Looking Back and Pressing Forward

Last year on Giving Tuesday, my company launched Talent for Good, a skills-based volunteer program that empowers our 132,000 employees to grow personally and professionally by giving back to communities around the world. The great energy and momentum in December carried over into the New Year in January and February and then...there was March.

When news of the global pandemic became increasingly alarming and the reality of what we were up against became clear, our company, including the Global Community Impact team, sprang into action with speed and a strategic mindset. Plans to procure PPE for those on the frontline, deploy programs for health workers and deliver support for our communities all happened very fast. Concurrently, efforts to mobilize our employees were underway, including a global COVID-19 leave policy for medically trained employees, offering paid time-off to deliver medical care to their communities. We transformed many of our volunteer programs to be virtual, enabling employees to continue giving their time and talents in ways that are both meaningful and impactful, while helping to protect the health and safety of all involved. The quick action of our teams is a true testament to our commitment of paving the way to a healthier future by supporting those on the frontlines of care.

Throughout the COVID-19 global health crisis, the aspiration of Talent for Good has not changed and the demand for Talent for Good programs at Johnson & Johnson remains very high. Our Women in Science Technology Engineering Math Manufacturing and Design WiSTEM2D program had more than 2,500 volunteers this year and reached more than 200,000 girls, helping to spark interest in young women to pursue higher education and careers in STEM2D. Hundreds of employees also took the initiative to give back by making masks in their own homes to donate to hospitals, organizations, friends and family, while others led fundraising efforts for communities around the world.

We continue to believe in the power of purpose and help employees find ways to connect their passions to the greater purpose of Johnson & Johnson. However, despite research telling us that volunteering may be one way to stay healthy, connected and resilient, we’re seeing national trends around volunteerism during the pandemic decline. A recent study published by Fidelity revealed that sixty-six percent of donors decreased or stopped volunteering due to COVID-19. Most notably in-person volunteer opportunities saw participation drop significantly from eighty-one percent to thirty-five percent. While the study stated that the decrease in volunteerism may be temporary until in-person volunteering is safe, the pandemic will leave long-term impacts on organizations as they continue to adjust their business models and reimagine what volunteering looks like in this new world.

Just as the world was coming to understand more about the pandemic, the public health threat of systemic racism came into the national spotlight, underscored by George Floyd’s death in May. Our senior leaders wasted no time in convening important, uncomfortable and insightful conversations with employees to assess and prioritize our efforts to help eradicate racial and social injustice as a public health threat. Johnson & Johnson recently announced our Race to Health Equity platform—committing $100 million over the next five years to invest in and promote health equity solutions, focusing on three key areas:

• People First Culture—ensuring a diverse and inclusive workforce and culture.·      
• Healthier Communities—investing in programs that help provide equitable healthcare for underserved communities.
• Enduring Alliances—forging partnerships and alliances that combat racial and social health determinants.

While this announcement represented immediate action, the company’s commitment to promote racial and social justice is enduring and will be implemented over many years.

This year provided us all with unprecedented challenges, but also the opportunity to re-evaluate our priorities, our ways of working and our own role in advancing the health and well-being of others. I continue to marvel at our company’s rich history of mobilizing employees to respond to global crises, our unwavering desire to contribute to a greater social purpose and our commitment to help create racial health equity. In 2021, I look forward to continuing the important work of engaging and inspiring more employees to create vibrant careers, healthy communities and promising futures for all.

On this Giving Tuesday, I encourage everyone, at Johnson & Johnson and beyond, to evaluate your skills, talents and resources to see where you can reach out to fulfill needs in our global community.