Environmental, Social & Governance Briefs

In this interview, Nicole Anderson, President of the AT&T Foundation and AVP, Corporate Social Responsibility, discusses AT&T’s response to COVID-19, including why company the reaffirmed its commitment to distant learning and the importance of building upon your existing network, partners, and core competencies to deploy resources quickly and effectively in a time of crisis.

As companies prepare for their compensation committees to make year-end decisions on 2020 incentive plan payouts, and design their programs for 2021, we expect they will proceed with an extra degree of care. Next year may not be a time for immediate major shifts in executive compensation, but for deeper analysis and dialogue that could lead to fundamental changes.

A recently released study found that workplace giving programs are growing in popularity and acceptance as companies look for more ways of investing in communities that are key to their business.

As government restrictions on business are being lifted across the U.S. and worldwide, the reopening process will vary by industry, geography, and type of workforce – and is unlikely to proceed in a straight line. This blog provides key governance and legal considerations for companies and their boards as businesses return to the office, and the economy “reopens.”

When it comes to bringing remote workers back to office, the top two factors companies consider are government and medical/scientific guidance, according to a recent pulse survey of business continuity, crisis management, and employee health & safety professionals.

In the initial “shutdown” phase of COVID-19, boards and governance professionals stepped up to address the crisis – increasing communication and focusing on the urgent topics that mattered most. But the next phase will be even more challenging, with a growing list of items that need to be addressed in the near term and have long-term implications. This blog offers actionable insights for boards and senior management to consider in their continued response to these shifting priorities.

When it comes to addressing racial inequality and injustice, here are a few takeaways from what we’re hearing from our members that, we hope, will provide a springboard for discussions that transform ideas into concrete actions.

What community relations have long practiced is even more critical after the death of George Floyd. We often talk about the authenticity of “bringing our whole selves to work;” the concept works with bringing our whole company to the community. Beyond basic business functions, we bring our core competencies, and our corporate citizenship strategies to the community through cash, in-kind and product donations along with expertise; much of it delivered through our amazing employee volunteers.

Establishing a 10b 5-1 trading plan for high-level employees who have access to material non-public information is a practice that every company should consider instituting, especially since the outbreak of COVID-19 has resulted in stock market volatility levels not seen since the 2008 financial crisis and corporate insiders are regularly informed of material non-public information.

There are financial, social, and health implications for companies, employees, and communities as we think about reopening the economy. Recovery will be a long and winding road, and companies have an opportunity not only to help lead but to help take us to a more green, humane, and thoughtful world.