{"id":18156,"date":"2024-05-22T09:19:22","date_gmt":"2024-05-22T08:19:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.dlapiper.com\/beaware\/?p=18156"},"modified":"2024-05-22T09:21:33","modified_gmt":"2024-05-22T08:21:33","slug":"an-introduction-to-esg-for-hr-professionals-article-3-social","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.dlapiper.com\/beaware\/an-introduction-to-esg-for-hr-professionals-article-3-social\/","title":{"rendered":"An Introduction to ESG for HR Professionals: Article 3 – Social"},"content":{"rendered":"

The second of the ESG pillars we are considering as part of our series \u2018An Introduction to<\/em><\/strong> ESG for HR Professionals<\/em><\/strong>\u2019 <\/em>is S<\/strong> for S<\/strong>ocial.<\/p>\n

The \u2018S\u2019 Pillar relates to the considerations that a company must be aware of when navigating its social environment\u2013 this includes its interactions with employees, local communities and the wider public. Social aspects like H&S, DEI and human rights fall under the bracket of social considerations and accordingly there is a natural overlap with the responsibilities of HR.<\/p>\n

Promoting health and safety<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ensuring a safe and healthy work environment is a social factor that is fundamental to an employee\u2019s well-being and human rights. Companies need to proactively identify and mitigate health and safety risks in their operations and products. Developing a culture that encourages employees to report potential hazards without retaliation can help mitigate the significant costs associated with workplace injuries including medical expenses, tribunal claims and reputational damage. An understanding of H&S risks in the supply chain is also becoming more relevant, particularly in the context of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive which is discussed further in our Governance article.<\/p>\n

Some of the key rights that an employee is entitled to in relation to health and safety include:<\/p>\n