How can Businesses Help Alleviate Poverty?

…..Ideas on how to reduce poverty – of your staff

Would it surprise you if I said that charities don’t help people, because they aren’t sustainable? Because they’re demeaning?

So what is the alternative?
If you don’t want to spend on things like staff turnover or training costs, then pay them what the job and person doing it are worth. Would your company survive without someone doing that job?

Have raise pkgs that reflect their ability and their loyalty.

Prevention is key – So unless you enjoy paying for staff off on sick leave or disabled lists, encourage things like stress reduction, proper nutrition (and pay them enough to afford it) and frequent exercise breaks away from the desk, and have parental leaves and caretaker relief programs as well as good schools and daycares near your company. You’ll find you shell out a LOT less in health insurance and have a happier more relaxed staff force. Who work for you longer.

Offer job sharing posts. – Rather than you scheduling mandatory shifts and you arbitrarily making the hours up, assign two people to a buddy-system, where they divide tasks and hours based on their needs. Where they cover for the other’s holiday and sick days.

Offer web- commuting – Some people can’t afford the costs having a job means. (clothes, transportation, babysitting….) And this is a great ‘in’ for disabled people, who you can get govt incentives for them having the job. Which helps reduce your salary and benefit costs. It also reduces your overhead for bldg maintenance, utilities and security.

Have a ‘team’ or committee that has a member from each role that gives voice to needs of staff and problems so you can reduce conflicts more readily.

…. ideas for the communities you ‘sponsor’.

Tourism is a revenue stream, but if there is one thing we have learned from this pandemic, it’s that having an online option is key.

Having something unique to offer is also critical.
Culture fairs of dances, music, recipes that are accessible to a wider audience, and a market where artisans can post pix of what they sell. Give them a ‘hand up’.

Reduce bigotry by providing opps to learn about the people ie vlogs of people who live and work in the ‘community’. Make them real.

Things like start up loans and coops help more than the person walking into a food bank or charity shop will.

….. resources

Focus on literacy, skills training, women as entrepreneurs, and make resources (water, sanitation, food, schools….) available in poor communities.
adec innovations

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Business can apply its innovative genius in three ways to create shared prosperity:

• by supplying quality products at ultra-affordable prices, which will allow the masses to stretch their purchasing power and improve living standards;
• by creating new opportunities for gainful employment, which will increase their incomes;
• and by providing access to services that will increase their future earning potential.
  Harvard