Written by Ian MacArthur, Director of the Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter (December 2024)
The Christmas markets are in town, and team lunches and corporate parties are being planned right across the city. It is for many a time to celebrate and for those of us who can take time away from work and huddle down for the festive break, it is also a time to reflect on the year gone by and contemplate the challenges ahead. In many ways 2024 has been a landmark year for the Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter, there are now almost 1,000 Supporters and Members of the Charter impacting over 1 million employees nationally. In the last 12 months alone, over 200 new Supporters joined the Charter, marking an unprecedented period of growth.
Together, we have created a movement that continues to attract interest and engagement across all types of employers from bus operators, universities and large NHS trusts down to small creative agencies and third sector organisations. Good work matters to all.
Inclusion was of course the theme of this year’s Good Employment Week, which was delayed because of the summer General Election. But inclusion wasn’t only the theme of the week, it embodied the way in which it was celebrated. It was fun to see the posters and wrapped tram across the city and to see people playing our Game of Work on their commute, but the efforts of the Greater Manchester Equality Panels together with our friends at the Neurodiversity Employers Network contributed significantly to the week’s activities and deliberations.
Supported by KPMG, the end of week intersectional meeting, where we crunched the myriad of different perspectives into some clear direction for the Charter, was a particular highlight. 2025 will see the Charter rise further to the challenges of inequality in the workplace - and in concert with the Equality Panels - we produce clarity on how employers can ensure they play their full part in ensuring that no-one is left behind.
During Good Employment Week alone, 15 events were held across the city region attracting over 700 delegates to discuss, share and build their approaches to good employment. But it’s our other events throughout the year – almost two a month – bringing new employers to the charter, Members opening their doors to share their experiences and the excellent share and learn sessions, that gives the Charter a steady drumbeat and keeps the movement moving forward.
Our annual awards similarly create a wonderful sense of community with purpose. For those that attended on the evening, the highlight had to be the acceptance speech from Luke on behalf of Adept Corporate Services as they picked up ‘Employer of the Year’. For those of you who didn’t attend – see 2024 Awards Recap Video, and start thinking about all the good practice you could enter for next year’s awards.
Of course, 2024 had significance for the Charter as the newly elected Government ended the fifteen year wait for a meaningful Employment Rights Bill. The proposals contained in the Bill should come as no surprise or concern for Supporters and Members of the Charter. Much of what it contains mirrors the requirements of the Charter and in many ways, we should recognise that what we have collectively demonstrated is that good work and productive organisations are two sides of the same coin. The Charter has been at the forefront of demonstrating the art of the possible, despite some difficult economic headwinds. However, Charters can’t stand still, to continue the vibrancy of the movement we have created, we must push on to demonstrate that decent work in today’s economy will rely on more than just the legal underpinning of the basic building blocks of good employment - fair pay, secure contracts, flexibility, etc. Good employers know that adherence to values and the creation of cultures where employees can flourish and grow goes far beyond the reach of laws and rights. This takes courageous leadership and finely attuned management.
2025 will see the Charter develop and grow into these areas. Working in a full co-production effort with our partners, Supporters and Members, our focus will be on how the requirements of the Charter can adapt and where necessary stretch around new legal requirements. More importantly perhaps, we must also go further to lead on the underpinning attitudes, values and leadership abilities that will sustain Greater Manchester employers at the forefront of the good work agenda and be recognised as a place where business thrives and everyone has opportunity.