Time with Living Wage Week, North of Tyne Combined Authority announced their Good Work Pledge last week, an initiative to get businesses on the same page about ways to improve make jobs better for the local workforce. The authority generates nearly £17 billion in economic output per year, contributed by 30,000 businesses providing 415,000 jobs between Newcastle, North Tyneside and Northumberland.

Framework

The Good Work Pledge includes an application in which businesses to demonstrate how they are committed to five pillars:

  1. Valuing and Rewarding the Workforce: concerns compensation in line with the Real Living Wage, job security and protecting workers’ rights.
  2. Promoting Health and Wellbeing: Supporting workers with health issues and disabilities
  3. Effective Communications and Representation: listen to and value the views of employees, providing autonomy and a voice in the running of the business.
  4. Developing a Balanced Workforce: a clear vision, values and policies that promote equality and diversity. Investment in training for all employees including low-skill roles.
  5. Social Responsibility: supporting community involvement and using local suppliers, and a commitment to reducing the business’ carbon footprint.

There are two levels - Standard requires companies to provide responses to two of the five pillars. Advanced required businesses to commit to all five pillars.

Small print

Employers with operations in the North of Tyne area can apply for the Good Work Pledge, even if they are registered to an address and have operations elsewhere. There is no cost to participating and the application is done through a simple Google Form with less than a dozen fields speaking to each of the pillars above.


For more information including a link to the application, go to northoftyne-ca.gov.uk

Header photo from Toa Heftiba, at Camber Coffee located at 33-35 Market Street.