Waltham Forest College awarded Good Work Standard accreditation from Mayor of London

The Mayor’s Good Work Standard sets the benchmark for best employment practice. It recognises employers at the leading edge of pay and conditions, workplace wellbeing, diversity and recruitment, and skills and progression.  The initiative has been developed in collaboration with London's employers, trade unions, professional bodies and experts. Organisations able to meet the Good Work Standard criteria can apply for accreditation and recognition as leading employers from the Mayor.

HR Director at Waltham Forest College, Jade Blackburn, explains why achieving Good Work Standard accreditation sets a fantastic precedent and has fulfilled a major business priority.

• Why did the college decide to go for Good Work Standard accreditation?

At the heart of the decision was our overall pride in being recognised as an impactful London anchor institution and a desire to demonstrate our commitment to being a healthy, fair and inclusive place to work after successfully achieving Living Wage Employer accreditation in March 2022.  

We are proud to be the first Further Education employer in London to achieve recognition through the Good Work Standard. 

Waltham Forest College wants to lead by example and demonstrate our own commitment to the standards we expect from all the employers we work with, who might employ one of the 6,000 learners we train and upskill every year. 

• Why does it make business sense for you?

Over three quarters of our workforce are Londoners so it’s hard to find a reason that accreditation wouldn’t make business sense! We believe the Good Work Standard kite-mark will help us attract new talent in today’s applicant-led market, as well as retaining our diverse, talented and committed workforce through responsible leadership. 

As an anchor institution, we are one of the largest employers within our borough, and as such, we aim to be a role model. Ensuring all our staff feel valued and have access to inclusive employment policies and practices that reflect ‘best practice’ is at the heart of our core organisational values. 

Research suggests that happy and healthy employees are far more productive and that absence rates will be significantly reduced so from a commercial point of view it’s an obvious tool to reduce costs and improve performance. 

• What tips would you give to others who are thinking about it?

Start the initial self-assessment process today!

It takes less than an hour and you may find yourself further along in your journey than you anticipated. 

Remember that it’s not a ‘tick box exercise’.

After our initial self-assessment, we spent around six months improving policies, developing new strategies and collecting data to measure the impact of our processes before making our application. 

Don’t be put off if you don’t meet all the criteria.

The Economic Fairness team at the GLA are responsive and helpful giving guidance and support on the evidence that can be provided in your application, as well as giving an expert oversight as to the appropriate accreditation level you should be working towards. 

Consider how much you’ve spent this year on recruiting and onboarding new staff against how much could be saved if absence rates were lower and retention rates higher.

The main barrier to other organisations applying for accreditation might be the perceived cost, as a key requirement is to commit to paying your workforce the London Living Wage – currently £11.95 in London. However, 86% of Living Wage Employers agree that accreditation has improved their reputation and 75% agree it has improved motivation and retention. We considered it a worthwhile return on investment.

Learn How to Achieve the Good Work Standard and Start your accreditation journey