Compliance is a critical function of the HR department. HR is tasked with making sure that hiring practices, workplace rules, treatment of employees, and a variety of other factors all comply with the relevant laws.
Scott Lane tells Bill Banham in our latest podcast about the landscape of ESG, and what it means to the layperson.
Compliance is a critical function of HR, explains Scott.
Everyone has heard about ESG over the last few years: it has become very topical. ESG is complex, and to the layperson, it is about taking three elements (environmental, social and governance) and thinking about how these three large topics can help them and their business run.
For example, ESG has a lot of sub-areas. Within the environment, one may might look at innovating the usage of energy within your company. Or, on the social side, one may think about how to manage people, human rights, and diversity, equity and inclusion. And on the government side, one may thin about how to run your organisation from a corporate governance perspective.
“SO, AT ITS VERY SIMPLE LEVEL, ESG IS A COLLECTION OF ISSUES THAT TOGETHER REPRESENT QUITE A DIVERSE PATH ACROSS A COMPANY. HOW YOU MANAGE THESE ESG ISSUES CAN REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO YOUR COMPANY AND THE PLANET.”
– Scott Lane
Scott also explains how we can begin to build companies and workforces rich in integrity and with a common set of shared values.
“BOTH EMPLOYEES AND CUSTOMERS HAVE A CHOICE WHETHER THEY DEAL WITH YOU ORGANISATION. COMPANIES NEED TO BUILD THOSE ESG INITIATIVES THAT NOT ONLY ATTRACTS TALENT, BUT RETAINS IT.”
People want to work for an organisation that values them, stressed Scott. People want to work for an organisation where they have a great DE&I program. They want to work in an environment that is free from harassment and bullying, says Scott,
They want to work for a company that invests in the community and the society in which they operate in.
“THESE ARE BASIC FUNDAMENTAL THINGS THAT PEOPLE EXPECT.”
– Scott Lane
The difference is, now, people have a choice of where to work. They want to work in places that make them feel good, provide for them, and provide for the planet.
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Amelia Brand is the Editor for HRreview, and host of the HR in Review podcast series. With a Master’s degree in Legal and Political Theory, her particular interests within HR include employment law, DE&I, and wellbeing within the workplace. Prior to working with HRreview, Amelia was Sub-Editor of a magazine, and Editor of the Environmental Justice Project at University College London, writing and overseeing articles into UCL’s weekly newsletter. Her previous academic work has focused on philosophy, politics and law, with a special focus on how artificial intelligence will feature in the future.