Businesses urged to join GM Good Employment Charter

Posted by on 7 Jul 2021

Rochdale’s businesses are being urged to sign up to the Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter. To become a fully-fledged member, employers have to demonstrate a full commitment to improving practices in all areas of good employment.

Social housing provider Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) became the first Rochdale organisation to become a member of the charter. The charter was developed by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and the Mayor of Greater Manchester.

The charter outlines seven key characteristics of good employment: Secure work; flexible work; paying the real living wage; engagement and voice; good recruitment; positive people management; and employee health and wellbeing.

Mr Burnham said providing good employment is a ‘win-win’ for the region’s businesses. He said: “This Good Employment Charter is a major step towards making sure that new and existing jobs right across Greater Manchester are underpinned by a commitment to equality, fair pay, and giving employees a say in how their workplaces are run – securing our city-region as an area of employment excellence.”

The GM Good Employment Charter also strives to develop diverse, equal and inclusive working conditions across Greater Manchester.

Despite Greater Manchester’s underlying economic strength, there remain some significant issues with the quality of work offered – with unstable and low-paid work on the rise, wages not meeting the cost of living, and roles not offering accessibility or flexibility, leading to a workforce that lacks diversity.

Concerns have been raised that the uncertainty caused by Covid-19 has made the situation even worse. The Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter is a voluntary membership and assessment scheme which has been created to improve employment standards across all GM employers, regardless of size, sector or geography.

Organisations – including public sector bodies, private sector businesses, service providers, the third sector, and voluntary and community organisations – can sign up to the charter. Rochdale Council and Rochdale Development Agency (RDA) have already signed up.

For details of how to join go to https://www.gmgoodemploymentcharter.co.uk/contact-us/