Half Of U.S. Workplaces Have Environmental Policies

Half empty or half full? According to a new survey 50% of responding organizations have a formal or informal environmental responsibility policy. That’s pretty good news, however, 43% have no such policy and no plans to implement one within the next 12 months, according to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM),

"The findings revealed a surprising paradox," said Susan R. Meisinger, president and CEO of SHRM. "The study shows that companies really do benefit from environmentally-friendly practices, and yet a large portion of firms have no plans to ‘go green’," she added.

Companies that implement environmental responsibility programs report considerable benefits. Human resource (HR) professionals cite improved employee morale (44%) and a stronger public image for the company (42%) as top benefits. They also report increased consumer/customer confidence (20%) and a positive financial bottom line (19%) as a result of the organization’s environmental responsible program. Survey respondents also cite increased employee loyalty (16%).

These findings indicate that "green" initiatives can be a selling point to attract potential employees, particularly among younger workers. "These employees check the background of organizations and talk with employees to find out for themselves if the ‘green’ CSR messaging delivers on its promise," said Gerlinde Herrmann, SHRP, president of the Herrmann Group and a member of SHRM’s Corporate Social Responsibility Expertise Panel.

Despite the benefits, HR professionals admit that it’s not easy for their companies to become and remain environmentally friendly. The most common barrier to creating an environmental program is implementation cost (85%) followed by maintenance cost (74%). Other barriers include lack of management support (43%), lack of employee support (25%), and concern for workplace inefficiency (20%).

Still, nearly three out of four employees from companies without environmental programs say they want their employers to "go green." Seventy-three (73)% of surveyed employees in companies without an environmental responsibility policy thought it was very or somewhat important that their organization develop an environmental responsibility policy.

The 2008 SHRM Green Workplace Survey included 429 respondents working as human resource professionals at companies, non-profit groups and in government.