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In 2017, IMS Luxembourg carried out a survey with Liser, TNS Ilres and the employment and social economy ministries asking Luxembourg companies about their approaches to social responsibility.

Almost nine out of ten respondents said that their company had put in place measures to improve staff wellbeing at work. In 98% of cases, these measures focused on health and safety, 90% on work-life balance and 68% on stress management.

“These results don’t surprise me and I would even say I find them very encouraging,” Liser researcher Nicolas Poussing said, adding: “By prioritising socially responsible practices, companies have understood they can increase their competitivity and attractivity by meeting the expectations of their staff.”

With regard to protection of the natural environment, 98% of companies had introduced measures enabling staff to recycle waste, 78% introduced recycling for waste generated through the firm’s activities and 49% had taken steps to offer sustainable transport alternatives. Regarding the latter, eight out of ten firms polled said they had introduced flexible working, half offered free or low-cost public transport via the mPass and 37% offered staff the chance to work remotely, also known as teleworking.

Dedicated social responsibility leader

Just six out of every ten companies had appointed someone to take responsibility for ensuring the firm acted in a socially responsible manner. Of that proportion, just 13% had appointed a full-time person to the role. The survey found companies were lagging behind when it came to buying sustainably, with just a fifth of employers using an internal sustainability checklist.

The report also gathered reflections on the extent to which companies contributed to achieving Luxembourg’s 2030 agenda, enshrining the 17 objectives adopted by Nato members in September 2015. Of the CEOs surveyed, 95% said climate action should be a top priority for the country, 82% said innovation and infrastructure and 76% cited quality education, 72% said decent work and economic growth and 72% sustainable consumption and production. In terms of the objectives and their importance to the companies polled, half of CEOs cited decent work and economic growth (57%), gender equality (57%), sustainable consumption and production (54%), clean energy (53%) and innovation and infrastructure (46%).

Concluding, IMS Luxembourg said a recurring issue was a lack of resources for companies in achieving socially sustainable goals. Less than half (46%) of companies polled had a dedicated budget and 46% had an action plan.