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Without a community stewardship program, employees who might happily volunteer for charities can get stuck on the problem of figuring out which ones and how, an HR leader says.

The pharmaceutical manufacturer, which has more than 800 employees across the country, had a history of corporate social responsibility (CSR) well before it became Viatris Australia in a 2020 merger, says HR manager Monica Passfield.

After the merger, leaders decided that instead of aligning with a different charity each quarter based on employee nominations, it would narrow its focus and form partnerships with a small number of not-for-profits so it could better understand its impact. Viatris also started offering employees two days of volunteering leave per year; while they're welcome to help any charity, the new partnerships with Canteen, Red Cross and the RSPCA have removed the potential barrier of 'too much choice'.

The employer's efforts have since been recognised among the top 10 employers in this year's best workplaces to give back...