Employee participation is the key

 At the Thai unit of Germany-based pharmaceutical and chemical company, CSR projects are shaped around employees’ dreams to do good deeds for society.
 “We conducted a survey of employees’ dreams and from 500 dreams submitted, 300 show their desires to want to turn the company’s resources for the benefits of society,” said Cerean Chotivimut, Corporate Communications & CSR Manager at Merck Thailand.
 To mark the 20th anniversary in Thailand in 2011, the company with 220 employees introduced 20 CSR projects. Most of them were proposed by employees, some of which including the “Little Scientists’ House” project enjoying no financial assistance from the company. On the little science house project, on their own dayoff, employees with knowledge in science volunteered to host scientific projects for kid education. 
 Employees’ enthusiasm reflected in the “Bicycle for Kids” project. To celebrate His Majesty the King’s 84th birthday in 2011, Merck planned to give away 84 bicycles for poor schools to facilitate transportation between home and far-away schools. Employees’ contribution was welcomed along with that of clients, for the bicycles which cost Bt1,900 each.
 “Certainly, not all employees can contribute as much as Bt1,900. One employee came up with a brilliant idea. A programme was launched, to sell tickets to a charitable bowling match valued at only Bt20 each. It raised nearly Bt90,000 and that was topped up by the company. For that day, we had enough money for nearly 100 bicycles,” Cerene said.
 The success encouraged the company to run the project for a second year, to mark Her Majesty the Queen’s 80th birthday this time. 
  Another great employee contribution to CSR is through “Fashion Guru” project. In cooperation with Raks Thai Foundation which has been working with Merck on social projects for some time, the company targets to boost income of target fabric weavers. Their products are sold at the company’s events.
 According to Cerene, the project was proposed by an employee at the pigment department who is familiarized with colour trends and fashion. And the employee is willing to share her knowledge with the weavers, how to make their products more desirable.
   One of the 20 projects included the “84 Drug Boxes” whereby 84 drug boxes will be distributed to rural schools – the centres of local communities - under a 3-year progamme. Coming with the boxes are pharmaceutical experts who advise villagers on the safety tips of drug usage. During the years, if running out of stocks, villagers can file a form to the company asking for additional supply of the particular drugs. Targets are border schools.
 Together with clients, employees also join the “Tree Planting” project, which has run for the fifth year with the target to grow 100,000 trees a year.
 Volunteer employees are also joining a teacher volunteer programme to Mae Cham district in Chiang Mai, where they are bringing educational materials and interesting lessons to hill-tribe kids in eight schools. Cerene was one of those joining the trip in February, when she had to sacrifice three days of work and the entire weekend.
 While saying that there was no fixed rule over the days off for volunteering efforts, she said that at Merck CSR has been incorporated into the work process and that means no obstacle for volunteering.
 “All employees must know their priority. If wanting to join any trip that requires one or more working days, they need to clear their work and ask for the supervisor’s permission. If no urgency is in the picture, they would generally be allowed to leave,” she said. “All are enthusiastic to help and so far, there have been no obstacles to for their participation.”