Corporate Social Responsibility

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a term referring to the set of legal and ethical obligations and commitments deriving from impacts that the activities of organisations and companies cause in their surroundings in social, employment and environmental and human rights terms.

Nowadays, businesses are increasingly convinced that commercial success and lasting benefits for their shareholders are obtained not only by maximising short-term profits but also with behaviour that is both market-oriented and, at the same time, responsible and socially committed to their environment.

Social commitment is understood as devoting business resources to socioeconomic development projects providing support to deprived people, largely in the areas of social services, health, education, professional training and employment. Rationalising social action places it in a new dimension compared to the traditional philanthropic approach. Specifically, it brings benefits that mean a socially committed company obtains comparative advantages over its competitors:

Improving financial action: studies show that there is correlation between socially responsible companies and positive financial action.

Reduced operating costs: some social actions can help companies reduce costs and improve productivity.

Recovering brand image and business reputation.

Increasing sales and achieving customer loyalty.

Increasing resources to attract and retain workers: it is easier for socially committed businesses to find new workers and retain them as members of the company.

When corporate social responsibility is at the heart of business strategy, the FVO can offer the establishment of cooperation agreements as a strategic means of promoting social action.

Cooperation can be established based on different aspects, although it will always be determined by: financing projects to build centres and services; promoting employment among people with learning difficulties; and different cooperation programmes, such as contributions to creating services, always depending on the priorities detected in the sector and/or the interest of the cooperating company.

For more information, contact the Head of Resources at rh@fvo.cat.

CET Company: alternative measures to filling the 2% reserved quota established by the LISMI

The Social Integration of Disabled People Act 13/1982, of 7 April, known as LISMI, establishes for companies with more than 50 workers the obligation to hire a number of workers with disabilities amounting to not less than 2% of the total workforce.

RD 364/2005, with exceptional alternative measures complimentary to the 2% reserved quota in favour of workers with disabilities at companies with 50 or more workers establishes that public and private companies obliged to hire workers with disabilities under the terms established in article 38.1 of Act 13/1982 may, exceptionally, be exempt from this obligation provided they apply some of the replacement measures established in this Royal Decree.

Exceptional reasons include the competent public employment services or recruitment agencies finding it impossible to fill the company’s vacancy, or production, technical and economic peculiarities making it particularly difficult for the company to include workers with disabilities in its workforce.

The established alternative measures are:

A commercial or civil contract with a Special Work Centre or self-employed worker with disabilities to supply raw materials, machinery or equipment.

A commercial or civil contract with a Special Work Centre or self-employed worker to provide outside services ancillary to the company’s normal activities.

Establishment of a placement contract with a Special Work Centre.

Donations: sponsorship for employment inclusion and job creation or sponsorship actions to finance projects aimed at developing paralympic sport.

To make sure you do not face penalties for breaching the LISMI and that you become a socially responsible company with competitive advantages over your competitors both in terms of your social marketing and your public image with the authorities, we invite you to contact the Resource Manager at the Vallès Oriental Private Foundation at rh@fvo.cat.