Most corporate volunteering programs approach factory worker engagement as a scheduling problem. If we can just find the right time, the right activity, and the right incentive, then surely people will participate. But while these practical considerations matter, they’re not the heart of the issue.
The conversation usually goes something like this:
“Our factory workers just aren’t engaged in volunteering.”
“What have you tried to make it easier for them to participate?”
“We’ve done everything – flexible schedules, on-site activities, you name it. Nothing seems to work.”
I’ve heard this exchange countless times after years of working with companies to develop their corporate social impact programs. The challenge of engaging factory workers in corporate volunteering isn’t just about logistics – but how we define our communities of care.
The Problem with Traditional Approaches
The real challenge? Corporate social impact programs can reinforce hierarchical power dynamics that separate “givers” from “receivers.” This approach overlooks the robust networks of mutual support that already exist within our communities and workplaces.
Learning from Existing Support Networks
At Realized Worth, we’re always discussing the difference between transactional and Transformative Volunteering. Transactional volunteering focuses on the task – packing boxes, cleaning parks, serving meals. Transformative volunteering focuses on the change within the volunteer during these experiences – and the ripple effect that change has on our communities.
But there’s another layer we need to learn from: mutual aid networks. These horizontally organized systems of reciprocal support have long histories in labor movements and community organizing, defined by Dean Spade in his book Mutual Aid as “survival work.” They are effective models of community care and resilience, finely tuned to activate based on their neighbors’ immediate (and genuine) needs. This is not charity; this is reciprocity. Examples include the Black Panther Party’s Breakfast for Children program and the activation of community networks during the COVID-19 pandemic to assist public health departments with promoting protective behaviors (for more on this, check out this article in Frontiers in Psychology).
The cascading impacts of climate disasters, resource conflicts, and struggles for fundamental human rights consistently fall hardest on communities already facing system barriers to support and resources. Mutual aid networks defend our most vulnerable and recognize that everyone has both something to give and something to receive. This approach is compelling when engaging factory workers because it acknowledges existing networks and shifts power dynamics by:
- Dissolving Traditional Boundaries: Instead of creating artificial divisions between those who help and those who receive help, mutual aid networks acknowledge that we all play both roles at different times.
- Building on Existing Strengths: Factory workers often already participate in informal mutual aid networks and systems of care – carpooling, childcare sharing, and skill trading. Social impact programs can learn from and amplify these existing networks.
- Creating Authentic Agency: When people are seen as both givers and receivers of support, the power dynamic changes from charity to solidarity.
Creating Transformative Change Through Community Power
So, how do we move beyond transactional volunteering to support the mutual aid networks and community of care already on our factory floor? Here’s what works:
Honor Existing Networks and Leadership
Every factory floor has its natural connectors – people who already understand community needs and organize informal support systems. Find and support these individuals; their stories about community needs, personal experiences, and hopes for change can catalyze others into action. These aren’t just volunteer champions; they’re building community resilience.
Build Reciprocal Networks
Instead of presenting pre-packaged volunteer opportunities, support worker-led initiatives and resource-sharing platforms to share skills, resources, and support with each other and the broader community.
Enable Collective Action and Learning
Create opportunities for employees to reflect on and share their experiences as volunteers and community members supporting each other. It could be as simple as a conversation during shift changes or structured as regular support circles where needs and offerings are shared.
Making it Work: Practical Steps
Shifting from transactional engagement to transformative, mutual aid-inspired approaches takes intention and planning. While the goal is transformation—honoring existing networks and fostering authentic agency—corporate programs still need structures to address real-world barriers like time, resources, and alignment.
The good news? Practical solutions exist that don’t compromise the bigger vision. By building systems that redistribute resources, shift power, and center worker-led initiatives, companies can amplify the networks of support already thriving on the factory floor. Here’s how:
- Resource Redistribution: Create transparent systems for workers to share what they need, what they can offer, and how they can access company resources. Consider directly funding existing mutual aid projects!
- Shift Decision-Making Power: When possible, transfer program design decisions to workers to ensure an aligned definition of impact. This will support employee engagement, buy-in, and program advocacy, leading to better program results.
- Build Sustainable Systems: Create infrastructure for ongoing worker control of resource distribution, including the support for long-term funding for community initiatives. Consider supporting time banking and skill-sharing platforms.
- Center Community Wisdom: Take time to document, learn, and advocate for community-led solutions.
Moving Forward
The challenge of engaging factory workers in social impact isn’t just about today’s barriers but preparing for tomorrow’s workplace. As automation continuously reshapes manufacturing, social impact programs become crucial bridges for workforce transition. Human connection and community engagement become even more vital for worker well-being and retention when production tasks shift to machines.
The goal isn’t just to increase employee participation. It’s to create opportunities for meaningful change in our communities and ourselves. When we approach engagement from this perspective, acknowledging current realities and future trends, we stop trying to solve a participation problem and start creating platforms for transformation.
