Social responsibility takes many forms

Social responsibility evinced by the companies can be divided up into two main groups – one type, directed at Grundfos’ own employees – and another, which may be described as various forms of benevolent work on behalf of people outside Grundfos’ own world.

Help for the homeless
Grundfos in the Czech Republic has donated pumps for the renovation of buildings that house homeless in Prague. The centre offers meals, health care, and various kinds of advice and assistance to ease people back into the job market.

Grundfos in Finland has provided a contribution, which they themselves regard as modest, to assist in dealing with a growing problem in Helsinki – drug-taking children who live on the streets. Their contribution is to pay for advertising in a magazine issued by a relief organisation three or four times a year. The insertion of an advertisement is a uniquely Finnish way of providing support, which came about as a result of the tax laws.

When a powerful earthquake hit Taiwan in 1999, killing 2000 people, Grundfos donated DKK 230,000 to a public relief fund. The majority of this was paid by the group, but the local company and its employees also contributed huge sums of money plus mineral water to the devastated areas, where water supplies had been cut off. Finally, the company’s welfare committee donated a large sum of money.

In the following years, Grundfos in Taiwan has given assistance to various activities in the local community. At this moment a plan is being drawn up to determine how future activities can form part of the budget. At Grundfos in Taiwan they believe that you get the best results by combining resources from the company with the efforts of the employees as individuals.

Medical assistance and loans for employees
Grundfos in Indonesia offers loans to employees who are not able to provide security for a bank loan. With the sole exception of managers, all employees are entitled to a loan from the business. The only condition is that the loan must be used to buy or renovate housing or a means of transport.

Around fifty Indonesian employees have so far taken up this offer of the loan, amounting to the equivalent of six months’ salary. More and more employees need a loan, so last year interest began to be payable – though the rate is much lower than that imposed by a bank.

Grundfos’ Chinese sales company helps employees who require hospital treatment. In some places, the authorities cover part of the expense, while Grundfos pays the remainder – in other places, where there is no subsidy from the authorities, Grundfos covers all expenses for hospital treatments.

Employees who are not familiar with hospitals, and who have no relatives to support them, can receive assistance from the business – both in finding the right hospital, making agreements with doctors, and paying the bill.

Sales coordinator Endriana, who has worked for Grundfos in Indonesia since 1995, has dreamt of owning her own home for years. As a result, she is extremely grateful for the loan she received from Grundfos, allowing her to build on her own land. Here Endriana, with husband Andi and daughter Yasmin, proudly display the result.