Good News: ViacomCBS Creates Virtual Community Day During COVID-19 Pandemic

Ethics Matters

Q3 2020

Not only did the recent pandemic hit businesses hard financially, it also diminished the enthusiasm and dedication 20,000-plus ViacomCBS employees had to their communities. Prior to COVID-19, ViacomCBS employees participated in what they deemed “Viacommunity Day,” when employees would gather at hundreds of sites around the world to rebuild and re-energize their communities. When the pandemic hit the world, this type of celebration was no longer viable.

However, Crystal Barnes, for the ViacomCBS newsroom, said employees “made it clear to our team, through emails, virtual meetings and DMs, that their isolation had not dampened their desire to care for our communities, and do so together. Management at all levels across the company supported the idea. It is in that spirit of irrepressible goodwill and restless creativity that the first ViacomCBS Virtual Community Day was born.”

This year, ViacomCBS employees from around the world gave back to the people and organizations in their communities, virtually. Barnes noted that employees consulted with nonprofits on better business strategies, mentored students with America on Tech, hosted social issues discussions with the American Civil Liberties Union, led virtual learning hours with Breakthrough New York, provided feedback to young writers, transcribed records for the Smithsonian Museum, and helped World Food Program USA and Urban School Fund Alliance donate 50,000 meals through the atlasGO global health and wellness challenge. The employees achieved all this goodwill via online resources and platforms.

As the world continues to change, we could all use a little inspiration from the goodwill efforts of organizations like ViacomCBS. Take time to determine how you, too, can give back virtually in a world that now relies so heavily on online support.