What is “Good Employment”?
Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter
Researching jobs and employers? read this article, in collaboration with The Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter, to understand how to look for “Good employers” and understand what “good work” looks like.
What is the Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter?
The Charter is a voluntary membership and assessment scheme, which aims to improve employment standards for all organisations of any size or sector across Greater Manchester.
The Charter sets out seven key characteristics of good employment. Employers make a commitment to uphold the highest set of standards in these characteristics and demonstrate actions have been taken to ensure the comprehensive criteria has been met.
You can see the employers who are current members of the Charter here: Members | GM Good Employment Charter
Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester
“By learning about what good looks like, you will be in a better position to make informed choices about who you want to work for and how you want to work.”
What are the characteristics of good employment?
1. Secure work
The employer offers secure work, giving employees security over their income through transparency in communications and contracts, guaranteed minimum hours, and regular review of these terms. Employees are thus given the ability to effectively manage their work and non-work commitments.
Questions you might ask the employer:
• Will I receive a contract prior to my start date?
• Will my contract outline my hours of work?
• Will my contract state my pay?
• If I work shifts and a shift gets cancelled at short notice, will I still get paid?
2. Flexible work
The employer enables flexible working be designing jobs in a way that, wherever possible, are flexible in where people work, when people work, and how much people work. They also provide clarity on the possibility of job flexibility from the outset of employment.
Employees have access to a clear flexible working policy that encourages flexibility, gives opportunity for staff to request flexible arrangements, and offers regular review of such arrangements.
Questions you might ask the employer:
• Do you have a flexible working policy?
• Am I able to work flexibly in this role?
• If I work remotely, will you provide me with the appropriate equipment that I may need? E.G laptop
• What options for flexible working do you offer?
• Am I able to request a flexible work pattern at the start of my employment?
3. Pay
Your employer pays staff the Real Living Wage as set out by the Living Wage Foundation What is the real Living Wage? | Living Wage Foundation
The Real Living Wage is an independently calculated hourly wage that covers the basic living expenses of an employee and their family. It is voluntary, and higher than the government minimum or government living wage. It takes into account factors like housing, food, transport, and aims to provide a decent standard of living.
Employers will also ensure that they will work towards providing sick pay from day one of absence.
Questions to ask the employer:
• Do you pay the real living wage?
• If I am off sick, will I receive sick pay?
• Is this paid from the first day of my absence?
4. Engagement and voice
The employer utilises employee engagement and voice, building a confident, empowered workforce. Employees are involved in decision making and managing change through effective communication and consultation, and trade unions are recognised and positively engaged with where applicable.
Questions you might as the employer:
• Do you hold regular staff meetings?
• Will I have regular meetings with my line manager?
• Do you have employee forums that I can get involved with?
• Do you welcome staff suggestions from all employees?
5. Recruitment
The employer has excellent recruitment practices, involving prospective employees in an inclusive, fair recruitment process that is accessible, enables both equity, eliminates unconscious bias, and supports the building of a diverse workforce.
Questions you might ask the employer:
• If I am selected for interview, are you able to share the interview questions beforehand so I can best prepare myself?
• Before arriving for interview, will I be informed of who to ask for at reception?
• If I am successful, what does onboarding look like?
• Will you inform me of recruitment timescales so that I might know when to expect to hear the outcome?
• Following the recruitment process, will you provide me with feedback whether I am successful or not?
6. People management
The employer ensures excellent people management and development of their workforce, giving employees a clear set of organisational values and expected behaviours along with the right to a workplace free of bullying and harassment.
With an emphasis on organisational development, all staff are provided with training that enables them to perform effectively in their role and develop skills and experience that supports progression.
Questions to ask the employer:
• Do you provide training and development opportunities?
• Am I allowed time within work to carry out work related studies/ training?
• Do you recognise employee achievements?
• Are there opportunities to progress within the organisation?
7. Health and wellbeing
The employer actively supports employee health and wellbeing. Employees have the ability to thrive in a workplace where adjustments are made, and individual needs recognised.This employer acknowledges that mental and physical health need to be considered in relation to an organisation’s wider values and objectives. Strategies are in place and internal and/or external support is available to facilitate ongoing discussion, training and monitoring.
Questions you might as the employer:
• Do you have a health and wellbeing strategy?
• Do you arrange events for employees to socialise?
• Do you provide health and wellbeing training e.g., mental health awareness?
• Are conversations relating to health and well-being encouraged?
Find out more
Head over to the Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter website to learn more about the Charter.
See more information on researching what “Good employment” means and to make an informed decision about which employer you accept a job with Resources for Education | Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter (gmgoodemploymentcharter.co.uk)
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