They are also Parents They Are Also Parents - A Study on Migrant Workers | Page 50

CCR CSR | A Study on Migrant Workers with Left-behind Children in China | August 2013
CCR CSR | A Study on Migrant Workers with Left-behind Children in China | August 2013
“The more care businesses provide for children, the more loyal employees will Overall, the CSR actions that are being undertaken for migrant workers and
be. It’s beneficial to business development.” their children can be summarized as follows:
—HR manager
• Provision of designated breastfeeding areas: seven out of nine businesses
7.2 Businesses have a limited level of knowledge about the surveyed had nursing rooms, and some companies also actively worked
relationship between CSR and the rights of children to create a comfortable environment and provide time necessary for
breastfeeding.
A number of brands and businesses participating in this study have good CSR
records, and some are even leaders in their field, offering a range of quality
• Provision of leave for employees with children: employees can seek leave
staff services. Certain companies, for example, support women’s health- when their children are ill. Small-scale businesses tend to have greater
training programs, which assist workers in learning about early childcare. flexibility, and can generally provide leave for a month to two months, while
Others work in tandem with their suppliers to establish community service larger companies will generally deduct time off from annual leave, with
centers that can provide support for migrant workers with accompanying extensions available only under certain conditions.
children. Overall, initiatives of this kind are not without significance, but there
continues to be a general lack of focus on the needs of migrant workers with
children.
• Provision of assistance for workers to return home: Most companies provide
subsidies for workers to return home for Chinese New Year, with the amount
ranging from CNY 200 to CNY 300 , providing the workers will return to
Large-scale enterprises tend to have more thorough CSR operations and place
their jobs.
greater pressure on management to fully implement relevant policies and
regulations, including activities focused on various categories of employees.
• Provision of working time to make or receive emergency calls: employees
However, as a rule, businesses engage in CSR largely in the interests of their with children frequently worry about not being able to react if their children
corporate reputations, caring for the socially vulnerable, children with special have accidents while they are at work. Most companies allow employees to
needs, and the elderly (for example by visiting orphanages and nursing bring cell phones to the workplace, and the small number that do not, do
homes, and assisting students who live in isolated areas). so due to concerns over confidentiality and work efficiency. In such cases,
most businesses provide public telephones, making it possible for workers
Meanwhile, the CSR activities of other companies are focused on issues
to receive and make calls via factory-floor managers.
related to the workplace, and activities aimed at improving the lives of their
employees. The needs of migrant-workers and their children may or may not
be an area of focus.
• Provision of family get-togethers and family ‘open days’: this includes
inviting the staff family members to factory visits and events, birthday
parties, and recreational activities. Other occasions for family get-togethers
Small-scale businesses tend to carry out CSR activities in accordance with
include summer camps designed with workers’ children in mind.
nationally mandated laws and regulations, auditing for factors that might
put them in breach of the law, such as child labor, and providing nursing and
maternity leave.
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• Family and parenting-related education: such seminars generally focus on
maternal and children’s health.
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