2022 ESG Report: Connecting with our people, communities, and planet

Connections — they are at the heart of everything we are doing at H&R Block. It takes human connections for us to deliver on our Purpose to provide help and inspire confidence in our clients and communities everywhere. And it’s those connections that helped us make the incredible strides outlined in this year’s Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) report covering fiscal year ending June 20, 2022.

I'm excited to share with you the details of our connections with our nearly 70,000 associates and franchisees across the country, our community partners, and the environment. Every day, we blend human expertise and care with technology and data to help people be better with money. Whether that’s managing how they spend and save, get the best outcome at tax time, or manage the finances of their business are at the core of how we lifted up communities, and what guided us in using resources wisely in FY22. 

A Connected Culture

In a year filled with headlines about the Great Resignation, we remained committed to building our Connected Culture. To address heightened stress, burnout, and uncertainty faced by so many of us working throughout the pandemic, we introduced the annual Block Reboot, a paid week of time off during the first week of July so associates can disconnect, reboot, and recharge. It was incredible to see how our people spent the time — from learning a new or re-engaging with an old hobby, traveling solo or with family, to completing a home improvement project that’s been postponed or put off for years. 

More Communities Connect

We also deepened our commitment to supporting communities and creating an environment where neighbors can connect with each other and small businesses can thrive. We continued this work through our Make Every Block Better community impact platform with financial contributions, partnerships, and volunteer opportunities supporting communities nationwide. From community gardens to murals on community centers, we were proud to embark on our second year of making sure blocks were restored and more neighborhoods had places where they could come together to get to know each other better.

Connecting with the Environment

Finally, we continued to reduce our impact on the environment and are taking the next steps in reducing our environmental footprint. This year we created our first enterprise-level environmental policy to help guide and unify our stewardship efforts. We also undertook our second carbon inventory to better understand where our emissions are coming from and identify opportunities for reduction. We are taking meaningful steps in reducing our carbon footprint and will continue to investigate new methods for further reductions. 

At H&R Block, being a responsible corporate citizen that connects with our people, communities, and planet is a key part of our culture and Ambitions. And while this is our third ESG report, in many ways, we’re just getting started.