CSR support during COVID-19 

With the pandemic continuing to impact Hong Kong, local charities including HandsOn Hong Kong have seen an outpouring of support from the larger community in response to local relief efforts at ‘Serve-a-thon’. During the event, a large number of businesses stepped forward to look at how they could empower their teams to help the city’s most vulnerable groups impacted by the crisis while supporting their own employees’ well-being at the same time.  

Sue Toomey, Executive Director, HandsOn, Hong Kong said, “As we all know, the emotional impact of this crisis will be long-lasting both for Hong Kong’s most disadvantaged and for each of us. A recent survey by the University of Hong Kong found three-quarters of our citizens are currently showing moderate to high levels of depressive symptoms.”

 Volunteering is a key aspect of wider efforts to ensure employee health and safety during the COVID-19 crisis. Companies recognise both the increasing demand to help those in need and the power of volunteering to counteract the effects of stress and anxiety among staff. 

Toomey added, “We ran this year’s Serve-a-thon with the belief that being part of it would support the emotional well-being and connectedness of everyone involved. A recent study showed that 83% of volunteers reported that serving has a positive impact on their mental health and overall well-being. This is a critical time for the larger community to experience these kinds of benefits.”

Serve-a-thon’s Community Champion sponsors for 2020, Zurich Insurance Hong Kong, Marriott Bonvoy and Johnson & Johnson all say engaging their teams in meaningful volunteering initiatives is one of the key ways they promote employee wellness.

• Volunteering is an important aspect of Zurich’s wider efforts to ensure employees’ health and safety during the COVID-19 crisis, with others being access to psychological help, better work from home arrangements, enhanced hygiene measures and extended medical benefits. Zurich promoted volunteering during Serve-a-thon through two service programs for staff—a Kindness Walk in support of the homeless and a tree care program to protect Hong Kong ecosystem. Eric Hui, Chief Executive Officer, Zurich Insurance (Hong Kong) said, “It is only through the strength and well-being of our employees, that the company can move forward in these turbulent times.”
• Marriott Bonvoy focused on the psychological effects of COVID-19 on employees. In addition to engaging their team in a tree maintenance programme in the hills of Lantau the company also participated in service programmes throughout the year. In response to the pandemic, Marriott has also partnered with meQuilibrium, a proven stress management platform, to support the mental well-being of its associates globally. Regan Taikitsadaporn, Chief Human Resources Officer, Marriott International Asia Pacific, said, “Our core value of putting people first transcends all that we do. Marriott is continually invested in the well-being of all our associates—being part of Serve-a-thon and introducing stress management platforms are one of many ways we engage with our associates to improve their lives and the lives of those around them.”

Johnson & Johnson wanted to provide both in-person and virtual volunteer options for their staff—so all team members could comfortably take part. Some volunteered from the home or office, filling ‘inspiration jars’ with messages of support and encouragement for the elderly. Other team members delivered relief care packages to the households of vulnerable elderly—this formed part of a larger global initiative to give back to communities during the crisis. The company also focus on holistic employee physical and mental health by providing access to counsellors who understand pandemic-related stress. Daniel Kwan, Chair of Johnson and Johnson, HK Community Impact Team, said, “As a leading healthcare company, we care about having an impact on health and beyond.  Guided by our credo, we are responsible to the communities in which we live and work.  We are passionate about giving back to the community, to serve those in need and improve the well-being of others.” 

In these unprecedented times, giving employees a sense of purpose through volunteering—while also increasing their levels of happiness and decreasing stress—is one valuable way to support community well-being. Companies and HR teams across Hong Kong have been heartened to see how these efforts have helped support different sectors of the community and bolster corporate-wellness initiatives.

Serve-a-thon 2021 will be taking place from May 8th to 16th, 2021: www.serveathon.org.hk