The Good Business Charter

The GBC is an independent not-for-profit organisation supported by the CBI and TUC and brings considerable expertise from leading figures from the world of commerce.

It was the idea of Julian Richer who is the initial funder and a trustee of the Good Business Foundation also.

The Good Business Charter is an initiative of the Good Business Foundation, a charity registered in England and Wales. The CBI (Confederation of British Industry) and the TUC (Trades Union Congress) both have trustee representation on the board of the Good Business Foundation to ensure that the voices of business and employees are heard.

Simon Fox, previously Chief Executive of Reach plc, the company that owns the Daily Mirror, Express and Star newspapers, is chairing the board of trustees.

Josh Hardie is the Deputy Director General of the CBI, responsible for the organisation’s policy and campaigning work.

Tim Sharp is a Senior Policy Officer at the TUC with responsibility for its work on employment rights. Miatta Fahnbulleh, Chief Executive at the New Economics Foundation, a charity which seeks to transform the economy so it works for people and planet, is also a trustee.

The Chief Executive of the Good Business Foundation is Jenny Herrera, who is both a chartered accountant and experienced charity CEO, having built up two successful national charities from scratch, one supporting victims of anti-social behaviour and the other helping people in poverty.

The GBC is partnering with the Living Wage Foundation, the Ethical Trading Initiative and the Prompt Payment Code amongst others as part of its accreditation process as it prefers to work with respected, established operators in their respective fields.

The Good Business Charter commits businesses to:

 1. Real Living Wage

 The GBC requires all employers to pay directly employed staff and regular contracted staff the real living wage as set out by the Living Wage Foundation and commit to becoming an accredited Living Wage Employer within a mutually agreed time frame.

2. Fairer hours and contracts

The GBC requires a fair approach to zero hours contracts, including fair shift scheduling and cancellation policy, and proper consideration given to contracts with guaranteed hours.

3. Employee well-being

The GBC requires all penalties for legitimate sickness with consequences such as threat of termination to be banned.

4. Employee representation

The GBC requires all employers to engage with worker representatives and to ensure there is a voice that represents employees around the boardroom table.

5. Diversity and inclusion

The GBC requires businesses to evidence how they monitor the diversity of their workforce and their commitment to close the gender, disability and ethnicity pay gaps.

6. Environmental responsibility

The GBC requires businesses to commit to an environmental policy to demonstrate they are committed to reducing their environmental impact and continually improving their environmental performance.

7. Pay fair tax

The GBC requires businesses to commit to paying their taxes, not engage in tax avoidance and commit to be transparent in their relationship with HMRC.

8. Commitment to customers

The GBC requires businesses to publish their commitment to their customers on their website. Businesses will be expected to gather and monitor customer feedback and report the results to their board.

9. Ethical sourcing

The GBC requires businesses to commit to the standards set out in the Ethical Trading Initiative Base Code for sourcing through a process of continuous due diligence.

10. Prompt payment to suppliers

The GBC requires businesses to sign the government’s Prompt Payment Code.