Leading the Good Employment Movement in Greater Manchester

The Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter is proud to announce nine new Members of the Charter. These employers have achieved membership status through their commitment to putting good employment into action and being exemplars of employment excellence, even through these challenging times.

The employers to go from ‘Supporters’ to ‘Members’ of the Charter are The Co-operative Bank, Greater Manchester Centre for Voluntary Organisation (GMCVO), KPMG, Macc, Michael Page, Peel L&P, Pozzoni Architecture, Unlimited Potential and William Hare Ltd.

Claire Cowen, Studio Manager at Pozzoni Architecture, said: “Pozzoni has always been committed to delivering positive impacts through its work. Providing a supportive and nurturing environment where our people are empowered to reach their full potential is a key part of this.

“As one of the first Supporters of the Good Employment Charter and the first architects to achieve membership, we’re excited to be championing better working practices across our industry and the Greater Manchester region. Working with the GMCA and other members will help drive continuous improvement and make Manchester a great place to grow.”

The aim of the Good Employment Charter is to improve employment standards across the city region and contribute towards a thriving and productive economy. Among other characteristics of Good Employment, these improvements include measures such as paying the real living wage, implementing flexible working options, and supporting employee health and wellbeing.

Chris Dabbs, Chief Executive at Unlimited Potential said: “As a social enterprise and a co-operative, it is critical how Unlimited Potential treats all the people who work with us. It is about doing the right things, as well as doing things right. We are proud to achieve membership of the GM Good Employment Charter, and hope that it contributes to making Greater Manchester a better and fairer place for all workers.”

Kerry Tanfield, HR Director at William Hare said: "As a family-run business with a proud heritage, we are delighted to be joining another family of great organisations, all of whom prioritise excellent employment standards within their sectors across Greater Manchester. We are committed to the Charter’s 7 Good Employment Characteristics, which align with our own values and purpose, and reinforce our status as a Top 100 Employer, which we received as a result of our award-winning apprenticeship scheme for young people.

Membership of the Charter will enable us to enhance the collaborative work we do, allowing us to work alongside other organisations within the Network, sharing innovative ideas and good practices to support one another in the spirit of continuous growth, with the help of a productive, engaged and healthy workforce."

Carrie Westwell, Director of People and Culture at Peel L&P said: “We’re pleased to be continuing our partnership with the Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter and feel privileged to now be recognised as a Member due to our commitment to employment excellence in line with the Charter’s seven characteristics of good employment.

Our commitment to employee voice was highlighted through our Best Company status and our commitment to the Living Wage. As a Best Company, we take feedback from our teams, listen and deliver change. Our membership will benefit both existing and future employees and is another benchmark to demonstrate that we are a responsible and valued employer across the region.”

Over 100 prominent businesses have already become Supporters, including ITV, Lloyds, Manchester Airport Group and GMCA. In total, the Charter has over 200 engaged employers across Greater Manchester, and its supporters cover over 200,000 employees.

The seven good employment characteristics developed by the Charter are:

• Secure work
• Flexible work
• Real living wage
• Engagement and voice
• Recruitment
• People management
• Health and wellbeing

The new Members of the Charter represent a varied range of employers across Greater Manchester, highlighting the Charter’s engagement across the private, public and third sectors. The Charter’s Membership tier was launched back in January 2020, when the first six Members were announced by the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham. Businesses can also sign up to the Charter’s Supporters’ Network, which asks employers to commit to improve practices and helps them to access appropriate support and resources.