BE RECOGNISED FOR YOUR
RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS PRACTICES
The Good Business Charter is a simple accreditation which organisations of all sizes in the UK can apply for in recognition of responsible business practices. Accredited organisations include FTSE100 companies, partnerships, local authorities, universities, SMEs, charities and sole traders.
It measures behaviour over 10 components: real living wage, fairer hours and contracts, employee well-being, employee representation, diversity and inclusion, environmental responsibility, paying fair tax, commitment to customers, ethical sourcing, and prompt payment.
An organisation must meet all 10 commitments to receive GBC accreditation. Open to private sector, public sector and charities of all sizes including a streamlined version for organisations with 50 employees or less.
Our 10 components
The Good Business Charter is a simple accreditation which organisations in the UK can apply for, in recognition of responsible business practices. An organisation must meet all 10 commitments to receive GBC accreditation.
What is the Good Business Charter?
The GBC is an independent not-for-profit organisation working with organisations including the TUC, IoD and FSB to give a benchmark for ‘Good Business’ which is accessible to all.
Is GBC accreditation for me?
Hear from our founder and accredited organisations TSB and IoD on how the Good Business Charter provides an effective, holistic framework to showcase your social impact.
Take the first step now and complete your self-certification with us today. If you receive accreditation to the GBC, membership will be FREE for the first year.
How do I report my concerns?
Accreditation with the Good Business Charter is reliant on organisations being honest in the self-certification process. Therefore, if you have concerns that a business is not meeting one of our ten components, then please do let us know. Our reporting tool is easy to use and concerns can be submitted anonymously.
GBC Blog
A Framework for Collaboration
Last week I had the privilege of being part of a round-table on Levelling Up run by the University of York and University of Central Lancashire in partnership with the Institute for Small Business and Entrepreneurship. The scale of the challenge is immense but one thing is crystal clear: nothing will be achieved without genuine […]
Alert to the signs
As we mark World Day Against Trafficking in Persons it is good to reflect on how the Good Business Charter feeds into the narrative on eradicating modern slavery, both in the UK and globally. There are signs to look out for when it comes to identifying someone in slavery, the main ones being that a […]
A Question of Culture
The word ‘culture’ is not one that the Good Business Charter has tended to reference, instead developing a focus on EMBEDDING the 10 components of the GBC. However, embedding a framework like the GBC does not flow from outside. Championing people both within and external to your organsiation flows primarily from the heart – from […]
The nuts and bolts of responsible business behaviour
Natalie Thompson of Schroders Personal Wealth shares some of the nuts and bolts of how they have utilised the Good Business Charter to communicate their commitment to being a responsible business. We are grateful to SPW, and other organisations like theirs, for sharing great ideas that can inspire us all in our journey of championing […]
What our accredited organisations say:
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“It is exciting to see York leading the way in championing the Good Business Charter. We are proud to be able to sign up to this new charter as we know all employers have a key role to play in loosening the grip of poverty on our society. It is deeply concerning that for millions of people across the UK work is not currently providing a reliable route out of poverty. Good work can help to establish the firm foundations families need to achieve a decent quality of life. The ongoing pandemic has shown us what we are capable of achieving when we rally together around a shared purpose. We hope others in York, and around the whole country, sign up to the Good Business Charter which has the potential to both improve the way we do business and improve the lives of many.”
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“The Good Business Charter has a key role to play in making the working world a better place. As organisations join, we hope they will in turn inspire others and help bring about a general, positive movement for change.”
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“The New Economics Foundation is committed to an economy that puts people and the planet first. We aim to practice what we preach so I am proud that we have been accredited by the Good Business Charter. The Charter provides an essential role in promoting responsible and accountable business. At NEF we are determined that the values we campaign for as a charity are reflected in our internal culture and working practices, and the Charter will help to guide us in fulfilling this mission.”
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“The GBC is a really good opportunity to connect lots of different departments across our firm and business in a way that we hadn’t brought together before.”
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“At St. James’s Place, our purpose is to help our clients to have the confidence to create the future they want. We do this through our network of financial advisers who provide expert face to face financial advice. Becoming financially secure is only worthwhile if we have a world worth living in though. That means thinking about the impact we have on society and doing what we can to make sure it is a positive one. We’re working hard to understand, measure and manage the impact we have through our operations, our investments and our supply chain. We are proud that as part of this journey we were the first FTSE100 business to be accredited by the Good Business Charter. We also recognise that with this accreditation comes a responsibility; to uphold the commitments of the charter and to encourage others to do the same.”
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“Since the industrial revolution the role of business was to make a profit, where the ends justified the means. There were exceptions who recognised the positive role of business to the community but these were rare. But business is not beholden to the shareholder, business is beholden to the customer and it is the customer who is demanding change; where business contributes to society and our planet. The Good Business Charter is a signpost to recognise those companies, who are far from perfect, but aspire to contribute to a fair society. We at Brompton believe in that philosophy.”
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“We are delighted to be one of the first businesses to adopt the Good Business Charter. We were the first UK airport to be both London Living Wage accredited and recognised by the Mayor of London’s Good Work Standard. The Charter further demonstrates our commitment to creating a good place to work which is sustainable, inclusive, and community-focussed.”
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“Aviva aims to be the UK’s leading insurer and so we have a responsibility to make sure we can demonstrate our positive contribution to our customers, colleagues, and communities. Trusted, independent ethical accreditations, such as the Good Business Charter, are one of the important ways we can do this.”
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“Eversheds Sutherland is proud to be the first global law firm to be accredited by the Good Business Charter. The Charter’s focus around acting transparently, and to the highest ethical standard, aligns with our purpose, our values and our new global strategy. As a participant in the UN Global Compact, a supporter of Business Ambition for 1.5°C through the Science Based Targets initiative, and a founder member of the Net Zero Lawyers Alliance, we are proud to publicly commit to protecting the environment and helping the communities in which we live and work to prosper for the benefit of current and future generations.”
