The Membership Tier of the Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter has launched, having announced the first six employers to become Members. These employers have committed to pay all staff the real living wage, offer flexible working and provide security of work among other commitments outlined in the membership criteria on the seven characteristics of good employment:

• Secure work
• Flexible work
• Real living wage
• Engagement and voice
• Recruitment
• People management
• Health and wellbeing

With 200 Delegates in attendance at the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, the Charter’s Membership Tier was launched on Wednesday 29 January 2020 by the Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham; Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester and Leader of Manchester City Council Sir Richard Leese; and Cllr Sean Fielding, Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) Lead for Work and Skills and Leader of Oldham Council.

Amongst the first employers to achieve Membership are workplace property company Bruntwood, Oldham College, Electricity North West, employee-owned Stockport business Rowlinson Knitwear, marketing agency Making You Content and Back on Track, a Manchester charity that enables disadvantaged adults to make lasting, positive changes in their lives.

These employers have been working closely with the Charter since its launch of the Supporters' Network in July 2019 and have been chosen for their excellent practice and commitment to continually improving employment standards within their organisation. Additionally, they are representative of the diverse range of employers across Greater Manchester that the Charter is looking to engage with and support.

Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said:

“The Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter is about supporting our employers, helping them to grow and invest in our places, with new and existing jobs right across our city-region that are underpinned by a commitment to equality, a real living wage and a positive and productive working environment.”

“The evidence suggests that this is a win-win for everyone, with workplaces more productive when employees are happier. I’m delighted to see so many employers stepping forward to share best practice and improve standards – and would encourage others from across Greater Manchester to get involved.”

Jennifer Atkins, People Director at Bruntwood, said:

“We're really proud to be one of the first members of the Good Employment Charter as we’re incredibly passionate about everything it stands for. From the very beginning, Bruntwood has long worked to the principle that our success is down to our colleagues. In return, we want to be able to offer them the opportunity to learn and grow, take their career in new directions and find a balance that works for them; and this is exactly what this Charter sets out to achieve. 

“Being members of the Charter gives us the opportunity to demonstrate a solid commitment to our colleagues, to continuously strive for improvement in our culture and people practices, and to share knowledge and best practice with other companies who are committed to being good employers.”

Rachael Parr, Head of HR at Electricity North West said:

“As the region’s power network operator, we’re a big employer with a footprint from Cheshire to Cumbria with half of our customers in Greater Manchester. We recognise that we’re critical to the wider success of the North West so it’s important that we do the right thing for our 2000 people who make that happen. The Charter is a fantastic way of sharing best practice and validating the work we’re doing.

“In 2019 we were recognised as a Real Living Wage employer and we’re also working with our contractors to get them to the same level. We’re also working to challenge the energy sector’s reputation regarding diversity and this is a significant element of the Charter so it’s a great fit for us.

“Our industry and our region is changing enormously over the next few years as we drive towards a low carbon future. The Charter recognises the need to engage with and listen to employees and we believe this is critical to our success as a business, particularly during times of change.

“I’d encourage anyone to work towards becoming a member of the Charter and we look forward to helping to build up a network of like-minded businesses to help our great region prosper.”