Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter

⭐ 2 weeks to go until the Greater Manchester Good Employment Awards!

We can't wait to share some exciting content with you soon, celebrating our full shortlist 👏

Stay tuned 👀

Last week our news highlighted:

🔵 New Skills Passport Set to Strengthen Hospitality Talent Pipeline

A new Hospitality Skills Passport is being introduced in the Liverpool City Region to help tackle recruitment challenges and build a stronger talent pipeline. The programme provides a nationally recognised, industry‑aligned route into hospitality, equipping jobseekers with core skills and practical experience while giving employers access to job‑ready candidates. The initiative aims to reduce onboarding time and recruitment costs while supporting more consistent entry‑level standards across the sector.

🔵 King’s Lynn firm first to sign new firefighters’ charter

A King’s Lynn‑based employer has become the first to sign a new On‑Call Employers Charter, committing to support staff who serve as on‑call firefighters. The charter enables employees to access time for training and emergency response duties, while recognising the role employers play in supporting local emergency services. The initiative highlights how businesses can contribute to their communities while benefiting from employees with valuable skills, including teamwork, resilience and crisis response.

🔵 Educate North Award win for groundbreaking Airport Skills partnership

The Manchester Airport Skills Hub partnership has won an Educate North Award, recognising its employer‑led approach to skills development and job creation. Delivered in collaboration with Trafford & Stockport College Group and Manchester Airports Group, the initiative aligns training directly with employer demand and has supported nearly 2,000 learners into employment since 2012. The model demonstrates how long‑term collaboration between education providers and employers can create clear pathways into work and support workforce resilience.

Read more:

https://zurl.co/ZUsSN

🗓️ 3 Weeks until the highly anticipated Greater Manchester Good Employment Awards!

We can't wait to celebrate the excellent employers who are leading the way for what good work looks like.

On the night, we will be celebrating lots of employers who are leading the good employment movement for the following categories:

Best for Inclusion, Best for Health and Wellbeing, Best for Good Employment Culture, Leader of the Year, Most Improved Employers, Partner of the Year and Employer of the Year ⭐

Best of luck to all those who have been shortlisted 👏

🎉 Today we proudly welcomed 9 new Members to the Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter!

It is great to recognise these organisations who are leading the good employment movement, setting the example of what good work should be. Becoming a Member is a significant achievement which recognises organisations who can evidence strong practice across all seven characteristics of the Good Employment Charter.

Congratulations to these organisations:

⭐ AutoTrader
⭐ Citizens Advice Bury and Bolton
⭐ Empower Youth Zone
⭐ KeolisAmey Metrolink
⭐ The Kings Trust
⭐ Manchester Building Society
⭐ Stribe
⭐ Syngenta
⭐ Wates Construction West

These organisations employ a total of over 1,600 employees, who are positively impacted by their commitment to good employment. As Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, puts it - Good Employment isn't just the right thing to do, it's good for business.

Learn more about our latest Members: https://zurl.co/tGemh

What makes the biggest difference to wellbeing at work?

This Mental Health Awareness Week, we’re sharing a guest blog that highlights the role managers play - often in small, everyday moments.

In this guest blog, Jillian Simpson, Regional Policy Lead at Chartered Management Institute (CMI), reflects on the manager who shaped her confidence and career at an early stage, and what that experience tells us about good management today.
It’s a timely reminder that good employment isn’t just set out in policy - it’s experienced through relationships, conversations, and how people are supported day to day.

👉 Read the guest blog: https://zurl.co/8Cuf0

Today we were at the Progressive Leadership Festival at The Wellbeing Farm!

It was great to share how the Charter supports leaders to learn, connect and champion a productive and engaging workforce through strong leadership 🤝

Fantastic to see leaders from our network at this event too! Donald Moore from One+All; Kate Hulley from Belmont Packaging; Alex McMahon from Adept Corporate Services and Becci Martin from Boo Coaching 👏 They all shared their own experiences and leadership strategies, giving practical ways to create a thriving workforce that supports their employees.

Get involved with the Good Employment Charter and join our invaluable network of like-minded professionals: https://zurl.co/Alp6H

Last week our news highlighted:

🔵 UK’s top 100 employers for workplace skills learning
🔵 UK sickness absence stabilises, but many workers still work while ill
🔵 Modern slavery reaches record levels in the UK, report warns

Read more:

https://zurl.co/xj2zD

Mental Health Awareness Week 2026 | Take Action

This Mental Health Awareness Week, the theme is Take Action — because awareness on its own isn’t enough.

Real change happens when employers take practical steps to support mental health at work.

At the Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter, we know that good mental health is fundamental to good work. That’s why we're sharing our Greater Manchester Mental Health Toolkit for Employers — a practical, evidence‑based resource to help organisations move from commitment to action.

The toolkit supports employers to:

Build open, supportive workplace cultures
Give managers the confidence to start meaningful conversations
Put the right support in place, early
Take a preventative, long‑term approach to workplace wellbeing

Mental health doesn’t sit apart from job design, flexibility, security, or leadership culture. Taking action at organisational level can reduce stress, support recovery, and help create workplaces where people can thrive.

This week, we’re encouraging employers across Greater Manchester to take one action that counts — whether that’s starting a conversation, reviewing policies, training managers, or using our toolkit to strengthen your approach.

See our Mental Health Toolkit for Employers (2022) here: https://zurl.co/AjvrE

Find more support on our resources page: https://zurl.co/dqNim