HOYTS: We’re All In This Together
Ready to launch its inaugural Workplace Giving program in the second half of 2016, entertainment company HOYTS surveyed staff to see which social causes they were interested in supporting.
“We have a very large teenage demographic within our cinemas so youth mental health really resonates strongly amongst that population,” says Jodi Paton, General Manager of People, Performance and Culture. “In stark contrast to previous generations, we are now seeing an awareness and willingness to talk about mental health … the more we can make that conversation open and comfortable, the better it is.” The other causes the HOYTS team were passionate about were children’s health and cancer.
Inspiration from Other Employers
HOYTS found inspiration in the Workplace Giving programs already up and running at JB Hi-Fi and Collins Foods Limited – which operates the food service retail outlets Sizzler in Australia and KFC in Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory – and are both organisations that also employ many young Australians. These organisations recognise that their employees may not have a lot to give financially, but they still want to contribute.
“As little as 50 cents a week is going to make a huge difference”
“While 50 cents doesn’t sound like very much, if we all put that amount in on a weekly, monthly, yearly basis, it adds up really quickly… it’s really about the collective effort.”
Paton confirmed that it will involve its charity partners in the launch of HOYTS’ program. “It gives meaning to people’s giving and what their money is going towards,” says Paton.