EARTHVIEW’S STRATEGY
Our social Sustainable Development Goals focus on our local and global impact. The EarthView team works to implement programs that support and uplift the overall health and well-being of our associates, guests, and communities.
OVERVIEW OF SOCIAL IMPACT
HAVING A LOCAL
& GLOBAL IMPACT
One of our core values is “Hearts that Serve.” This means that our care and service of people does not apply only to guests and associates but also to our stewardship of local and global communities.
OUR LOCAL IMPACT
Our hotels are deeply rooted in the communities in which they operate. Stronger, more vibrant host communities contribute to the success of our hotels, which enhances our ability to contribute to the success of our communities. We support our local communities through the lenses of economic development, revitalization, and philanthropy.
PHILANTHROPY
We support our associates by encouraging them to actively serve their communities and providing them with the autonomy to support the projects, organizations, or causes they care about. With each property participating in or holding at least three philanthropic events a year, we are proud to see our hotels being positive forces in their communities.
Philanthropy Projects:
Hampton Inn Philadelphia Team Serves the Hungry
To support the ambition of the second UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), our associates at Hampton Inn Philadelphia volunteered with the Philabundance food bank to organize and prepare food items for people experiencing homelessness.
Hersha Increases Access to Green Schoolyards in Greater Philadelphia
In 2021, Hersha partnered with the Trust for Public Land on an urban environmental justice initiative, fundraising for the development of a new green schoolyard at Anderson Elementary in Philadelphia, PA.
OUR GLOBAL IMPACT
In our hotels, we provide guests with access to clean water and superior cleanliness. However, we believe it is important to contribute to sustainability, health, and well-being, not just locally, but also in global communities in which we do not directly operate.
Global Impact Projects:
Providing Access to Clean Water
- Why? One in ten people globally lacks access to safe drinking water. We believe access to clean, safe, sufficient, and affordable drinking water is a fundamental human right that we seek to protect.
- How? In 2015, we developed EarthView Water in an effort to combat this problem. EarthView Water is a privately labeled water bottle made from 100% recycled materials available for purchase at our properties. For each bottle purchased, Hersha donates $1 to help bring clean, drinkable water to those in need.
- Update: In 2020, and in partnership with Waterboys.org, a Hersha-funded well was successfully dug in Tanzania and is bringing life-sustaining water to 8,000 people. In 2021, we completed funding with Waterboys.org for a second well that will bring clean water to 6,200 additional people who currently lack access.
- About Waterboys.org: Waterboys is an initiative founded by Chris Long that brings clean, accessible drinking water to rural communities in East Africa. Local crews in East Africa are hired to drill deep borehole wells for communities where drinking water is unsafe or requires community members to walk miles each day to retrieve.
We have achieved our target to provide accessible, clean water to 25,000 individuals in need! This year, we set a new target to expand access to clean water for 40,000 individuals by 2025.
Providing Improved Sanitation
- Why? Hotels dispose of a staggering amount of single-use soaps every day. At the same time, two of the top five leading causes of death, particularly among children, could be prevented by improved hygiene.
- How? We partner with Clean the World to give our soaps a second life. Our hotel associates collect and send partially used soaps to Clean the World. Clean the World sanitizes these items, repackages them, and then distributes new bars of soap to communities in need.
- Update: Since 2011, our hotel donations have created and distributed over 583,000 new bars of soap. When we first partnered with Clean the World, we were the largest hotel company to do so. Now, we are excited to see many of our peers join us in decreasing operational waste and providing greater access to soaps for those in need.
SUPPORTING OUR ASSOCIATES
As one of our core values states, “People Are Our Capability.” Our associates are the drive and soul behind Hersha’s continued success, and as such, we strive to facilitate a diverse, inclusive environment, provide development opportunities, and prioritize health and well-being to help our associates thrive.
OUR WORK ENVIRONMENT
We provide an inclusive, safe, and open work environment, and have a staunch commitment to our Code of Conduct. Additionally, we provide numerous benefits that allow our associates to lead full lives outside of Hersha.
Hersha’s work-life balance practices provide associates with the flexibility to work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as paid time off. We also upgraded to a video conferencing system that enables off-site associates to connect with conference rooms via video.
For more information on Hersha’s human rights and labor policies, benefits, and other policies, please see our Code of Conduct on our Hersha website.
DIVERSITY AT HERSHA
We are taking action to advance diversity and inclusion within our workspaces by establishing programs, trainings, and plans that address the concerns and needs of diverse employees. In the spirit of sharing and learning from each other, we are signatories of the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion Pledge. We are continuing to explore ways to promote and celebrate diversity within our organization, including the addition of employee resource groups and a diversity committee.
GENDER
DIVERSITY
39%
of our workforce identify as women
42%
of women at Hersha hold roles of Director and above
GENDER DIVERSITY
ETHNIC
DIVERSITY
29%
of our workforce identifies as a member of a minority group
ETHNIC DIVERSITY
AGE
DIVERSITY
19%
of our workforce is under age 30
55%
is between 30 and 50
AGE DIVERSITY
GETTING TO KNOW THE TEAM:
Sergio Sosa,
Director of Engineering, West Coast
Sergio has been an exceptional contributor to Hersha’s sustainability… READ MORE >
EMBRACING
HEALTH & WELL-BEING
We promote the health and wellness of our associates and guests in order to create a great place to work, as well as design a comfortable destination to stay.
For our associates, we aim to support their physical and mental health, as well as overall well-being. Our efforts have been recognized, with our New York City office being named a 2021 “Best Place to Work” by Crain’s New York.
For our guests, we aim to help them maintain their daily wellness routines while traveling. We foster an environment that provides opportunities for guests to recharge and refresh.
THE ST. GREGORY HOTEL
PURE Wellness Hotel Rooms
The St. Gregory Hotel has PURE Wellness hotel rooms, which are allergy-friendly rooms treated with a patented in-room, seven-step purification and filtration process that treats every surface to make the rooms 99% allergen-free. These rooms ensure guests can feel fresher, breathe deeper, and have a healthy stay with us.
Rest Assured™
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we developed and launched Rest Assured™ – a proprietary health and safety program focused on the well-being of guests and associates through science-based, advanced cleaning practices complemented by innovative service offerings and technologies. Highlights of the program include:
- Employee training modules regarding COVID-19 workplace leading practices
- Implementation of signage and safety measures throughout the hotels
- Contactless forms of check-in, payment, and F&B service
- Utilization of HEPA filtration along with EPA-approved disinfectants for advanced cleaning
