Introduction
The Edinburgh Fair Work Charter aims to make it easier for employers to find the resources they need to provide good jobs for people in Edinburgh.
By using the charter employers can support the health, development and resilience of their workforce whilst experiencing the business benefits that come alongside this. Evidence shows that providing fair work is good for businesses and can help employers:
- attract and retain talent,
- reduce sickness absence,
- enhance productivity and customer experience
- make it easier to access public sector contracts,
- all of which in turn support profitability as well as employee wellbeing.
The charter is based on the principles of the Scottish Government’s Fair Work First guidance and the Fair Work Convention, and its build around four themes such that:
Providing fair work in Edinburgh means providing work that offers
- Respect and Effective Voice – a workplace that protects the health, safety, and wellbeing of workers, and one in which workers can have constructive dialogue with employers on the issues that matter to them
- Security – a workplace where every employee receives a fair rate of pay, security and transparency over hours and shifts
- Opportunity - a workplace where employers commit to Training & Development Opportunities that help people access work and progress in their careers, and which recognises the value of a diverse workforce
- Fulfilment – a workplace where employers commit to providing roles that allow staff to use their skills and experience, and support flexible working within all reasonable boundaries
Under each of these themes, the charter’s assessment toolkit provides definitions and examples of the practices, policies, procedures, accreditations, and other evidence needed to meet the standard of being a ’fair work employer’ in Edinburgh.
The charter is designed to be flexible and recognises that businesses vary by size and type, and that different employers will be at different stages of their development. To recognise this, the charter is structured around three levels of assessment:
- Developing – an employer can demonstrate some evidence of fair work under a theme and is committed to clear actions for improvement
- Achieving – an employer can demonstrate good evidence of fair work practice under a theme
- Excelling – an employer is a committed fair work champion in a theme and with clear evidence of best practice
By adopting this structure, the charter aims to encourage employers to improve their practice across a range of fair work actions and practices and offer support for employers to develop and implement improvement actions.