Mayor celebrates Good Work Standard reaching 200,000 Londoners

More than 60 employers now accredited to most comprehensive scheme of its kind

Sadiq urges employers to help make London the best city in the world in which to work

More than 200,000 Londoners are now employed by organisations accredited to the Mayor’s Good Work Standard, Sadiq Khan announced today.

Launched in July 2019, the Good Work Standard is a benchmark for high employment standards with fair pay at its heart – its criteria covering pay and conditions, wellbeing, skills and progression, diversity and recruitment.

More than 60 employers of a range of sizes and sectors – which collectively employ more than 200,000 staff – have been accredited to the scheme so far.

The Standard has been developed in collaboration with businesses, trade unions and professional bodies. It sets the benchmark the Mayor wants every London employer to achieve, which – unlike some other, similar schemes – insists that all accredited business are also accredited Living Wage employers. The London Living Wage currently stands at £10.75 an hour.

Among the accredited employers are West Ham United FC, Salesforce, Lloyds Banking Group, Lush, ITV, the ‘big four’ professional services firms – KPMG, PwC, EY and Deloitte – trade unions and worker rights organisations including the TUC and Unison, as well as many small and medium-sized businesses.

Also accredited are the Greater London Authority and its wider group of organisations: Transport for London, the Metropolitan Police Service, the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime, London Fire Brigade, the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation, and the London Legacy Development Corporation.

In addition, several London boroughs are accredited, and Guys and St Thomas’ recently became the first NHS Trust to achieve the Good Work Standard.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I’m committed to making London the best city in the world in which to work.

“I’m delighted to announce we now have more than 60 employers signed up to the Good Work Standard – meaning more than 200,000 employees benefit from good pay and the highest working conditions in a range of industries across the capital.

“But I’m not content to stop here: I’m urging all London’s businesses to sign up to my Good Work Standard, commit to paying all at least the London Living Wage and demonstrate how much they value their most important resource – their staff.”

While setting a high bar for employers, the Good Work Standard also brings together best practice and support from across London to help business leaders improve their organisations. It has the support of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), which has developed a toolkit for employers interesting in taking part.

Achieving the Good Work Standard brings a range of benefits. In addition to public recognition by the Mayor of London, the high standards help organisations attract and retain talent, reduce absenteeism and achieve higher levels of employee engagement, motivation and productivity.

Chief executive of the CIPD, Peter Cheese, said: “We were delighted to use our expertise to help develop the Good Work Standard, and are so pleased to see it’s now starting to play a really meaningful role in improving the quality of work for so many Londoners. The standard provides a really robust framework for key practices in HR, people management, and development that underpin ‘good work’.

“It sets out how employers can engage their people, help develop their skills, support their wellbeing and build inclusive workplaces that are good for everyone, and also boost business performance and productivity.”

Regional Secretary for TUC London, East and South East, Sam Gurney, said: “It is very welcome news that the Good Work Standard has already been signed by businesses and organisations covering more than 200,000 employees in London.

“Working with employers who recognise that having strong workforce engagement and ensuring good conditions for their staff – including paying the London Living Wage as a minimum – is both the right thing to do and good for their business is part of the process of raising employment conditions across our city. We will be working with City Hall to ensure the standard continues to go from strength to strength.”

Director of Finance, People and Governance of London Sport, Susan Hutton, said: “I am very proud that London Sport has been accredited to the Mayor of London’s Good Work Standard, which is a real testimony to the hard work of the team. Our fantastic staff are our biggest asset and we know that creating the best possible environment for them is a significant factor in recruitment and retention of happy, healthy employees.

“The Good Work Standard, alongside our London Healthy Workplace Award and Living Wage accreditation, demonstrates that we’re making excellent progress in our strategic aim of making London Sport a great place to work.”

Head of HR (Director of Change) at the National Gallery, RoseMarie Loft, said: “As an employer, we are committed to providing a safe workplace where everyone is fairly treated and rewarded.

“Achieving this award is testament to all of the hard work that has gone on over the past five years to remodel and rebuild our entire employment framework, ensuring that it is simple and gives the best benefit to the most number of people.”

Chief Executive of ITV, Carolyn McCall, said: “I'm delighted that ITV is the first broadcaster and media company to be accredited with the Good Work Standard in recognition of our continued commitment and focus on ensuring ITV is an inclusive organisation, where everyone can reach their potential and thrive.”

Ambassador for London for Lloyds Banking Group, Ed Thurman, said: “At Lloyds Banking Group, we were delighted to be one of the first companies to sign up to the Mayor of London’s Good Work Standard last year. We are committed to helping make London a great place to live, work and learn as part of our wider commitment to helping Britain prosper and the Good Work Standard helps us to achieve that.

“It’s really encouraging to hear that more than 60 employers across the capital have now joined us in signing up to the Good Work Standard, covering some 200,000 employees.”

ENDS