Engagement, voice and wellbeing
Good employers prioritise workforce dialogue, engage effectively with trade unions by focusing on collaboration, and proactively support their worker's health and wellbeing, including a healthy work-life balance.
Good employers create a workplace where employees feel fully informed, listened to and involved in decision making and where their health and wellbeing is prioritised.
A key part of this pillar is effective employee engagement, with recognised trade unions supporting collective voice wherever possible.
Creating workplaces that support people’s health and wellbeing is good for people and for business. If people feel well, healthy, and happy they are likely to feel more engaged and productive at work.
What best practice looks like
Getting started: statutory requirements and basic practices
To become accredited, employers must first complete an online foundation assessment which covers the minimum legal requirements and basic practices every employer should have in place.
Employers must meet the foundation criteria to move to the next stage.
A written statement of employment particulars is given on or before the first day of employment including information on pay and conditions.
Engagement and voice
- There is an effective policy or process in place for communication with the workforce. The organisation is aware of and complies with ICE Regulations, which applies to organisations with 50 or more employees
- Any written requests from trade unions to represent the workforce in collective bargaining are considered and responded to within 10 days.
- Any collective consultation arrangements or collective agreements in place with trade unions are regularly communicated to workers, employees and new starters in the organisation.
- An effective policy or procedure is in place to manage grievances. This is clearly communicated to the workforce.
- Clear channels of communication are established to enable regular dialogue between all levels of the organisation. These can include team meetings and staff forums.
- The organisation listens to feedback and regularly assesses whether the workforce have the facilities, tools and equipment required to do their job effectively.
Health, wellbeing and welfare
- The organisation identifies and manages health, safety and welfare at work risks.
- The organisation has a health and safety policy or approach set out. This must be in writing if the organisation has five or more employees.
- There are regular risk assessments of the workplace and workers. This should include risk assessments for stress, lone workers and night workers.
- Systems are in place for workers to raise and resolve health and safety issues. For example, working with employee elected health and safety representatives.
- The organisation holds current and up-to-date employers' liability insurance.
- Worker representatives have been consulted prior to introducing surveillance technologies. Steps are taken to communicate if any monitoring of workers can or is being carried out, what is being monitored and why it is necessary. This can include checking work emails, website history, CCTV, drug tests or bag searches when needed for security, disciplinary or other reasons.
- A clear attendance management policy or guidance is in place and procedures are known to employees.
- The organisation is signed up to a weather- warning system to ensure they are notified ahead of any hot weather and have a plan in place to ensure workplace temperatures are at a comfortable level.
Work-life balance
- All staff members can request flexible working from day one. Requests for flexible working will be considered unless there are genuine business reasons why it is not possible.
- Shared parental leave is supported by the organisation for eligible employees.
- Unpaid time off is provided to employees for reasons of family and dependants.
- Part-time and fixed term workers have the same contractual rights as permanent full-time employees.
- Working time protections are in place, including nighttime working and maximum 48 hour working week.
- Records are kept of night workers’ hours and limits are not exceeded.
- The organisation considers good practice for designing shift schedules. For example, choice of shift patterns and varied workloads.
Next steps: benchmarking your organisation's practices
Once employers have successfully completed the foundation stage, they can complete the full self-assessment which assesses organisations against different criteria across the four pillars.
Microbusinesses can only be awarded at ‘achievement’ level - as it does not contain any ‘excellence’ criteria. Small, medium and large businesses can instead be awarded at 'achievement' or 'excellence' level.
Microbusiness must meet all criteria to accredit. Small, medium, and large businesses must meet a threshold but do not need to meet all criteria.
Microbusinesses
- Regular opportunities are provided to the workforce to provide feedback on important issues and changes in the organisation. For example, regularly administered staff surveys.
- There are flexible working practices and family friendly policies in place which are promoted and available to all of the workforce, unless there is a genuine business reason why it is not possible
Small, medium and large businesses
Engagement and voice
- There is a clear policy or approach to how the organisation engages and communicates with workers and employees on issues and changes. For example, a staff engagement policy
- Facilities for individuals to access and meet with trade unions and host induction meetings are provided.
- There is a clear policy or record of positive engagement with trade unions.
- The organisation works with relevant trade union(s) and has agreed collective consultation and bargaining arrangements if requested by the workforces in the organisation
- Regular opportunities are provided to the workforce to provide feedback on important issues and changes in the organisation.
- Appropriate conflict resolution and mediation methods have been implemented and communicated to your workforce
- Policies and procedures to protect speaking up and whistleblowing have been implemented and communicated to your workforce. This includes workforce and supply chain who report workplace harassment including sexual harassment.
- Written disciplinary and grievance rules and procedures have been implemented and communicated to your workforce.
Health, wellbeing and welfare
- The organisation has a health and wellbeing strategy or action plan in place with measurable objectives.
- A joint health and safety committee or trade union health and safety representatives are established in the organisation.
- Health and safety precautions have been implemented for night-time and shift workers. For example, the organisation is signed up to the Women's Night Safety Charter
- Line managers are trained in attendance management.
- Absence rates and causes are collected and monitored. Any trends are analysed and interventions put in place to address any issues. These interventions are evaluated to assess their impact on absence trends.
Work-life balance
- Flexible working practices and family friendly policies are in place for all workers from day one. These are promoted to the whole workforce.
- There is a reasonable minimum notice period for allocating and changing shifts.
- The workforce is consulted when setting any shift patterns and times, anti-social working hours and pay premiums.
- The organisation has a system in place to support workers who are returning to work after parental leave.
- The organisation provides paid time off work to deal with emergencies involving dependents.
Engagement and voice
- Arrangements have been put in place for worker representation on company boards or equivalent senior decision-making forums or meetings.
- The organisation has appointed and works with trade union representatives on a range of workplace issues. For example, learning representatives, health and safety, equality and other representatives.
- There are staff networks or equivalent forums established to promote the interests and voice of underrepresented groups or issues within your organisation.
- The organisation actively encourages and promotes greater workforce dialogue within the organisation. For example, team volunteer days, offsite days and team building activities.
- The organisation enhances its workplace design and technology to encourage open dialogue amongst the workforce. For example, work from home kits, breakout spaces and team collaboration software.
Health, wellbeing and welfare
- A mental health and wellbeing or stress prevention strategy is in place and followed. This should highlight the promotion of mental wellbeing to the organisation and address investment in the mental wellbeing of the workforce.
- Broader health services are promoted to your workforce. For example, physiotherapy, healthy eating, stop smoking and active commuting support.
- The organisation provides a confidential support service in-house or externally to individuals seeking advice or support on health and wellbeing issues. For example an Employee Assistance.
- The organisation has developed and published its approach to Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) or domestic abuse and modern slavery.
- Greater occupational health or sick leave is available for people managing health-related matters or difficult domestic circumstances. For example menopause, caring needs or domestic abuse leave.
- The organisation has developed and put in place a Menopause Action Plan.
- The organisation has considered climate adaptations and measures for their workplace to remain healthy and safe workplaces during extreme weather, extreme heat and to respond to the impacts of climate change on workers.
Work-life balance
- Measures are in place to identify and address excessive working, for example maximum hours worked, time off in-lieu and management intervention.
- Measures are in place to avoid excessive use of work communications outside of working hours or a culture of 'on call 24 hours', unless a requirement of the role. This could include a right to disconnect clause.
- The organisation offers additional paid premature and neonatal baby leave. This for parents who require additional time off due to their baby being born before 37 weeks or full term and require.
- Additional, above statutory paid leave types are available for workers. For example special leave, study leave, leave for caring responsibilities or school transition amongst others.
- Policies are in place to support employees' reproductive health. For example, this could include a fertility policy, menstruation/menstrual disorder policy or miscarriage policy.
How to improve your practices
Explore guidance and resources
Explore our collection of resources, including employer guidance, toolkits and case studies all created to help you put good employment practices into action and achieve the Good Work Standard criteria in this pillar.
Below are some of the other London and UK-based programmes that help employers demonstrate their commitment to good work practices and employee wellbeing in the engagement, voice and wellbeing pillar.
Explore the other pillars
Skills and progression
Management and leadership, skills and development and in-work progression.
Learn more
Diversity and inclusive recruitment
Equality, diversity and inclusion and inclusive recruitment practice.
Learn moreContact us
If you have questions or would like to find out more about becoming a Good Work Standard employer, contact the Economic Fairness Team.
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