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News and impact

Our impact: Working with the Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter 

Greater Manchester’s Good Employment Charter is an influential place-based initiative which promotes exemplary employment practices and inclusive economic growth. It sets high standards across seven dimensions: secure work, flexible work, pay, engagement and voice, recruitment, people management, and health and well-being.  

The Good Employment Charter remains one of our key initiatives in tackling inequalities across the city region…the contribution of MMU and the Centre for Decent Work and Productivity in supporting the Good Employment Charter has been invaluable. Your support across both the research and operational aspects of the Charter—including your role on the Board, involvement in technical panels, and contributions to its thematic work—has been greatly appreciated. Andy Burnham, 

Mayor of Greater Manchester 

Colleagues in the Decent Work and Productivity Research Centre have been engaged in a wealth of activities in collaboration with the Charter since before its inception in 2019. During this time, they have:  

  • led a multi-project programme of evaluation research to explore the motivations for participation in the charter and its impact on organisations and employees, providing evidence of how charters can nurture positive workplace cultures that enhance employee health and productivity  
  • designed toolkits and frameworks to share GM’s learnings about how to design a good employment charter that are used by other regions  
  • produced detailed accessible guidance for students, graduates and careers professionals about the foundations of good work in practice 
  • led a project on how the charter should address equality, diversity and inclusion  
  • conducted an ESRC funded project with the charter as a key partner exploring the creation of a good employment learning lab for addressing the skills of people management.  

In addition, academics have served in several additional important roles for the charter including;  as members of their advisory board and technical assessment panel, and on other strategic projects and initiatives that support local and national initiatives to attain good work in place.  

In 2024, we were delighted to win partner of the year at the Charter’s Good Employment Awards. Centre for Decent Work and Productivity – Partner of the Year at the Good Employment Awards 2024