Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, extends his gratitude to the new Members of the Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter. He acknowledges their dedication to upholding good employment practices throughout the challenges of the past year.

He also celebrates that the total Member count of the Charter is now over 100. Achieving Membership is no small feat, and this number is testament to the growth of the Charter, which could only have been achieved with the support and commitment of organisations across our city-region, as well as the hard work of the Charter team, the Technical Panel and Board.

If you’re managing staff who are expectant or new parents, you might have questions about the support you should be providing as a manager. Or, you could be wondering how you find out more about the pay and leave entitlements available for employees who are expanding their family. Maternity Action’s new toolkit on managing maternity in the workplace makes it easier for employers to find the answers and understand their legal requirements when supporting new and expectant parents.

In the UK today, thousands of people are experiencing homelessness or insecure housing. When you think of homelessness, you might think of people sleeping rough who have substance misuse or mental health issues. There are people in Manchester today who fit that description. But there are also people who have lost their home through a relationship breakdown, or became homeless having fled their country as a refugee, or who lost their job and simply couldn’t find another one fast enough. Hear from Standing Tall about their plan to end homelessness one person at a time.

It’s perhaps unsurprising that those of us with money problems are more likely to be struggling with our mental health. The stress and worry that can come from not having enough to make ends meet can take a massive toll. But this relationship works both ways: having a mental health problem can also mean we’re more likely to be in financial difficulty.

There are many elements contributing to job satisfaction. Loving your work, being good at your job and doing something the world needs are all powerful incentives to show up and do your best each day.

From the menopause and menstruation to issues surrounding fertility, women face different healthcare concerns to their male counterparts, and yet many workplaces do not have policies in place that recognise this or offer tangible support.

The Women’s Organisation has launched a new project – Women’s Workplace Wellness - aimed at equipping SME employers with the tools to support women’s health in the workplace.

Greater Manchester Law Centre (GMLC) is a community-based advice organisation that provides advice and support to people across Greater Manchester regarding their employment, housing and welfare rights. Read 11 top tips for employees on how to make sure their rights are respected at work. Prevention is better than cure, so here are our top recommendations for creating a positive work experience.

What can you do as an employer on the first days and weeks to help your new hire feel included? In this Good Employment Week blog, we hear from Adrian Bird, Head of Aspire in Partnership, The Growth Company Employment. They speak on a number of onboarding tips for the benefit of employers wanting to recruit and retain staff more effectively.