Category:
CSR
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employees
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Giving News
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Meher Pudumjee
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Payroll Giving
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Thermax
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Volunteering
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We were fortunate to know more on this culture from Mrs. Meher Pudumjee, Chairperson, Thermax. Being one of the primary custodians of the Thermax group, Meher shares with us what defines giving at the organizations, employee giving, the Foundation, and more !
GiveIndia : What defines the idea of giving back at
Thermax?
Meher : At Thermax, we believe that business
cannot survive in a society that fails. It is the responsibility of those
who are in a relatively better position, to help those who are in need and
haven't got the opportunity only because of their circumstances. This
"giving back" could be in terms of money or time. The return on
this kind of investment is beyond words - it is deeply satisfying.
GiveIndia :You are an engineering company. Given that blue collar employees make up a part of the workforce, how easy or difficult of a challenge do you think it becomes for CSR to be all inclusive across employee profiles?
Meher : We are an engineering company and
our blue collar employees are less than our white collared ones. Having
said that, I do not think numbers define the culture and attitude. I would
like to give an example of our own workforce. When our Workers Union
decided to visit one of the schools we run along with the Municipal
Corporation and Akanksha, as a part of our CSR initiative, they raised a
contribution from all the workers and donated Rs.50,000/- to set up the
library for the school. This reflects the culture our people have imbibed
over the years.
GiveIndia : Are there any specific 'must do' activities that you encourage every year ?
Meher : There is nothing like "must do" -
we only encourage our employees to volunteer, to part with some of their
salary towards good causes. We offer different opportunities for them and
their families to participate with our partner NGOs; however, it is purely
voluntary.
GiveIndia : Speaking of Payroll Giving at Thermax,
1500+ employees have already contributed towards the programme. Do you
think Payroll Giving adds a new dimension to the host of engagement
activities at Thermax? If so, how is Payroll Giving working out for the
employees?
Meher : I feel the Payroll Giving programme
is an excellent initiative. Given the nature of our work, many of our
employees have to travel and yet they would want to participate and
contribute for the betterment of the society, but due to their schedules
and time constraint, they are unable to do so. Hence, the Payroll giving
programme
provides them an alternative to contributing towards a cause of their own choice and seeing the progress (impact) over time.
provides them an alternative to contributing towards a cause of their own choice and seeing the progress (impact) over time.
GiveIndia :Thermax has been participating in the India Giving Challenge every year since the past three years now. Last year, you raised Rs. 7 lacs for The Akanksha Foundation and also won in individual fundraising categories. What, in your opinion, generally works or doesn't work during those six weeks of fundraising?
Meher : As mentioned earlier because of the very
tight work schedule, some employees do not get time or the opportunity to
participate; however, during the India Giving Challenge, being a one off
event each year, wherein money is raised for a particular cause, gets
people far more interested. They are also bombarded with frequent e-mails,
which I guess helps.
GiveIndia : Last but not the least, what is future of giving at Thermax?
Meher : We, at Thermax, believed in giving for
social causes and even when CSR was not mandatory, gave 2% of the profit
to our Foundation. Last year our Board decided to make the CSR
contribution to 3% and extend our activities in our defined area. Along
with financial contribution we hope to involve more of our employees in
various social initiatives that we undertake.
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