Good Business Charter.
The Good Business Foundation was set up as a charity to promote good business practices and is supported by the CBI, TUC and the FSB. The FSB (Federation of Small Businesses) helped create a version of the charter for small businesses like us. The Good Business Charter has partnered with specific organisations for particular components of its charter, such as the Living Wage Foundation, Fair Tax Mark, the Ethical Trading Initiative, the Prompt Payment Code and Zero Hours Justice.
As a business, our core aim is to be as Natural, Sustainable and Environmentally friendly in everything we sell, buy or do. While researching how to do this, we became aware that workers in many countries who help us achieve our aims were not getting a fair deal. So when we came across the “Good Business Charter” and its ten commitments, it was such a good fit for us we had to join.
We are now delighted to be fully accredited members committed to conducting business with our customers, team, environment, and society the Good Business Charter way.
The Good Business Charter commits organisations to:
1. Real living wage.
We commit to paying our directly employed and regularly contracted staff the real living wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation.
2. Fairer hours and contracts.
We commit to only use zero or minimal hours contracts when it is mutually beneficial and accepted by both us and the employee.
3. Employee well-being.
We will actively support and encourage employee well-being. We will do this by treating those with legitimate sickness in a fair and respectful manner and promoting access to impartial support and advice for employees with physical and mental health needs.
4. Employee representation.
We commit to having a way where every employee can make suggestions or raise issues with senior management.
5. Diversity and inclusion.
We commit to having robust measures in place to encourage diversity at key stages of recruitment, selection and retention of employees and to prevent harassment or victimisation in the workplace.
6. Environmental responsibility.
We care about the environment and encourage the development of good environmental practices. And as an organisation, we seek to minimise our impact and commit to improving it.
7. Pay fair tax.
We commit to paying our taxes where applicable. To only use tax allowances for the purpose intended and be transparent in our relationship with HMRC.
8. Commitment to customers.
We have a clear commitment to our stakeholders and prioritise addressing and learning from stakeholder feedback, seeking to put negative issues right.
9. Ethical sourcing.
We commit to the ethical sourcing of anything we purchase. We will do this by applying standards set out in the Ethical Trading Initiative Base Code where relevant.
10. Prompt payment to suppliers.
We commit to paying our suppliers promptly, and within at least 30 days.