Recognise and Celebrate Responsible Organisations - Jenny Herrera, Good Business Foundation CEO
At the Good Business Foundation it is our aim to provide a clear and effective way to recognise the good guys in business through a straightforward accreditation scheme across ten different components of responsible business, allowing members to proudly display the Good Business Charter brand.
The Living Wage Foundation was set up to recognise and celebrate responsible employers and in so doing, brings together a network of organisations who are going beyond government legislation on a minimum wage and instead starting with the workers themselves and the recognition that the government minimum is not enough to live on.
Yet we know that creating a responsible workplace is not just about the wages paid. This is one of the reasons the Living Wage Foundation is working on a Living Hours standard to address the issues many in poverty are experiencing due to insecure work and the vulnerability of zero hours and minimal hours contracts.
The Living Wage Foundation is not alone in campaigning for specific areas of business that need to be addressed, hoping to inspire businesses to lead the way and bring about change. The Fair Tax Mark seeks to encourage and recognise organisations that pay the right amount of corporation tax at the right time and in the right place. Members of the Ethical Trading Initiative agree to adopt the ETI Base Code and then work out the most effective steps companies can take to implement it in their supply chains.
There is significant power in numbers as well as momentum for change as like-minded businesses get round the table to show how a business can be both responsible and profitable, and why others should follow suit.
Yet along with different regional Charters, environmental standards and a plethora of accreditation schemes available to different industries, it can be a minefield for members of the public to know and understand who is really doing responsible business. With a growing number of people wanting to work for and buy from responsible organisations, there is no time to lose in setting out a clear way to recognise good businesses!
This is why we have pulled together 10 different components of responsible business into one Good Business Charter accreditation which measures behaviour towards employees, customers, suppliers and the environment all whilst paying fair taxes. This is a really effective way to show the world that you don't just care about a decent wage for your workers but all aspects of responsible business including ethical sourcing, minimising your environmental impact and ensuring your workplace is diverse and inclusive where employees have a voice.
The Good Business Charter accreditation is free to join with the first year of membership free (and nominal fees thereafter). Application is done through a self-certification online process which is extremely user-friendly. As we start a New Year, why not make GBC accreditation your new resolution as an organisation - learn all about it here: www.goodbusinesscharter.com
We are grateful to the Living Wage Foundation for its support for our accreditation and hope to see many Living Wage Employers take this important step to show more widely their responsible approach to business