[SPOTLIGHT] ON Semiconductor Focusing on Ethics, Employees, and Community During Uncertain Times

Editors Note: 2020 is a year we’ll never forget. But amidst a sea of setbacks, companies across the globe continue to rise to the challenge and push forward with innovative product development. Teams who have the right tools and processes in place especially across distributed teams are able to improve collaboration and speed the time it takes to deliver new, innovative products.

In our spotlight series, we highlight companies who are doing extraordinary things in the product development space, and showcase the ways that their innovations are changing the world as we know it. In this post, we applaud the work that ON Semiconductors is doing during the pandemic, and the way they are prioritizing ethics, employees, and community during these uncertain times.

This post originally appeared on Forbes.com on May 18th, 2020.

ON Semiconductor Focusing On Community In Time Of COVID-19

COVID-19 has been tough on everyone. Many companies have had to make many tough decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic and have been challenged to make the correct financial decisions and cost-cutting measures that will allow them to continue operations. More importantly, companies also worry about the safety of those employees who continue to work during the crisis and how to implement certain measures to ensure safety and health. ON Semiconductor is one of those many companies that continue to make the best out of what it has; and what it has and values most is its community of its employees across the globe.

ON Semiconductor’s hard-working community

ON Semiconductor is one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies® by Ethisphere, and this year is the fifth time it has been recognized on this list. They are only one of four companies in the electronics and semiconductors category to receive this recognition. Jean Chong, vice president, ethics, and corporate social responsibility at ON Semiconductor, said, “Our employees’ dedication to maintaining a strong culture of compliance and ethics allows us to differentiate ourselves within the semiconductor industry.” ON Semiconductor’s ethical badge is a driving force for the challenges that come from being in a global crisis. This is especially true for an essential global business that puts thousands of its workers on the frontlines to make life-saving medical devices and other solutions that are deemed critical.

During these pressing times many are looking for examples of leadership, especially as a global organization, ON Semiconductor recognizes that they have a unique responsibility to its employees, in the communities in which it operates and to those it directly impacts with its life saving devices. At the Bucheon, Korea site, Rich Kim, business operations manager has been working with its local authorities to ensure the safety and health of ON Semiconductor employees by taking the correct preventative measures for stopping the spread of the virus. Grace Wan, financial controller in Singapore, works to ensures that her employees have the correct technology and equipment to work from home, as well as doing her best to preserve the communication in work from home environments. Lenka Stralkova, communications manager in Slovakia, works diligently to ensure consistent communication and adherence to corporate guidelines to a workforce that is primarily manufacturing based. These are great local examples of how ON Semiconductor is working to hold strong to its community and ethics, and I think it is a great encouragement for companies who are struggling to find community and ethics during the crisis.

ON Semiconductor working hard for its community

Like many other companies who have offered their services to fight the COVID-19 crisis, ON Semiconductor has been working hard to lend a helping hand. One of the side effects of the COVID-19 virus or coronavirus is the effects it has on the lungs. Across the world, hospitals and medical workers are running out of ventilators for their patients affected by the coronavirus. Many of ON Semiconductor’s devices are used in medical devices, including ventilators. As an essential business, ON Semiconductor continues its operations at its manufacturing facilities, developing technologies that are implemented into life saving devices and helping to save lives across the world, as illustrated through one of their recent video blogs and in a recent release.

As ON Semiconductor continues to manufacture medical supplies, it also is helping its community financially. Keith Jackson, CEO of ON Semiconductor, has said that the organization is matching all employee donations that are made to eligible organizations within the $25-$500 range. Not only is this an encouragement for ON Semiconductor employees to give towards the community, but it is also a great example of Keith’s leadership at the company. Keith also says ON Semiconductor has been donating upwards of 10,000 N95 masks and ActiveAir masks to first responders who are putting their lives on the line across the United States, Europe, and Asia, along with other personal protective equipment that is needed for healthcare workers across the globe.

The ON Semiconductor Research and Development organization has also launched a crowdsourcing initiative to source ideas on how ON Semiconductor present and future devices or business processes can help fight COVID-19 or other outbreaks, and/or improve economies during outbreaks. This challenge is part of the company’s commitment to improve the lives of people in the community where they work.

Wrapping up

Ethics is the driving force behind ON Semiconductor and its encouraging initiative to help and improve on the global community during our global time of crisis. I agree with ON Semiconductor that ethics should not be forgotten during a crisis and the company is making this a priority now more than ever. Ethics is part of what makes us human, and I believe it is a key component to our drive to help those in need. ON Semiconductor has a focus on community and leadership, and it encourages its employees across the world to abide by this principal and ensure its core values are implemented into everything the company does. I believe this makes the company stand out.