Corporate Social Responsibility

The abbreviation CSR refers to Corporate Social Policy - a concept which has gained in significance in recent years and become part of everyday discussions on politics, the economy and society.
Companies attract attention through their activities in the field of CSR and also use this to improve their image. These CSR measures range from voluntary codes of conduct to participation in social initiatives. The possible fields of activity are very broad and cover every area of a company.

CSR signifies the assumption of social responsibility by companies, meaning that they voluntarily integrate ecological, economic and social sustainability into the management of their companies. These voluntary obligations go beyond the minimum standards set by legal provisions and collective agreements.
CSR should be understood as an integrated approach which is intended to encompass the entire value-added chain.

From an international perspective, CSR measures began in the 1970s in the field of environmental protection. At a European level, CSR gained in significance with the comprehensive Lisbon Strategy (March 2000).

The European Commission subsequently published a green paper on CSR, in which it is defined as follows:
"CSR is a concept which serves companies as a basis for voluntarily integrating social and environmental concerns into their business activities and into the interrelations with stakeholders." (Green Paper of the Commission "Promoting a European Framework for Corporate Social Responsibility", 2001, COM (2001) 366/F)

What does CSR mean for the Federal Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Consumer Protection?

Alongside its ecological and economic dimensions, the concept of CSR has a particular social component. The Ministry supports CSR as a long-term strategy and places special emphasis on its social component. By emphasising the social aspect, a balance towards the other elements of CSR should be created and it can be shown that social responsibility and sustainable action can only be successfully implemented by promoting all of the aspects.

The social dimension of CSR also covers those measures which are relevant to human rights and which take the standards of human rights into account. These include, for example, measures to ensure equal opportunities and anti-discrimination. Human rights should be perceived as a part of CSR and be consciously integrated into relevant measures.

The social partners play a very important role in the discussion on CSR. Companies' voluntary obligations to specific social proposals must not undermine binding statutory regulations or collective agreements, but should rather act as a supplement to them. Successfully strengthening the social dimension of CSR can only take place within a dialogue with employee representatives.

Outlook and strategies for successfully bringing the social dimension into play

CSR offers companies a wide range of opportunities and different forms of engagement. The fact that measures are implemented voluntarily means that there are no minimum standards for CSR measures.
It is important that companies work with an integrated CSR approach (economic, ecological and social) which is transparent and can be evaluated.
The Ministry already supports the Working Group on Corporate Social Responsibility created within the Austrian Standards Institute and thus contributes towards the development of generally valid standards for CSR.