CSR News: Extending the Positives of Lockdown Post Lockdown

The world has been under siege since the outbreak of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), with most of the countries worldwide under partial lockdown forced into compulsory quarantine and social distancing, thereby resulting in the downfall of several industries globally. However, this lockdown has given much-needed respite to nature. Thus, the environment has become a beneficiary of COVID-19 outbreak.

With more than 170K fatalities across 2.48 million cases as of 21st April and a mortality rate of 6.9%, COVID-19 is the worst pandemic of the modern era. According to the United Nations (UN), the global economy is expected to shrink by 1% instead of growing at 2.5% with millions of people losing their livelihood and an impending global recession. This crisis should not be forgotten easily and definitely not without us all both individually and collectively making a commitment to lead a more sustainable and healthy lifestyle.

Reputation Advisory, The Mavericks India, has announced that it will commit to a “Together-Apart Week” every year, starting 2021. The week-long lockdown (Together-Apart Week) will be observed in the second week of March to commemorate the declaration and pay gratitude to the healthcare workers for their selfless service in these trying times. This is also an effort to extend the benefit to the environment even after the lockdown period.

Additionally, the company has committed to encouraging each of its team members to lead a more balanced, healthy and sustainable lifestyle. This lockdown has taught us many lessons, besides the fact that how we have abused the environment and encroached into the lives of many animals pushing them to the verge of extinction; ironically enough we call animals with equal rights to this plant as wildlife. With PM2.5 and NO2 levels falling by 50% and 75% respectively in India, it doesn’t host any of the top 20 most polluted cities in the world since the lockdown, it hosted 14 of top 20 just 4 months ago, as of Jan of 2020.

During the week-long lockdown, all Mavericks will work exactly the way we’ve been during this lockdown – from the 25th of March to the 3rd of May; complete self-quarantine within the confines of our homes.  In addition, post the current lockdown 10% of the company’s team members will be working from home at all times. This will be done by rotation and the organization aims to push this rate to 25% by 2023.

Apart from these proactive steps, Mavericks would not ignore reactive steps like planting at least 100 trees for each of its team members and give back what we’ve usurped from other inhabitants of this planet.

Chetan Mahajan, Founder & CEO of The Mavericks said, “COVID-19 has served us the much-needed wake-up call and we’ve decided to respond to this call with action that is inspired by Mahatma Gandhi, “be the change you want to see in the world”. It’s a small step but I’m confident that when we all come together to live more responsibly we can create a revolution that will make this world a better place. I urge more individuals, entrepreneurs and businesses to come together and own their responsibilities to the planet and its habitat. We also urge the WHO to announce the second week of March to be “International Together-Apart Week” in commemoration of the world’s battle against COVID-19.”

By staying indoors as part of the lockdown, we all have coincidentally developed habits that are good for the climate and ourselves, which includes minimal travel, mindfulness, lesser wastage and overall a conscious lifestyle. If this change in habit sticks and is encouraged by organizations through permanent efforts, it can help keep the toxic emissions lower even after this lockdown is lifted. Our initiative is aimed at developing a mindful consumption behaviour amongst team members. Moreover, staying indoors for a week every year will help us critically examine the impact of our daily activities on the environment without affecting the daily routine chores as we currently do.”

“While we all revise our business playbooks to navigate these unsettling times through robust technical infrastructure, digital tools, and alternate business plans, we must carry forward the valuable lesson of combined community action to deal with climate change. COVID-19 is not the first pandemic and will certainly not be the last one. Reliving the memories of the lockdown of 2020 will hopefully not let us forget the pain and loss of life we suffered and push us and the generations to come to not go back to the ignorant and selfish selves.” Chetan added.

Today, we have all the time to find the fine work-life balance in life, more time to spend with our families and more time to pursue our lost passion albeit in the confines of the four walls. We don’t intend to bury these learnings as we get back to our so-called normal lives.

While India and the world fight the COVID-19 pandemic, The Mavericks urges other organizations to take the pledge and join hands together to address another looming health emergency.