The View from the Boardroom - UNDP Trinidad and Tobago

The View from the Boardroom - CEO Study on Corporate Social Responsibility in Trinidad and TobagoCHAPTER 4Managing Human Capital through CSR – The Business Case for Corporate Volunteering“To say that we havea formal volunteerprogramme in place nowthat would recognizepeople for volunteering,no. But if somebodyis doing somethingextraordinary and theirname is submitted tothe CSR Committeerecognition will be given tothem. It’s a very informalarrangement that we haveright now. But we wouldnot prevent any staffmember who has cometo us with a project thatwill require him to investtime from work, we wouldnot deny that. We wouldsupport it in as many waysas we can.”Michael Aboud, CEOAmalgamated Security Ltd.Brokers Ltd. is frank in the descriptionof his worries: “I don’t think I wouldwant to go too far with my staffin terms of volunteering becauseinvariably the unions will use thatagainst you when you negotiate withthem. They will say our staff did that(i.e. the volunteering) for the companyand for your positive image when theyIf so, were you involved in its development andimplementation?35.7%64.3%YesNowent and painted that school this yearand they will say you really shouldgive us 16 percent of a pay rise eventhough we agreed on a 15 percentsettlement prior. Or they would comeand be telling you that having hadstaff volunteering over the weekend,we really should pay them overtimebecause the employees would havebeen representing Agostini and notthemselves. So I rather encourage mystaff to volunteer in the sense that ifyou live in a community with a schoolor something similar that needs helpthen go and help.”At the same time, even skepticalCEOs are inclined to revisit the issueof corporate volunteering in thefuture. Robert Lazzari again: “Maybeit’s a selfish and a silly way. Maybe Ican do more within this company topromote and encourage my staff to getmore involved in social things. Theonly time this happens is when theCancer Society has a walk and I amgiving a cheque to this organizationand I am buying jerseys for everybodyand I say let’s put together a team offifty colleagues to walk around thesavannah. My staff loves that. Butto say that I really have my staff somotivated and aware that I can saylet’s do something social because wework with SERVOL, I haven’t got tothat level and I know that that’s anarea that I should probably spend a bitmore time on.”While the development of skills asa tangible ‘take away’ of corporatevolunteering is being increasinglyrecognised by foreign managers andCSR practitioners, CEOs in Trinidadand Tobago have retained somescepticism as to the skill-buildingeffect of staff volunteerism. SaysJason Freakley, Managing Directorof Scrip J Printing Ltd.: “I have neverthought of employees as developingskills on these projects. I would havemore thought of what kind of skillsdo they have already that they cancontribute to these projects. And whatI would have seen is more of a positivecontribution by the organisation andits staff with them being happy to dothose things and that sense of wellbeingand contribution I would havethought would come of it. I neverthought of them getting additionalskills out of it.”60