In recent years Russia has actively develops the volunteers’ movement and, being a socially responsible company, ROSATOM doesn’t stand apart. The ROSATOM’s management views the volunteering as an effective tool to develop the state-owned corporation’s host territories and a good opportunity for self-realization and getting new skills by employees. The joining in October 2020 the United Nations Global Compact (the world’s largest international initiative launched by the UN for business in the area of corporate social responsibility and sustainable development) gave a new impetus to development of volunteers’ initiatives.
In ROSATOM, corporate volunteering has been developed in a consistent manner since 2018. The state-owned corporation renders administrative and information support to all companies where the volunteering is supervised by movement coordinators and volunteer-leaders. Great work is carried out to shape and implement the single sectoral strategy in the volunteering, compile a plan of measures, arrange for educational programs for employees, meetings with recognized market experts, NPO representatives, related social organizations as well as active participation in large-scale events of the federal level (for example, All-Russia Volunteers Forum).
In 2019, five priority areas of the corporate volunteering were approved: “Preservation of the Environment”, Support of Socially Disadvantaged Layers of Population and Veterans”, “Support of Healthy Living”, “Career Guidance and Mentorship” and “Intellectual Volunteering”. ROSATOM has launched a volunteer’s school for more than 400 attendees from nuclear companies.
Since the beginning of the pandemic more than 1,000 employees of ROSATOM’s companies take active part in the mutual aid action “We’re together”. During the peaking of spring 2020, they processed over 11,200 applications for help in the company’s 41 host cities; food help was rendered to more than 19,500 families. The funds were raised which were spent for foods and essential goods for elderly and handicapped citizens; for buying antiseptics and personal protection for volunteers; for assistance to medical personnel; and for support to regional voluntary staff activities. ROSATOM was praised for voluntary activities at the national level by a commemorative medal and Certificate of Merit by the President of the Russian Federation “For Devoted Contribution in the Voluntary Activity in Organization of the All-Russia Mutual Aid Action #МыВместе”. Four nuclear employees were awarded by medals by the President of Russia for personal contribution to the action.
As of the end of 2020, the voluntary movement listed more than 5,000 people. Over 2020 they implemented about 300 voluntary actions. All social voluntary projects closely relate to tasks set towards it by the state, regional authorities, as well as business targets ROSATOM is facing. Representatives of the state-owned corporation are on the Sustainable Business Development Council, CSR and Volunteering of TIC of Russia, Coordination Council of PCRF for development of volunteering, youth groups of PCRF, and participate in shaping the volunteering agenda in the framework of the federal project “Social Activity”. ROSATOM has started own visiting care service for pensioners “We are Responsible”. Companies’ veterans are rendered assistance in delivery of foodstuffs, medicine; they are helped in communal matters which cannot be fulfilled in a no-touch manner.
At present, in CATF and NPP satellite-cities ROSATOM’s volunteers successfully implement voluntary projects aimed at improving living of citizens. A graded approach will be developed for each region which is based on the closed city features and features of sectoral enterprises.
In 2020, for the first time the nuclear sector held the contest of projects on sustainable development, corporate social responsibility and volunteering named after A. P. Aleksandrov. It included three nominations: “The Best Voluntary Project”, “The Best CSR Project” and “The Best Idea of a Social or Environmental Project”. Career guidance and mentorship, responsible consumption, healthy living and help to children became the most popular project topics. It is assumed that the contest will become annual.