The Mayor of London, joined by Peter Cheese, has today launched London’s Good Work Standard, fulfilling Sadiq Khan’s manifesto commitment to make London the best place to live and work. 

The Standard, developed in partnership with CIPD, brings together good employment practice with resources and guidance written by CIPD experts. Tested with CIPD members from the CIPD London branch, the framework aims to support employers of all sizes across the city improve their people management practices and create good work for all.

What’s in the Good Work Standard?

The Good Work Standard is a framework developed by the Mayor of London in partnership with the CIPD, combining experts on the world of work with an in-depth knowledge of London. The Standard’s criteria follows four guiding principles:

1. Fair pay and contracts

Fairness, merit and transparency should be at the heart of any good pay and reward strategy.  Some of the first things being asked of employers are to:

• Pay all workers and employees at least the London Living Wage.
• Provide the best possible leave entitlements for parents, sick leave and annual leave.
• Write clear employment contracts and written statements for workers and employees.

2. Workplace well-being

All employers have a duty of care to protect the health, safety and welfare of their workers. But the well-being of people at work should go beyond fulfilling the legal requirements; here are the some of the first things London employers can do as part of the Standard:

• Put in place channels for regular workforce dialogue, whether it’s team meetings or staff surveys.
• Foster a positive culture around work-life balance by offering flexible working for everyone and get senior management to model this behaviour.

3. Skills and progression

London has one of the most highly skilled workforces of any city in the world, but effectively managing that can be challenging. Leaders and line managers play a crucial role in the development of an organisation’s people. Some of the first things business should do are:

• Develop clear progression pathways and systems for promotion and pay growth throughout the organisation.
• Implement training for managers and leaders on core people management skills including objective setting, coaching and providing feedback.

4. Diversity and recruitment

London is one of the most diverse cities in the world so its employers should embed a culture of inclusion in how they recruit, train, manage and develop people at all levels in their organisation. To start with, they should:

• Put in place a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of discrimination, harassment and bullying.
• Use a fair, open and transparent recruitment process, using multiple channels to advertise jobs and encourage applications from underrepresented groups.

A central theme of the Good Work Standard is people and how to effectively manage them.  Many businesses don’t always have the time or resources to focus on HR and people issues; they need to help their people get the most out of work. CIPD have created the People Skills Hub, a free service with small businesses in mind. The Hub offers resources, guidance and information on the essentials to help businesses improve their people management skills and strategy and to get the ‘people’ aspect of their business right.

What are the business benefits?

People professionals play an important role in the lives of the employees at the organisation they serve. They are responsible for ensuring the health and safety of workers and make sure they are fairly treated and rewarded. People are at the heart of a business and are crucial for an organisation’s performance and success. Managing them well can bring about benefits such as:

• Recruiting and retaining the best skills and talent.
• Reduced absences and sick leave.
• Higher levels of employee engagement and motivation.
• Increased productivity.
• Better reputation.

Accredited organisations will also be given the Good Work Standard logo to help them stand out as Good Work employers.

I want to sign up. What do I do now?

To achieve Good Work Standard accreditation, employers must first complete the self-assessment for the Foundation criteria. These are the legal requirements and basics of employment practice that every employer should have in place.
Once employers have completed the self-assessment stage, they will be invited to register for the Good Work Standard, with two prospective levels:

• Achievement: the standard for good employment practice.
• Excellence: for employers that demonstrate how they embed excellent practices into their organisation.

After this, the Good Work Standard is valid for two years. To stay accredited, employers are asked to submit information every year.
The people profession has a central role to play in speeding up the progress we’ve made so far with ‘good work’ by ensuring that people management practices and organisation cultures are built on the principles of fairness, equality and trust. People professionals represent the link between a business and its people, and understand what good work looks like in their organisation and where their actions can make the biggest impact.
Share your Good Work journey with us on Twitter by tweeting @CIPD with the hashtag #MayorsGoodWorkStandard