“Greater Manchester is once again leading the way with the Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter. We do things differently here, and we know keeping what’s good for our people at the heart of what we do will only strengthen our place.
“We have a proud history of ensuring that economic progress goes hand in hand with social progress, and that is the basis of this Charter. Providing good employment is a win-win for Greater Manchester businesses, and our employers who are best at engaging and supporting their employees are the most successful.
“This Good Employment Charter is a major step towards making sure that new and existing jobs right across Greater Manchester are underpinned by a commitment to equality, fair pay, and giving employees a say in how their workplaces are run – securing our city-region as an area of employment excellence. As we face up to the challenges of these unprecedented times, the Good Employment Charter will be absolutely fundamental to our ambitions to build back better and fairer for all.”
Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham
About the Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter
Despite Greater Manchester’s underlying economic strength, there remain some significant issues with the quality of work offered – with unstable and low-paid work still prevalent in our economy, wages not meeting the cost of living, and roles not offering accessibility or flexibility, leading to a workforce that lacks diversity.
Even before the pandemic, in-work poverty rates were on the rise, despite increases in the national minimum wage (NMW) and employment levels.
- The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) (2022) records that around two-thirds (68%) of working-age adults in poverty live in a household where at least one adult is in work. This is the highest figure since records of households below average income began in 1996/97, when the figure stood below 50%.
- JRF (2022) also found that in 2019/20, 13% of workers lived in poverty, compared to 11% in 2005/06.
- However, when looking at part-time workers, 17% were living in poverty in 2005/06, compared with 22% in 2019/20 (JRF, 2022).
This demonstrates the importance of hours worked in keeping households above the poverty line.
According to the Institute of Government and Public Policy, an estimated 14.5 million people in the UK are living in poverty, which represents 22% of the population.
To reach their potential, people need to be offered secure, fulfilling and well-paid work. This not only boosts the morale of the workforce, but retention rates, productivity and health. In turn, this leads to business growth and success.
That’s why in Greater Manchester we’re doing things differently – we’ve launched the Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter. The Charter was developed through a process of co-design, involving the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), all GM districts, Trade Unions, and employers and employees from all sectors. Learn more about the creation process of the Charter here.
The Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter is a voluntary membership and assessment scheme which has been created to improve employment standards across all GM employers, regardless of size, sector or geography. Organisations – including public sector bodies, private sector businesses, service providers, the third sector, and voluntary and community organisations – can sign up to the Charter.
We want to see Greater Manchester as a place where people are paid fairly for their work, treated appropriately and provided with inclusive opportunity. At the same time, we want to see the city region’s economy thrive, with organisations that are productive and effective at the heart of it.
Looking to get involved?
The Charter has two tiers of involvement: Supporters and Members, and seven key characteristics of good employment.