How healthy are employee-related CSR initiatives: a mapping and discussion of applying health-related employee benefits as part of companies' CSR programs
Corporate Communications: An International Journal
ISSN: 1356-3289
Article publication date: 3 October 2023
Issue publication date: 23 November 2023
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence of corporate health initiatives as part of CSR, and how and to what extent these initiatives are communicated in CSR reports.
Design/methodology/approach
The study comprises two strands. First, a mapping of the extent and nature of health-related CSR initiatives among 11 selected Danish companies is developed, based on a qualitative email questionnaire. Next, the mapping serves as the framework for coding and analyzing CSR reports from 2018 to 2020 from 15 companies (45 in total).
Findings
The study provides a typology of the extent and nature of such CSR initiatives consisting of more than 50 types of health-related initiatives. Analysis of the CSR reports illustrates an increase in the explicit communication of employee health initiatives as well as the number of different categories applied over the three years.
Practical implications
The study provides CSR managers with awareness about the extent and usage of employee health as part of corporate communication on CSR, including how such initiatives can be communicated in the CSR report. It also gives rise to carefully considering the potential negative implications for employees when planning health initiatives.
Originality/value
The study is the first of its kind to combine the perspectives of CSR and workplace health promotion to discuss the potential institutionalization of employee health as part of the corporate CSR program.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors thank the organizations who have shared their insights and work on CSR and employee health-related initiatives with them.
Citation
Schmeltz, L. and Nisbeth Brøgger, M. (2023), "How healthy are employee-related CSR initiatives: a mapping and discussion of applying health-related employee benefits as part of companies' CSR programs", Corporate Communications: An International Journal, Vol. 28 No. 6, pp. 972-987. https://doi.org/10.1108/CCIJ-12-2022-0151
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited