# U.S. Workers Want Employers to Take More Environmental Action

- Link: https://greenlivingguy.com/2013/06/workers-employers-environmental-action/
- Published: 2013-06-05T01:11:47-04:00
- Author: greenguruguides

**Workers environmental action** became a workplace issue in a 2013 WattzOn survey
that asked U.S. employees how much they valued corporate environmental responsibility.

## Employees Wanted Stronger Environmental Programs

WattzOn Survey: U.S. Workers Want
 Survey Results Capture the Importance of Environmental
Issues for Employees, Opportunities for Expanded Corporate Social Responsibility(
CSR) Programs

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., June 4, 2013 – WattzOn ([http://www.wattzon.com/](https://www.wattzon.com/)),
the personal energy management platform, today announces survey results around employee
perception of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and the environment. These [WattzOn](https://greenlivingguy.com/2014/02/wattzon-energy-revolutionizing-energy-efficiency/)
survey results reveal how important environmental protection is to employees, and
how many would take a pay cut or look for new jobs to work with a company that takes
environmental protection seriously.

One of the most interesting findings from the survey is that three out of four (
76 percent) U.S. workers say it’s important that their employer takes action to 
protect the environment. While recycling and waste reduction programs are the most
prevalent programs employers utilize in and outside the workplace (66 percent and
44.4 percent, respectively), only 27 percent of U.S. workers are very satisfied 
with their employer’s efforts to help the environment.

> “Employees are demanding more effort from their employers in developing programs
> to help protect the environment at the office and at home,” said Steven Ashby,
> Co-founder and Chief Product Officer of WattzOn. “More can be done to protect 
> the environment through energy efficiency and savings on water and gasoline use.
> U.S. employees are looking for the tools to help them make environmentally-beneficial
> changes to their behavior and would like to receive these tools through their 
> employer’s benefits and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs.”

Other highlights from the survey include:

Workers want more action outside of the workplace as well as within. Three-quarters(
74.2 percent) of U.S. workers would be interested in their employer providing free
resources to help reduce home energy use and bills.

Nearly half of all workers (47.8 percent) say saving energy is not a priority for
their employer and only one in nine (11.8 percent) say their company prioritizes
reduction in greenhouse gases. And one in five workers (18.8 percent) say their 
company has no environmental priorities whatsoever.
 One in four (24.4 percent) 
U.S. workers say they would be likely to look for a new job if they discovered their
employer had a bad record on environmental issues.

One in five (20.8 percent) U.S. workers would probably or definitely accept a 5 
percent pay cut to work for a company that takes [strong action to protect the environment](https://greenlivingguy.com/2005/12/david-cameron-vows-tough-green-action/).

WattzOn’s survey results show that employers can benefit from implementing environmental
programs in the workplace and by providing programs for employees to .e for their
households. Half of U.S. workers (53.6 percent) consider a company’s focus on environmental
initiatives when deciding on an employer, yet only 17 percent of respondents knew
if their own company had a program.

_Survey Methodology_: The WattzOn Employees, Employer and The Environment Study 
was completed in June 2013 by online polling of 500 full-time employed American 
adults. Respondents were statistically balanced across gender and U.S. geographic
regions. Respondents’ industries ranged from finance, healthcare, IT, management,
legal, retail, real estate among others.

Source: WattzOn: [WattzOn](https://www.wattzon.com/)

## Corporate Sustainability Can Affect Employee Perception

Recycling, waste reduction, energy efficiency and broader environmental programs
can influence how employees view their employer’s values.

For more business-sustainability coverage, see our [business sustainability article](https://greenlivingguy.com/2024/02/business-sustainability-building-a-brand-for-the-future/).

## Conclusion

The survey suggested that environmental responsibility was becoming part of the 
employee experience, not just a marketing issue. Companies that act credibly on 
sustainability can strengthen both operations and workplace culture.

Source: WattzOn survey information preserved above.

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 greenguruguides

 The Green Living Guy, Seth Leitman, is recognized as a green living guru and electric
car expert. The Green Living Guy writes about green living, green lighting, the 
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