Business West – one of the founding Members of the Good Employment Charter

How did you hear about the Charter and why did you take the step to become a full Member? What was your experience of the process to becoming a Member?

Our decision to become a member of the West of England Good Employment Charter came out of our close collaboration with the Mayoral Combined Authority over many years. We were also involved in the Charter’s Steering Group, which provided an early insight into its objectives and potential impact. As a business committed to best practices, diversity, and inclusion, aligning with the Charter was a natural next step.

We recognise the invaluable benchmark that the Charter’s framework provides, enabling us to regularly self-reflect on our employment practices and procedures. Becoming a full Member demonstrates our commitment to this, showing how we are aligned to the Charter’s goals but always striving to improve as well.

It was a thorough but simple process to become a Member. The Charter team at the Mayoral Combined Authority were instrumental, guiding us through each step and helping us bring out the case studies that showed the good work we were already doing, as well as how we could improve our practices going forward. Those examples gave us a great benchmark so that we can regularly measure the progress we are making.

Now that you are a member, what do you think the impact is and will be to your organisation?

Although we are still new to full membership, we expect significant advantages. The access to online resources and the ongoing support offered by the Charter team will help us continue to create a better work environment. The opportunity of joining a network of like-minded organisations to discuss challenges and share best practices will be incredibly valuable. It is also a concrete demonstration that we are living up to our values and that our commitment to the being the best possible employer we can be is very real.

What would you say to organisations who are thinking about joining as a Supporter or potentially an accredited Member?

We hope that within the region, when prospective employers see how we are putting our values into action, they will recognise that commitment within their own organisations and be keen to join us. We are committed to fostering a supportive, inclusive and responsible workplace, and we work with organisations who want the same and they should take full advantage of the opportunities and self-reflection that signing up to the Good Employment Charter provides.

Become an employer of choice

About the Charter

The Good Employment Charter is an accreditation scheme that aims to improve employment standards in the West of England for organisations of all sizes and sectors, through characteristics that will raise the value and quality of work, allowing employers to become an ‘employer of choice’, leading them to higher staff retention rates, better productivity and contributing to a thriving economy.

The West of England Good Employment Charter will set the standard for working practices in the region. Supporting businesses of any size or sector to improve investment in their staff, enabling more inclusive, equitable & sustainable working practices, positively benefiting people, society, and the wider economy.