes beyond these considerations. It requires an examination of the effects of work and the business as a whole on the employee, the employee’s family, the company’s customers and vendors, and the surrounding community.

As a start, companies can incorporate sustainability principles into their employment practices by creating and maintaining workplaces that balance the company’s operational and fiscal needs with the safety, health, emotional, personal and financial needs of their employees. What are all of the interested parties seeking from the relationship? How are they affected by it?

Beyond a paycheck and health benefits, employees have different needs. One may seek fulfillment and status through work, while another is just looking to stay busy. Some people work best with close supervision while others need complete autonomy to be successful at work. You don’t want to find out after the fact that your new hire is a bad fit because your expectations or culture don’t match. Figure out who and what you want, and communicate that to your candidates. Before you make an offer, make sure your candidate’s goals are aligned with your organization’s needs.

Hiring the right employees is a start, but it can be difficult to sustain a productive, long-term relationship. Employees who are kept “in the loop” are more likely to feel connected to their workplace. Providing venues and opportunities for meaningful, two-way communication is a good way to provide the organization with information about potential problems and improvements within the company, and the needs and aspirations of its workforce.

Sharing information on a timely basis about the company’s direction, goals, and financial condition allows employees to make more informed decisions about their careers and their personal lives. In addition, employees who have a clear understanding of their employer’s expectations, goals, and concerns are more likely to respond positively to constructive criticism and be successful at work. Those employees who receive timely and direct feedback but still find themselves unable to meet expectations are more likely to acknowledge the problem and either accept disciplinary action or resign, without hard feelings.

Many employees need to balance work with other demands, such as children who are sick or in need of care; aging or infirm parents; personal illness; unreliable transportation; and domestic violence — all of which can interfere with productivity. Companies can help employees address many of these issues and at the same time help their bottom line by tailoring employment and benefits policies to the needs of their workforce. Locating the business close to public transit; subsidizing benefits like public transportation and child care; and offering flexible work schedules and telecommuting, are all relatively small steps toward achieving a more sustainable workplace.

Social sustainability can lead to demonstrable economic benefits that result from attracting desirable employees, reducing turnover and sick time, improving overall productivity, and reducing costs. At the same time, companies can enhance their reputation and their brand, not only with employees, but with customers and the communities in which they operate. Ask anyone who’s done it and they’ll tell you: green works.

Stacey Mark is a partner at Ater Wynne LLP, where she chairs both the Labor and Employment Law Practice Group and the Sustainable Practice Advisory Group. Ater Wynne was named one of the 100 Best Green Companies to Work For in Oregon in 2009. Ms. Mark can be reached at sem@aterwynne.com.