Setting a Standard of Good Work

Setting a Standard of Good Work The CIPD and the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan have launched a new framework for good working practices, aimed at making London the best place to live and work. At 10Eighty, we believe everyone deserves a job they love, and we focus on helping people to fulfill their potential and achieve their aspirations. The new ‘good work’ standard criteria follows four guiding principles: Fair pay and contracts fairness, merit, and transparency should be at the heart of good pay and reward strategy Workplace well-being a duty of care to protect the health, safety, and welfare of workers Skills and progression including the development of clear progression pathways and systems Diversity and recruitment zero-tolerance approach to all forms of discrimination, harassment and bullying Employer of choice Where organizations commit to such standards, they increase levels of engagement, motivation, and productivity, reduce absenteeism and sick leave, while boosting their employment brand which makes them more likely to be an employer of choice. It’s obvious that safeguarding the health and safety of employees and ensuring they are fairly treated and rewarded is crucial to a well-run organization. The ‘our people are our greatest asset’ truism is parroted often enough but, all too often the bottom line takes precedence over managing people well, the benefits are manifest: Effective recruitment and retention that attracts the best skills and talent Reduced absence and sick leave Improved levels of employee engagement and productivity Effective employment brand management Pathways for progression An aspect of the standard that particularly resonates with me is the commitment to developing progression pathways for employees. There are significant business benefits to developing career paths for employees; where they see a clear progression route, employees are more likely to be engaged and committed to their jobs. We recommend regular, meaningful career conversations with employees as an integral part of a succession program and that requires robust, fair and consistent personnel management policies to support career paths. In management development training, 10Eighty will emphasize the importance of regular one-to-one feedback from line managers and structured support and training that allows employees to achieve their development goals. Regular feedback ensures managers and team members understand the values and motivators that drive employee career goals and enables them to structure career progression so that employees feel comfortable discussing their goals and aspirations. Build for the future The recruitment team ensures the organization hires employees with the skills to meet corporate long-term goals. On an ongoing basis, career development is a crucial part of an organization’s attraction and retention strategy. Many candidates won’t take up employment unless career development opportunities are part of the offer. Organizations that offer routes for employees to build skills and experience that will enhance their careers will be more attractive. As well as on the job learning, HR should think along the line of more of a diverse range of learning interventions that might include coaching and mentoring. The Good Work Standard was launched on Monday 29 July 2019 by Khan and in a poll Employee Benefits, readers found that 30% of employers think it will create a greater focus on workplace well-being, while 7% feel the benchmark will place more emphasis on diversity and inclusion initiatives. It’s admirable that the Mayor’s new standard suggests employers should provide ‘good work’ and focus on the features of jobs that constitute a favorable experience for workers, as these have been linked to positive health and well-being outcomes for employees and also those that boost productivity. It will be interesting to see how many employers sign up to become accredited under the standard.