Featured this week: AEW Capital Management, Aramark, ATB Financial, Bank of the West, Berkshire Bank, Black Hills Energy, CEMEX, Fidelity Investments, FLEX LTD., JPMorgan Chase & Co, LendingTree, Moody's Corporation, NBCUniversal, Nike Inc., PRA Group, PwC, RWJBarnabas Health, Sanofi US, TELUS, Texas Mutual Insurance Company, Walgreens, Wells Fargo

The member community convened by Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship is one of a kind. The 500+ companies we serve each year are leaders in environmental, social, and governance action, and the thousands of individuals who make up this network are some of the best in the field! 

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Spotlight on You

Melissa Aguilar, People & Culture Transversal Project Lead at Sanofi US, shared her inspirational story of mental health so that others in her organization (or outside it) might also get the help they need.

"I recalled that Sanofi had an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) where I could leverage free sessions with a counselor and thought that it was something worth exploring; especially considering the 'free' aspect. I felt that I could potentially get a lot out of it with very little risk, so I went on to our well-being website and looked up the EAP... My first session went so well that my therapist and I began meeting bi-weekly until my allotted session were over. Through our conversations and the questions she asked, she helped me to identify the sources of my anxiety and why I was feeling overwhelmed."

TELUS Health’s Paula Allen, Senior Vice President, Research and Total Wellbeing, was recently featured in a Human Resource Executive piece focused on mental health awareness. Allen says the firm’s recent research found that business leaders think just 5%-10% of their employees have experienced trauma with a lasting impact on mental health. Yet, according to the company’s latest Mental Health Index, that number actually stands at 33%.

"Employers need to recognize that immediate trauma, such as that caused by the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, isn’t the only trigger of poor mental health; rather, some people languish because they get used to undue emotional strain... That’s where employers can come in; they should be offering individualized solutions tailored to the needs of employees, she says, singling out coaching and counseling as two potentially effective tools in stopping this cycle."

Carlen Scheyk started a new position as Director, Collective Impact at ATB Financial.

"In my new role, I will have the opportunity to build and direct ATB’s Collective Impact Initiatives in support of our corporate purpose, ESG aspirations, and objectives inherent in our Social Innovation strategy," Scheyk shared. "I am grateful for this opportunity and the support and confidence of my colleagues and leaders at ATB, and I can’t wait to get started on this new chapter in my career."

April Barnhardt Whitlock, Head of Corporate Citizenship at LendingTree and Executive Director of the LendingTree Foundation, joined the board of SHARE Charlotte to help support their mission of supporting, educating, and elevating the local nonprofit community in Charlotte, North Carolina.

LOOK! 30+ NEW Jobs in Corporate Social Responsibility, DE&I, Community Relations, ESG...

Companies Investing in Mental Health Awareness and Wellness Programs

To help bring much-needed screening tools and other educational materials to more schools nationwide, Walgreens is collaborating with longtime partner Mental Health America (MHA) on its Back-to-School campaign, which will include a comprehensive set of new resources that will be available at no cost this coming August. Last year, the campaign reached more than 15 million people.

“We’re proud to work with MHA to support this critically important work for the staggering numbers of teens and adolescents who are struggling, and for the teachers and administrators who play such a vital role during these pivotal years,” said Holly May, Global Chief Human Resources Officer, Walgreens Boots Alliance. “As an employer, we’re committed to supporting the health and wellbeing of our team members. And as part of our purpose, more joyful lives through better health, we’re also focused on addressing the most pressing needs in healthcare and our communities today.”

Acting on employee feedback, PwC expanded mental health benefits, doubling the number of free visits with a mental health professional from six to 12 annually and increasing the reimbursement amount for out-of-network mental health support from 70% to 90%. It launched the “Taking Time Off Together” program, which includes two week-long firmwide shutdowns (in July and December) each year in the U.S. in addition to employees’ allotted PTO. Following the July 2022 closure, 19,600 PwCers completed a survey, with 92% sharing that their time off gave them uninterrupted time away from work.

When creating Season 2 of Peacock’s Bel-Air, showrunners were mindful to prominently feature the importance of caring for one’s mental health. Bel-Air seeks to normalize therapy, which is often stigmatized in Black communities, and is one of many NBCUniversal titles spotlighting mental health. NBC’s Lopez vs Lopez features a father struggling to understand the nuances of his daughter’s mental health, from both a cultural and generational perspective. With the PSA series The More You Know, journalists Savannah Sellers and Kate Snow discuss how the way we talk about mental health is evolving. And in DreamWorks’ Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, an unexpected moment shows viewers of all ages what a panic attack can feel like, and how therapy dogs can be one way to relieve anxiety.

Through Nike Inc.’s partnership with Lyra Health, employees and their eligible dependents receive free, confidential coaching and therapy sessions, plus access to mental wellness tools and self-guided care.

More News in Corporate Social Responsibility

Global construction materials company CEMEX developed a market-based housing solution, "Patrimonio Hoy," to meet the needs of vulnerable families in urban and semi-urban areas, combining resilient and sustainable building with a savings program to improve communities and families’ quality of life. Given growing climate change impacts, the company says the expansion of this program can help fill the climate resilience gaps that exist throughout the world. 

JPMorgan Chase & Co. says it is taking a uniquely multi-faceted approach to the Second Chance hiring movement. The bank made changes to its hiring practices by “banning the box”– an effort that removes the requirement to disclose criminal records on job applications. As a result, 10 percent of its new hires in the U.S. for the last three years have a record, with no bearing on their roles. The company is also helping other large companies standardize similar practices as a founding member of the Second Chance Business Coalition. The coalition works with over 45 major employers to create an equitable future by developing best practices and tools for employers to change hiring and advancement practices.

"One in three Americans has a criminal record," said Nan Gibson, Executive Director, JPMorgan Chase PolicyCenter, "and they face extraordinary challenges to career and economic mobility. JPMorgan Chase believes that if you have paid your debt to society, you should be allowed to work in order to create a better future for yourself. Instead, justice-involved individuals often face barriers to employment and economic opportunity, costing the U.S. economy about $80 billion annually."

Last month Berkshire Bank announced the release of its 2022 Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) Report, Purpose & Performance that Matters. The report highlights the totality of the company's environmental, social and governance activities, its performance as well as its progress on its $5 billion BEST Community Comeback program.

"We believe where you bank matters and since our founding in 1846, Berkshire has been at the forefront of empowering our communities' financial potential," stated Gary Levante, SVP, Corporate Responsibility at Berkshire Bank. "The collective actions of the Company and all our employees are helping build more just and sustainable communities, creating jobs along our main streets, putting more people in homes, and supporting a green and equitable economy."

Global financial services company PRA Group teamed up with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) to save the Bay by building oyster cages. The day-long volunteer project brought more than 30 employees to CBF’s Brock Environmental Center near the Bay to learn about its delicate ecosystem, regional impact, and current threats while handcrafting structures that will help restore the native oyster population. Chesapeake Bay is an estuary that spans approximately 64,000 square miles through six states, including New York and Washington, D.C., and impacts 18 million people. PRA Group employees built nearly 80 reusable cages for oyster gardeners throughout the region. The oysters raised in these cages will contribute to the Chesapeake Oyster Alliance’s goal of adding 10 billion new oysters to the Bay.

As the next step in its ongoing effort to provide relevant financial education, Fidelity Investments announced two new digital experiences designed to help the next generation of investors grow their financial know-how and build healthier money habits: Pancake Empire Tower Tycoon, an educational Roblox experience introducing users to real-world money situations of spending, saving, and investing; and Fidelity’s Bloom-o-rama, a new metaverse experience in Decentraland guiding users through quests and challenges to cultivate a more mindful approach to money.

Aramark celebrated its 10th annual global day of service, Aramark Building Community Day (ABC Day), this past April. ABC Day engages thousands of volunteers, from 13 countries, who dedicate their time, energy, and expertise to service projects in their local neighborhoods.

“Aramark Building Community Day is such an exceptional day because it brings out the best in all of us,” said Jami Leveen, Vice President of Community Partnerships at Aramark. “This ABC Day is particularly special because it’s the culmination of 10 years of Aramark employees and leaders living our company’s mission of doing great things for each other, our partners, our communities, and our planet. Over the last decade, we have made significant contributions to our communities, enhanced the Aramark employee experience, and fostered a meaningful organizational culture of service, and I couldn’t be more proud.”

Moody's Corporation published its 2022 Stakeholder Sustainability and Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures
(TCFD) reports, which highlight Moody’s sustainable business practices, track the progress of its decarbonization plan and long-term net-zero targets, and provide updates on its comprehensive suite of sustainability-related products and solutions.

“Our stakeholders look to Moody’s to help empower transparent and efficient markets,” said Christine Elliott, Chief Global Corporate Affairs Officer at Moody’s. “At the same time, we seek to embed key initiatives into our own corporate practices, and we’re excited to share the most recent developments of our journey toward a more sustainable future.”

Members on the Move

Congratulations to the business leaders who recently completed BCCCC's Leadership Academy, earning their certificates in Corporate Citizenship Leadership!

The 2022-23 cohort wrapped up its certificate program in Minneapolis, ahead of #BCConf23. Participants included: Barjouth Aguilar Ayala of FLEX LTD., Lana Burczek of Wells Fargo, Diana Candelejo of RWJBarnabas Health, Sarah Richter of Wells Fargo, Mandy Ryan of AEW Capital Management, Jackie Sekiguchi of Texas Mutual Insurance Company, Valerie Simpson of Black Hills Energy, Stephanie Tedy of Bank of the West, and Elizabeth Trainor of RWJBarnabas Health