A rising number of U.S. residents think corporate environmental campaigns are more hype than reality, according the Adecco USA Workplace Insight survey released April 17. Of 2,281 adults responding, 68% think most companies overstate, or "greenwash," their environmental actions.
At the same time, most workers surveyed say their companies should do more to be environmentally conscious, but only 31% would be willing to sacrifice a portion of their salary to work for a greener employer. Women and Generation Y workers, typically identified as being born between 1986 and 1994, tend to be more concerned about their employers' environmental efforts than men and baby boomers.
Environmental concerns have more employees reconsidering their job choices, said Tig Gilliam CEO of Adecco Group North America.
"As the phrases 'environmentally friendly' and 'employer of choice' continue to become more closely aligned, job seekers are increasingly looking into a company's 'green' policies as part of their job-search process," Gilliam said. "Similar to investigating a company's financial performance and work/life programs, we're seeing more and more candidates doing their homework and looking closely to determine the reality behind a company's claims of environmental friendliness."
