Sustainability is primarily linked with ecological preservation for future generations to come. In businesses, sustainability is being practiced through measurable things, like electricity, water, and office supplies. Sustainability, however, transcends the environmental aspect. A sustainable workplace also means taking care of its core the people. Without its employees, any business is deemed a failure. After all, a sustainable business means possessing the Triple Bottom Line (3BL) people, planet, and profit.
Human capital is very important in any business. Thus, it is significant to implement fair and beneficial business practices to all sectors, and not harm or exploit any of them. This can be done in a number of ways. Some of these are:
Fair wages
Safe work environment
Tolerable working hours
Healthcare
Education
Integrity
Respect
One important thing in any business is diversity. Indicators of diversity are gender equality and racial mix. Collective backgrounds can make a superb pool of people that can help attain and maintain market leadership. Coca-Cola, for example, has been leveraging a worldwide team of diverse workers. The fact that they have a worldwide market, understanding a multi-cultural world proves to be important. And what could be better to do exactly that than to create a team of diverse talents?
Another important aspect of a sustainable workplace is giving back to the community. Some may think that this is a PR strategy, but its more than that. PR strategy means polishing a companys image through outreach programs. PR strategies are usually short-lived, just to give the company or product the needed hype. Giving back to the community means being engaged in the community. These have long-term benefits not just to the employees, but to the community where the business operates. Educational programs are the best examples, as the students or beneficiaries are not the only ones benefitting from it, but their families as well. A well-educated person can find work more easily, thus allowing him or her to provide for his or her family.
Creating a sustainable business not just solely relies on environment and revenue. People are just as important. Sustainability also means investing on human capital. For more details on sustainability solutions for your business, visit www.goodearthproducts.net.
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