Society’s ills can never be solved by business and markets alone, but, as the destructive Covid-19 virus travels the globe, it reveals new opportunities for the private sector to address public challenges. So writes BC Law Adjunct Professor Irit Tamir in an article for Oxfam America’s Politics of Poverty website, in which she offers a checklist of what companies can, and should, do.
“Businesses of all sizes must act responsibly to do no harm, care for employees, and allow government to do its job in protecting people,” says Tamir, who is also director of Oxfam America’s Private Sector Department.
“These are unprecedented times for business. Amidst this uncertainty, leaders are distinguishing themselves from laggards,” she says. “Some companies are adopting paid sick leave policies while others are refusing to adopt the same and actively lobbying against the policy.”
To encourage common cause, Tamir offers 16 ways that companies can address the health and economic impacts of the crisis.
Read the full article in Politics of Poverty and BC Law’s Impact blog.