Since the launch of the Supporters’ Tier of the Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter in July 2019, we have had more than 150 Employers register interest in becoming a Supporter. There have been two Supporters’ network events, three meetings with the pilot group, and endless connections made with interested stakeholders and potential partners. These connections have led to important conversations on how best to support employers to raise employment standards across Greater Manchester.
In the run-up to the launch of the Members’ Tier of the Charter, we have taken a deep dive into understanding the seven characteristics of good employment. As this Charter exists for all organisations regardless of size or sector, we have taken great care to understand the characteristics in the context of different employers. This has been done in an effort to make inclusive criteria that accounts for challenges and limitations across sector and size.
All the work that has been done thus far on the Charter will culminate in a working conference planned for the end of November 2019. The aim of the conference is to develop challenging yet meaningful criteria to determine membership standards for the Charter across the seven characteristics of good employment that have been identified. To–date, the Charter’s development has been founded on the principles of co-production and this will continue through the creation of membership criteria.
The working conference will see three rounds made up of six professionally facilitated and reported on workshops on the good employment characteristics of:
- Secure work;
- Flexible work;
- Workplace engagement and voice;
- Excellent recruitment and progression;
- Excellent people management; and
- A productive and healthy workplace.
While paying the real living wage remains a core characteristic of the Charter, we are not considering it in detail at the working conference. The first two rounds will aim to set standards for the Charter, and the last round will serve as an equality test to ensure the characteristics are workable in the context of the wide range of equality issues that can affect employment and the workplace.
The Members’ Tier of the Charter is on track to launch in the new year. Offering monthly events, an ever-growing host of resources, and a Good Employment network of employers to share with and learn from, it’s the right time to commit to good employment and join the Charter as a Supporter.