Antea Group’s latest EHSxTech event hosted by Salesforce was an insightful gathering that shed light on the crucial role of Environment, Health, and Safety (EHS) in the tech industry. In the last year, the tech industry faced increased scrutiny, layoffs, reduced budgets, and the need to justify EHS resource requirements. This event aimed to showcase the value of EHS in this ever-changing business landscape with representatives from 15 tech companies gathering to network and share their insights.
Karl Huntzicker, VP Global Health and Safety at Salesforce, kicked off the event with a compelling presentation on "Demonstrating Value in a Changing Business Climate." Karl shared Salesforce's journey in evolving its Health and Safety program, which originally focused on safety and emergency management but has grown to encompass a much broader scope.
Recent layoffs across the tech industry created a new business climate focused on cost reduction and business performance. Recognizing the new reality, the Salesforce Health & Safety Leadership Team outlined the program's five contributions to the success of the business (value drivers):
- Protect Trust - Put employee safety first and ensure the business complies with mandatory legal standards
- Grow the Business - Meet/exceed customer H&S requirements and ensure safety at customer facing events
- Enable High Performance - Promote physical and psychological safety wherever and however employees work
- Build Resilience - Prepare the people and the business to ensure it responds to and recovers from emergencies, disasters, and crises
- Attract and Retain Talent - Foster a care-based culture via world-class CAREforce engagement and support programs
These five value drivers have been used by the team to maintain and expand services within the challenging business climate. It provided the foundation for business cases and executive reviews that resulted in the expansion of health services in key markets and the amplification of mental health services globally.
The opening presentation set the stage for a day of productive and insightful conversations with EHS leaders from across the tech industry.
Benefits of Aligning Workers’ Compensation with the EHS Department
The event featured a panel discussion on the benefits of aligning workers’ compensation with the EHS department. Panelists Symone Foster from Asana, Nicole Persaud from Samsara, and Kylle Barrieau from Antea Group provided valuable insights.
Why should EHS oversee Workers’ Comp
Having workers' compensation fall under EHS, rather than HR, can have a significant impact. When it is under HR, questions and issues related to workers’ compensation often ended up being redirected to EHS anyway. Nicole Persaud emphasized that EHS is better equipped to answer these questions and represent employees’ interests when claims are denied, as they possess the necessary background knowledge and expertise. She described it as a more natural fit.
Symone shared her perspective, mentioning that in her organization, HR currently owns workers' compensation. However, she emphasized that EHS plays a crucial role in holding people together and ensuring effective communication amongst all parties. There is often a disconnect between physicians, employees, HR, and adjusters, and EHS can bridge this gap by facilitating communication and ensuring the claim continues to move forward. She stressed the importance of starting with well-defined procedures and processes.
Kylle, drawing from her experience working with clients, highlighted that some organizations may not have a dedicated EHS department. In such cases, insurance adjusters may not necessarily be on the employee's side. Engaging multiple stakeholders is essential, and EHS's skill set aligns well with the requirements of workers’ compensation. EHS can connect resources with the right people to ensure employees don't feel abandoned, ultimately building trust and reducing the potential for litigation.
Making the transition from HR to EHS
Symone emphasized the need to take actionable steps and make the process more efficient. EHS can suggest the health and safety steps needed to complete a claim, which may be more comprehensive than what an adjuster typically recommends. She also highlighted her involvement in all incidents, whether active or not, because she is better equipped to answer questions related to claims.
Kylle recommended having regular meetings with claims/brokers to ensure a smooth transition. Staying involved and ensuring the claim remains a top priority in getting employees back to work is essential. The EHS voice should convey a commitment to owning and advocating for the employee throughout the process.
Advice for a starting point
As a starting point, the panel recommended building connections with insurance companies and brokers to gain guidance on the level of work and responsibility involved. They stressed the importance of understanding workers’ compensation variations across jurisdiction for states and regions, especially considering different global regulations. Identifying clear ownership amongst the internal teams is another key component. Ownership questions often arise when claims go to litigation, and EHS will be spotlighted to answer questions. Increased involvement by EHS leads to earlier engagement and the ability to better control outcomes.
The panelists wrapped up the discussion by emphasizing the importance of communication, clearly defined roles and attention to claims details.
Peek Behind the Curtain
Participants were treated to peer presentations on Implementing a Global Emergency Response Plan by Nicole Persaud, Head of Global Safety and Security at Samsara, and a presentation about STACK Infrastructure’s Safety Journey by Donna Lynch, VP of EHS at STACK Infrastructure. These presentations allowed the attendees to get more details on how these companies were implementing safety measures within their companies.
Nicole’s fundamental goal for her Global Emergency Response Plan, from the outset, was to “empower and educate employees to be confident to assist and respond during emergency situations.” Beyond the typical emergency preparedness training and drill activities, Nicole assembled a decision tree flow chart for her ERT members that provided a visual representation of how an emergency should be handled. This flow chart clearly outlined the ERT’s ideal role within that process. Through the use of this visual flow chart “it finally clicked” and the team members had a much better understanding of their role and where they needed to make decisions and take action. This along with “practice, practice, practice” helped the program more fully mature.
Donna’s presentation focused on implementing and managing EHS at a company going through explosive growth. She shared the approach she used to visualize the risks and establish priorities by using a chart. First, she identified all the EHS priority topics including items like new employee orientation, incident reporting, hazard communication, safety committees, etc. Donna placed each of these topics on a chart that had an x-axis where she considered the level of effort required to address each topic and a y-axis where she considered the level of organizational risk (compliance, financial, reputational) the topic presents if left unaddressed. This provided a preliminary way of visually categorizing the topics to quickly see those that ended up in the “high risk” and “low effort” quadrant. Many of these were prioritized to be immediately addressed. The topics in the “low risk” and “high effort” quadrant got pushed to the bottom of the list. This left behind the topics in the “high risk” and “high effort” quadrant and the “low risk” and “low effort” quadrant for further evaluation and prioritization. Following this approach, EHS managers can use a tool like this to walk leadership through their prioritization methodology and communicate why the EHS department is focusing on certain priorities and not others.
Using Metrics to Demonstrate Value
Recognizing that EHS leaders are under increased pressure to demonstrate their value, attendees were anonymously surveyed prior to the meeting about their use of metrics. Here are some of the key stats:
The Intersection of EHS and ESG in the Tech Industry
The event concluded with a discussion on the intersection of EHS and ESG in the tech industry. The shift from merely focusing on profitability and safety to incorporating sustainability into the equation is indicative of changing priorities, and it's clear that businesses are recognizing the importance of sustainability.
With the rapid rise in ESG regulations around the world, many companies don’t have the systems or processes in place to comply with these regulations. For example, aggressive ESG regulations in the European Union are emphasizing the need for extensive data collection and reporting, including data about a company’s supply chain. New California regulations and pending US SEC requirements will require US-based companies to report on greenhouse gas emissions and climate change risks and mitigation measures. The concept of "Double Materiality" underscores the idea that companies must identify what will impact their operations AND the repercussions of their operations on the world. Despite this growing importance, many companies are unprepared for impending ESG regulations, with only 25% feeling equipped with policies, skills, and systems to meet ESG assurance requirements.
EHS leaders have many skills that will be very valuable for successfully implementing ESG strategies and complying with the new ESG regulations including technical expertise in EHS topics (key “E” and “S” topics in ESG), knowing how to manage and report data, building regulatory compliance programs, and effectively engaging internal and external stakeholders. Bringing these skills to the ESG table greatly broadens the value of EHS in their companies.
The challenge lies in the fact that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to ESG programs, making it essential for businesses to adapt swiftly and strategically to the changing landscape. EHS leaders have valuable expertise and skills that can help businesses make this shift.
Closing Thoughts
The EHSxTech event emphasized the value of EHS in the tech industry, especially during today’s rapidly changing business climate. Discussions highlighted the importance of protecting employee health and trust, staying informed about global regulations, and preparing for the growing significance of ESG in business operations. EHS professionals will play an increasingly critical role in ensuring the safety, sustainability, and success of tech companies in the future.
