Corporate Social Responsibility Ideas for Homeopathic Manufactures of All Sizes

This is a very broad category, but it comes down to the treatment of people. Efforts could range from global initiatives (like preventing your business from contributing to child labor) to local actions (such as providing a safe workplace for your staff).

This category also aligns closely with homeopathic medicine being a more humane and respectful therapy, and therefore it's a good CSR choice in which to invest for companies with limited resources.

Below are some basics for ethical and fair treatment of staff for all companies as well as easier-to-implement ideas for small companies. When avoidable distractions are eliminated, staff are more productive. Furthermore, certain CSR initiatives listed below can be easily measured and can be publicly disclosed to enhance a company's reputation. Examples include the average years of staff employment, which reflects low turnover; the percentage of staff who have received training; and the ratio of women in management positions.

• Offer employees a wage above the state or federal minimum, with annual adjustments to keep pace with inflation and living expenses in specific cities.
• Provide good health benefits.
• Provide employees healthy snacks and beverages at a reasonable cost such as free fruit from local farm programs.
• Provide a safe workplace with protective equipment, as well as an environment that facilitates wellness, like sit-to-stand desks and ergonomical chairs.
• Encourage continuing education with reimbursement of college tuition or, at a lower-level, business-related conferences, webinars or trainings on life skills and first aid.
• Encourage mobility within the company for employees to try various positions and move to other departments or locations, which contributes to cross training and better understanding of interdepartmental processes.
• Strive for equality and diversity in the workforce in terms of age, gender, race, etc., which contributes a variety of perspectives and experiences in the workplace.

Larger companies should adopt policies affecting external audiences such as the fair treatment of all stakeholders. Investigate if any of your business operations contribute to human rights injustices. Ensure that suppliers and partners adhere to ethical standards. Instill processes to ensure they’re not purchasing products resulting from slavery or child labor. Require that products, ingredients, materials, and other components be sourced according to free trade standards. For more, see this month’s AAHP article “Supply Chain and Fair Trade: Lessons Learned from the Pandemic,” by industry consultant Tim Clarot.