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Is The 'Green' Movement in the Workplace Fact or Fiction?

Is The 'Green' Movement in the Workplace Fact or Fiction?

Published 04-17-08

Submitted by Adecco Group North America

MELVILLE, N.Y., April 17 /PRNewswire/ -- The latest Adecco USA Workplace Insight survey, conducted in recognition of Earth Day 2008, reveals that, following a year where the "green" movement has dominated headlines, American workers are paying growing attention to companies' environmental policies and an increasing number (36 percent) report that they would be more inclined to work for "green" companies.

However, despite the progress made in corporate America in terms of
eco-friendly practices, 59 percent of workers think their company should do more to be environmentally friendly and a majority of all adults (68 percent) believe what most companies say in regard to environmental initiatives doesn't always match their actions.

Other key findings of the survey include:

    -- No Divide on "Greenwashing": The majority of all U.S. adults (68 percent) think that most companies say they are more environmentally friendly than they actually are. This sentiment does not change widely by age, gender or geography, with all major demographics closely agreeing that "greenwashing" is a reality in today's workplace.

    -- Giving Up "Green" to "Go Green"?: Even though the majority of workers think their company should do more to be environmentally friendly, they don't necessarily want to pay for it. Only 31 percent of workers would be willing to sacrifice a portion of their salary to work for an environmentally friendly company, with Gen Y workers saying they would sacrifice, on average, 6.2 percent of their salary -- more than double the amount any other generation of workers would be willing to give up(Gen X and Boomers would be willing to sacrifice 2.8 percent and 2.5 percent respectively).

    -- Women and Gen Y Expect More: While over three out of five working women (63 percent) and Gen Y workers (69 percent) want their company to be more environmentally friendly, a smaller majority of men (54 percent) and Boomers (52 percent) feel the same.

"As the phrases 'environmentally friendly' and 'employer of choice' continue to become more closely aligned, job seekers are increasingly looking into a company's 'green' policies as part of their job search process," said Tig Gilliam, Chief Executive Officer at Adecco Group North America. "Similar to investigating a company's financial performance and work/life programs, we're seeing more and more candidates doing their homework and looking closely to determine the reality behind a company's claims of environmental friendliness."

For job seekers who are looking to identify how credible a company's "green" initiatives are, Adecco provides some insight on how to best go about this research:

    1. Review "green" company rankings: A number of non-profits and
    publications conduct rankings of the most environmentally conscious companies, providing a valuable reference point when evaluating job offers. For example, both BusinessWeek and non-profit Greenpeace evaluate and rank the environmental-friendliness of major companies and products.

    2. Talk to employees at the company. Who better to speak to a company's environmental-friendliness than its own staff? If being "green" is important to you, ask current employees you're in contact with what they know and what they're seeing at the workplace -- their reaction will be a true testament to what's actually happening at the company.

    3. Seek out examples. To help separate what's being said and what's being done, in your conversations with employees and research, look for
    actual examples of a company's environmental policy come to life -- has
    there been a car pool or tree planting drive recently? Have more recycling bins or eco-friendly light bulbs been distributed?

    4. Find out if business processes are aligned with eco-friendly initiatives: If you're interested in working for a car manufacturer,
    find out if they have a hybrid program. Or, if companies in the consumer electronics industry interest you, see if they manufacture "green electronics."

    5. Study the company's website, annual and corporate sustainability reports: Companies that have a serious environmental program showcase it through various sources including their website as well as in their annual reports. Review these resources to understand the extent of their environmental program and whether it aligns with your principals.

For a complete copy of the Adecco Earth Day 2008 survey results please contact Anthony Guerrieri at anthony.guerrieri@adeccona.com.

Survey Methodology:

This Corporate Environmental Responsibility survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of Adecco USA between March 28 and April 1, 2008 among 2,281 adults ages 18+, of whom, 2,198 have ever looked for a job or intend to do so in the future, and 1,422 are currently employed full-time and/or part-time. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete methodology, including weighting variables, please contact Anthony Guerrieri.

About Adecco Worldwide

Adecco S.A. is a Global Fortune 500 company and the world leader in workforce solutions. The Adecco Group network connects over 700,000 associates with business clients each day through its network of over 33,000 employees and 6,600 offices in over 70 countries and territories around the world. Registered in Switzerland, and managed by a multinational team with expertise in markets spanning the globe, the Adecco Group delivers an unparalleled range of flexible staffing and career resources to corporate clients and qualified associates.

About Adecco North America

Adecco is the workforce solutions leader in the United States and Canada, with a comprehensive service offering that includes temporary and contract staffing, permanent recruitment, outplacement and career services, recruitment process outsourcing, training and consulting.

In addition to its administrative, clerical and light industrial staffing services, Adecco operates the following specialty divisions:

    -- Engineering & Technical
    -- Finance & Accounting
    -- Information Technology
    -- Medical & Science
    -- Legal
    -- Human Capital Solutions
    -- Government Solutions
    -- Transportation

Adecco S.A. is registered in Switzerland (ISIN: CH001213860) and listed on the Swiss Stock Exchange with trading on virt-x (SWX/VIRT-X: ADEN) and Euronext Paris - Premier Marche (EURONEXT: ADE).

Additional information is available at the company's website at www.adeccousa.com.

About Harris Interactive

Harris Interactive is a global leader in custom market research. With a long and rich history in multimodal research, powered by our science and technology, we assist clients in achieving business results. Harris Interactive serves clients globally through our North American, European and Asian offices and a network of independent market research firms. For more information, please visit www.harrisinteractive.com.

Adecco Group North America

Adecco Group North America

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