Our employees devote their time and expertise to create positive change in our communities around the world. This gives them an opportunity to get to know some of our partner organisations and develop professional skills in challenging environments. In return our partners benefit from strategic planning, operational improvements and enhanced communications. Our two flagship volunteering programmes are PULSE and Orange Days.

What is PULSE?

The PULSE Volunteer Partnership is GSK’s skills-based volunteering initiative. Through PULSE, motivated employees are matched to a non-profit organisation for three or six months full-time, contributing their skills to solve healthcare challenges at home and abroad. When PULSE Volunteers return to GSK, they act as catalysts to change the company for the better.

PULSE facts:

• Since its launch in 2009, PULSE has empowered nearly 300 employees from 33 countries to serve as volunteers. We have worked with 70 PULSE Partners in 49 countries, supporting non-profit and NGO organisations that work on healthcare access, well-being and educational issues.
• 100% of PULSE Partners feel that their PULSE Volunteer delivered against the objectives of their assignment.
• Six months after completing PULSE, more than 80% of participating employees feel that they are doing something differently at GSK as a result of their PULSE experience.
• More than ¾ of PULSE Volunteers’ colleagues at GSK said that they brought back reinvigorated energy, spirit, motivation and morale to those they work with.

Future plans

In 2013, we will continue our PULSE Pillar Project pilot to strengthen the depth of our partnerships and make a cumulative impact on key global health challenges. These multi-year, multi-volunteer projects concentrate on access to healthcare, malaria and science education, with a focus on education in 2013.

Also in 2013, we will continue our local PULSE hubs (offices) in Latin America, India and Japan, in order to further diversify our employee participation and promote local ownership of the PULSE mission in our emerging markets.

Orange Day

Our other major volunteer programme, Orange Day, gives employees one paid day off each year to volunteer for their chosen local community project. In 2011, thousands of US staff volunteered as part of the National Day of Service and Remembrance on the tenth anniversary of 9/11. Activities included packing more than 120,000 meals for people in Haiti, Kenya and Nicaragua and flood victims in the USA. The national day was initiated by MyGoodDeed, a charity of which we are a founding sponsor.