FAQs
What is a Fair Work Charter?
A Fair Work Charter is a way by which to recognise and increase further the commitments and support of our employers to the fairest possible employment practices.
A Fair Work Charter for West Yorkshire is likely to include a universal set of standards, open to achievement by all West Yorkshire employers regardless of their size or sector, to deliver against a set of outcomes around ‘opportunity’, ‘security’, ‘wellbeing’, ‘employee voice’, and ‘fulfilment’.
What does ‘Fair Work’ mean?
This consultation is your opportunity to tell us what ‘Fair Work’ means and looks like.
We think ‘Fair’ is a thriving West Yorkshire economy where our employers enable everyone to participate, and all our diverse communities can benefit. And ‘work’ is employment that offers everyone ‘opportunity’, ‘security’, ‘wellbeing’, ‘employee voice’, and ‘fulfilment.
What will a Fair Work Charter deliver?
A Fair Work Charter is a way by which to secure commitments and support from our employers (with public recognition) in terms of driving the fairest possible employment behaviours and practices.
These commitments and support can help tackle issues across the region like in-work poverty, poor mental health, barriers to employment and progression, and productivity challenges.
Don’t Charters like this already exist?
There are a number of employment related charters in existence and in development locally, nationally, and internationally, and it is important that the Fair Work Charter is aligned with and not in competition with these initiatives.
Examples include the Charters in place in other regions, like Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter, and Liverpool City Region’s Fair Employment Charter, North of Tyne Good Work Pledge, and the London Good Work Standard.
Local initiatives include the Calderdale Social Value Charter, and the Leeds Anchors Progression Framework.
Nation-wide initiatives we have referenced as support services in our development of the Charter to date include: the Mindful Employer Charter, Timewise, B Corp, Good Business Charter, and Investors in People, and Age Friendly Employer Standards.
Why does West Yorkshire need one?
West Yorkshire is one of the largest economies and population centres in the North of England. Home to 2.3 million residents, the population of West Yorkshire is projected to grow by 8% to more than 2.5 million by 2043. Our region is a highly diverse population with many ethnicities, backgrounds, and lifestyles represented, bringing great cultural diversity, a diversity which is a regional strength.
Our region has an employed workforce of 1.1 million people and around 95,000 businesses, the majority of which are small to medium sized enterprises that employ less that 250 employees (only 350 are large employers, which is less than 1% of the total employers in the region).
In addition, West Yorkshire is the United Kingdom’s largest regional finance centre and contains more manufacturing jobs than anywhere in the North.
Despite our region’s scale and strengths, too few employees here currently enjoy ‘Fair Work’ in the sense of a thriving economy where everyone can fully participate, and all our diverse communities can benefit from growth. This is why we believe West Yorkshire needs its own Charter to support our needs but ensuring that it is aligned with and not in competition with other initiatives.
How will it make a difference to me?
A Charter with wide support for encouraging ‘Fair Work’ should be designed and implemented to ensure the maximum beneficial impact for all employers and employees across West Yorkshire.
We think ‘Fair’ is a thriving West Yorkshire economy where our employers enable everyone to participate, and all our diverse communities can benefit. And ‘work’ is employment that offers everyone ‘opportunity’, ‘security’, ‘wellbeing’, ‘employee voice’, and ‘fulfilment.
This consultation is your opportunity to give your views on how it can make a difference to you and ensure that it tackles the issues that are important for you.
How will an employer evidence ‘Fair Work’?
Work done to date on the Fair Work Charter has identified a number of possible ways of evidencing and recognising achievement that increase further the commitments and support employers can make to the fairest possible employment practices.
A part of this consultation is to gather the views of employers, stakeholders, and communities across West Yorkshire, to provide their views on what ‘Fair Work’ means and looks like, and what benefits, barriers, and support will make the maximum impact for all. This includes telling us what other ways you think will evidence ‘Fair Work’, and how this can be assessed or accredited.
What type of employer is the Fair Work Charter for?
A part of this consultation is to gather views that will ensure suitability of the Fair Work Charter for all types of employers in the region, including small and medium sized enterprises across all sectors, including third sector organisations.
Our region has an employed workforce of 1.1 million people and around 95,000 businesses. The majority of those employers are medium, small and micro-sized businesses, of less than 250 (medium) to less than 10 (micro) employees. Large employers, who employee more than 250 employees, account for less that 1% of businesses in the region.
We want the Fair Work Charter to recognise and increase further the commitments and support of our employers to the fairest possible employment practices.
What is the Mayor’s responsibility to a Fair Work Charter?
The Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin, has made manifesto pledges that are rooted in the region and have been made with the residents of West Yorkshire in mind, to make our communities the best places to grow up in, and the best to grow old in.
In her manifesto Mayor Brabin committed to implementing a Fair Work Charter and in July 2021 announced her intention to develop it, establishing a Steering Group of regional stakeholders, briefed to oversee the development of the Charter through co-design and research into appropriate measures to enhance fairness in the workplace.
West Yorkshire Combined Authority has committed up to £600,000 over three years to develop and implement the Fair Work Charter.
The Mayor is now calling on all employers, stakeholders, and communities across West Yorkshire, to participate in this public consultation, to provide their views on what ‘Fair Work’ means and looks like, and what benefits, barriers, and support will make the maximum impact for all.
How has a Fair Work Charter been developed?
In July 2021, the Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin, joined with her fellow northern metro mayors (Andy Burnham of Greater Manchester, and Steve Rotherham of Liverpool City Region), to begin development of the Fair Work Charter for the region. At this meeting at the University of Bradford, Mayor Brabin announced the intention to develop it, establishing a Steering Group of regional stakeholders and experts, briefed to oversee the development of the Charter through co-design and research into appropriate measures to enhance fairness in the workplace.
The expert steering group of key stakeholders have a role in consulting with partners and employers to ensure suitability for all types of employers in the region, including small and medium sized enterprises across all sectors, including third sector organisations.
The work of the steering group is chaired by the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership's Diversity Champion, and includes representation by the TUC, Yorkshire Universities, the five West Yorkshire Local Authorities, WY Chambers of Commerce, GMB Union, ACAS, CIPD, Federation of Small Business, CBI, the faith sector; the West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership; and the national Office for Health Improvement and Disparities.
What are you going to do with the information collected through this consultation?
By having your say and sharing your views we will be able to ensure that the priorities and thoughts you have are considered in the development of the Charter.
Feedback to the consultation will be shared with the Steering Group who will use it to prepare a Charter that can be launched and implemented.
When will a Fair Work Charter be launched?
The West Yorkshire economy is on the journey of recovery from the pandemic. We believe the Charter will play a role this recovery as a way to recognise and increase further the commitments and support of our employers to the fairest possible employment practices. A new movement toward ‘Fair Work’ we hope will be launched in the Summer/Autumn of 2022.
Who can take part? Can I tell others to take part?
We welcome views, opinions, and feedback from everyone. Whether you are an employee or an employer, a local resident or a community leader, your views and insight are valuable to us and will help to shape the Charter.
Please share this page with anyone you think will be interested in taking part and encourage them to share with anyone they think will be interested. Help us spread the word.
If you intend to submit a joint response on behalf of a group or organisation, please make sure you also share the link with your colleagues, community, employees or members, so that they can provide an individual response should they wish to do so.
How will you keep me updated on progress?
You can sign up to receive updates using the SUBSCRIBE tool on the consultation page.