PayPal wins best workplace award at CSR Ireland Awards 2016

9 Sep 2016

From l-r: Ian Talbot, Chambers Ireland; Emer Higgins, PayPal; Paola Bourien, PayPal; James Foskin, PayPal; Minister Damien English; and Eoin McDonnell, PayPal.

At the recent Corporate Social Responsibility Awards (CSR) 2016, organised by Chambers Ireland, PayPal was awarded the Excellence in the Workplace award for its successful diversity programme.

This award marks the second successive year PayPal has picked up the best workplace award, with Chambers Ireland commending the company’s efforts, including its signing of the Diversity Charter Ireland.

According to PayPal, it has developed its diversity strategy across five key areas: inclusion training, women in business support, LGBT initiatives, a commitment to hire from the live register, and inclusivity in a multicultural workforce.

Currently, the company employs 2,600 people at its European base of operations in Ballycoolin, Dublin and Dundalk.

Speaking about the award win, Maeve Dorman, head of global operations EMEA at PayPal, said, “We’re thrilled that the dedication and hard work of our teammates has been recognised at the highest level in Ireland through this award win. Inclusion and equality are the foundations of everything we do at PayPal.

“We are fully committed to advancing, cultivating and preserving a culture of inclusion and diversity, because it is the right thing to do for employees, our company and the communities we serve. This strategy also makes PayPal a better and more fulfilling place to work and build a career.”

Two gongs for Three

A number of other sci-tech and financial organisations picked up awards on the night, including Three Ireland, which picked up both an Excellence in CSR Communications award and an Excellence in Community award.

The deciding factor was the company’s collaboration with Focus Ireland, which provided the charity organisation with a €1m marketing campaign, including a short, three-minute documentary-style advertisement, a TV and radio advertising campaign, PR activity and a fundraising drive.

The latter award commended Three’s partnership with An Cosán, a college that aims to eliminate poverty and social inequality in disadvantaged communities through online education.

Bank of Ireland also picked up an Excellence in Workplace CSR award (LIC) for the ‘Be at your Best’ programme, which focused on three pillars of wellbeing: mind, body and career.

Microsoft’s Tech4Good programme, which provides non-profit organisations nationwide with free access to software and the latest technology, won the tech giant an Excellence in Community Programme (MNC) award.

Colm Gorey was a senior journalist with Silicon Republic

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