“The SCMP Group is honored to be recognized as an official Caring Company of Hong Kong,” said Robin Hu, Chief Executive Officer, SCMP Group Ltd. “We remain committed to the high standards we achieved to receive this award. “I would also like to thank the staff for their commitment to the company and for their involvement in all levels of the criteria of this award,” Robin Hu said.
The criteria that measure that commitment are quite stringent. Under the criteria for caring for the community, SCMP staff volunteered for a food programme for the poor organized by community partner St James’ Settlement. The SCMP had earlier donated money to St James’ Settlement through its Heart of HK Relief Fund.
In terms of caring for the employees, SCMP Group had an industry-high staff retention level in 2012 and has, according to Towers Watson, been maintaining a lower than the market average staff turnover rate in the past few years. The Group recognizes employees as very important assets and as such provides the usual leave and medical benefits as well as marriage; compassionate and paternity leave.
Staff welfare is high on the company’s agenda, with a series of staff work and social gatherings throughout the year, including annual staff party where long-service awards are presented; an internship programme for 30 students; and quarterly sales performance awards to employees. There is also sporting activities like a snooker competition, dragon boat racing and squid fishing for the family.
The group’s approach to caring for the environment starts with energy and water conservation in the workplace as well as reducing light and water pollution. This ranges from only using lighting and air conditioning when needed to paper recycling and striving towards paperless offices.
In the printing operations, using recycled or recycling-rich newsprint as far as the quality tolerates – last year, about 50% of the newsprint was from recycled paper; recycling used plates – 40 tons a year; about 1,000 tons of waste newsprint recycled a year; all prepress chemical waste is recycled; and using old equipment for spares rather than discarding them.
The Group also has a “green” partnership with World Wild Fund for Nature. Operation Santa Claus, a joint campaign organized by the SCMP and RTHK, donated HK$838,000 to support the WWF’s NEED project – No to Environmental & Ecological Destruction – Education for Sustainable Development Programme for Underprivileged Students – from August 2012 to August 2013. NEED creates additional learning opportunities for underprivileged students so that they can acquire the IT skills and understand the existing conservation policies and issues in Hong Kong.
About SCMP Group Ltd and South China Morning Post
SCMP Group Limited (SEHK: 583) is a leading newspaper and magazine publisher in Asia. Its flagship publication, South China Morning Post, is Hong Kong’s internationally recognised English language newspaper and has the city’s most affluent and influential readership.
First published in 1903, the newspaper has developed an enviable reputation for authoritative, influential and independent reporting on Hong Kong, China and the rest of Asia. Available in print, iPad™ and online through scmp.com and e-reader editions, South China Morning Post reaches a global audience with daily breaking news, analysis and opinion, multimedia articles and interactive forums. The South China Morning Post received 64 awards in 2012 for excellence in editorial, marketing and technical capability. Other titles in the Group include the Sunday Morning Post, the Chinese editions of Cosmopolitan, Harper’s BAZAAR, ELLE and CosmoGirl! magazines.
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Website: www.scmpgroup.com