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Increasing good work

Global inequality continues to rise - driven by insecure and low paid work. Investors and companies have an imperative to act.

Putting people over profit

Global inequality has doubled in the last decade. Precarious work is on the rise, millions work for less than they can live on and we’re still 100 years away from closing the gender pay gap. Investor demand for profit has driven this inequality – they have a role to play in providing the solution.

Covid-19 shone a spotlight on these global challenges - society is waking up to the injustice playing out within workforces around the world. Everyone deserves a fair wage for a fair day’s work. Ending poverty pay and addressing insecure work is no longer just a social and moral imperative. It's good for business too.

Role of the financial system

80 per cent of employers believe a Living Wage has enhanced the quality of work of staff, while 25 per cent saw a reduction in staff turnover.

16 per cent of temporary or part-time workers in the EU and UK were at risk of poverty in 2017 – three times more than standard employees.

Investors and companies relying on insecure work are at increased risk of reputational damage, industrial action and new regulations demanding more disclosure.

25-year-olds on zero-hour contracts are 41 per cent less likely to report good physical health, and one-and-a-half times more likely to report mental health issues. Good quality, secure work coincides with increased productivity, reduced absenteeism and sick leave.

Good Work themes

Insecure work

The shape of work is changing. There has been an increase in insecure contracts – including casual, temporary agency or labour hire, like gig workers and zero-hour contracts. These workers lack rights and protection. We engage with investors to help them push companies to improve workforce practices.

Workforce disclosure

You can’t manage what you don’t measure. Key to driving up workplace standards is clear, comparable data on workforces and company policies and practices. The Workforce Disclosure Initiative (WDI) aims to provide investors with the data needed to drive up standards at the companies they invest in.

Living Wage

Everyone deserves a fair wage for a fair day’s work. This means a wage that meets their basic needs – and those of their families. Yet, today, many workers in the UK and globally work for less than a real Living Wage. We bring together a coalition of investors to urge the FTSE350 to commit to paying a real Living Wage.

Diversity & Inclusion

Businesses do not operate in a vacuum - so structural inequalities and systematic biases in society are reproduced within the workplace. If companies do not take active steps to improve diversity and inclusion, these inequalities will only increase.

Our Solutions

Unlocking the power of investors

We benchmark and engage with investors to harness the power of investment for social and environmental progress.

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Reforming the rules

We work with policy makers and regulators to drive the uptake of responsible investment across the UK and globally.

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Building a movement

We educate and empower individuals on how they can use their money to build the future they want.

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Resources

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Good Work Coalition

It is more vital than ever that we invest in workforces - and there's growing evidence that companies that look after their employees will outperform those that don't. Investors will be key to this, and our investor coalition aims to engage companies to push for better working practices.

Workforce Disclosure Initiative

The Workforce Disclosure Initiative (WDI) aims to improve corporate transparency and accountability on workforce issues, provide companies and investors with comprehensive and comparable data and help increase the provision of good jobs worldwide.

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