Employers, Regulations, Black Friday, Charities, Wine

1. The employer playbook??

What truly makes a great employer? The answer might be more complex than we think. The British Opportunity Index, a study by the Burning Glass Institute and The Economist, offers a fresh perspective on the UK employment landscape. This comprehensive analysis of 151 major British employers, representing 9.4% of the country's workforce, reveals striking disparities in how companies approach career development, compensation, and retention.?

Unlike traditional rankings that focus solely on salaries or benefits, this index evaluates employers across four key categories: access to jobs (how open a company is to hiring people without university degrees), chance and quality of promotion, staff retention, and average salary and pay rise.?

The index also allows you to compare sectors, or specific companies. Top-performing companies promote 17% of their staff over a three-year period, compared to just 8% in the lowest-performing firms. In roles like data science, salaries can range from ￡38,000 to ￡73,000 between lower-ranked and top-tier firms. Perhaps most interesting is the seemingly lack of correlation between these factors. High pay and chance of promotion doesn't necessarily translate to better retention, challenging potential preconceptions about what makes a "good" employer.??

Deloitte's 2022 Gen Z and Millennial Survey found that 45% of respondents have rejected jobs that don't align with their values, highlighting the growing importance of purpose and meaningful work to younger generations. As the job market continues to evolve, indices like this could play a crucial role in shaping how we define and measure workplace success, and in addressing inequality and social mobility. The future of work is likely to prioritize employers who make their staff feel truly valued, combining multiple factors such as meaningful salaries, growth opportunities, and a sense of purpose.?

2. Regulation rundown??

Just when you think you’ve got a handle on all the new sustainability reporting regulations and their endless acronyms, the EU is shaking things up again. Earlier this month, the European Commission hinted at plans to merge the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CS3D), the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), and the Taxonomy, paving the way for potential revisions to all three.??

This move comes after significant pushback from businesses, many of which argue that the combined burden of these regulations is simply too much to bear. This was a common theme in our recent sustainability leaders panel, where 60% of respondents said they are spending more time on compliance with new or proposed sustainability regulations than ever before.?

Despite the administrative load, these regulations are proving effective. In fact, 42% of our sustainability leaders said that the increased reporting and disclosure requirements are driving more ambitious and integrated sustainability strategies. Meanwhile, 52% believe that these regulations are helping their businesses better identify sustainability-related risks and opportunities.?

But what does this announcement mean for your annual reports and the work that is already underway? The Commission President made clear that while the content of the law is sound and will not be changed, the sheer volume of datapoints that businesses are asked to collect—often redundant and overlapping—is overwhelming. The goal is to reduce the bureaucratic burden without altering the core content of the law.?

However, with both the European Parliament and the Council having the chance to propose amendments to the legislation, we may see ambition levels reduced. Just last week, the implementation of the EUDR was postponed, and the door opened further amendments that could potentially water down the legislation. It’s likely that there will be considerable pressure within both the Parliament and the Council to weaken the reporting standards if they are indeed merged.?

If this change delivers on its promise of a more streamlined approach to meeting reporting requirements, without altering the substance of the legislation, we see it as a step in the right direction. But it would be a shame to see it trigger further efforts to reduce the scope and ambition of regulation which is driving businesses to think deeply about sustainability. Nevertheless, as regulations evolve, we are here to help you navigate this shifting landscape, ensuring you're not just complying with the law, but also unlocking the added value it can bring to your business.?

3. Buy now!?

Today is Black Friday, although you probably don’t need telling that given the scale of advertising and offers available from a retail sector that has become gripped by it.?

Although there has been something of a backlash against rampant consumerism in recent years, this year the Netflix documentary, Buy Now! The Shopping Conspiracy, released last week, has stepped this up. The filmmakers spoke to former employees of Amazon, Unilever and Adidas to lift the lid on the dark arts of marketing used to make you buy more – and the vast scale of waste that results from it, and the environmental impact that is having.?

If this is something you spend a lot of time thinking about then you may not learn anything new from the film (and there’s something odd in the AI depictions and narration by a digital personal assistant). But the documentary does a good job of highlighting the manipulation and impact of a retail market that’s become increasingly available and aggressive, and it’s quickly become one of Netflix’s most watched films. And it certainly will make you pause and think before you hit “buy” on that discounted jumper or phone upgrade.?

So what’s the answer? We need to learn to buy better and buy for longer. Companies need to start to think about ways to extend product life, charging for repairs and refurbishment. We are already seeing a lot of great examples of this (hats off to IKEA and eBay for championing the circular economy) but there’s a lot more to be done.??

4. Core costs, big gains?

Recent reports have linked Captain Tom Moore and Naomi Campbell in an unexpected and unfortunate way. The Charity Commission found that the Ingram-Moores exploited their father’s charity for personal financial gain, while Naomi Campbell has been banned from being a charity trustee due to misuse of charity funds.??

These are isolated instances, and examples of obvious mismanagement. In light of these events, charity management more broadly has come under scrutiny. Various opinion pieces, including one in The Times, have criticised the sector's growth as a profession, noting the influx of executives from the private sector into charity leadership roles.?

We believe a more balanced view is needed. First, fairly compensated and motivated employees are much more likely to deliver better outcomes for the communities they serve. Second, charities are under immense pressure, facing the same National Insurance hikes as other employers, which will cost the sector ￡1.4 billion. Despite this, funding for core costs (management salaries, premises costs, IT) is hard to find with donors understandably wanting their money to go on supporting direct impact. It’s understandable, but these core costs aren’t frivolous – they are what is needed to ensure that the charity can deliver impact.??

Perhaps this is a moment for businesses to reflect on how they can best direct their charitable donations. By supporting core costs and salaries, they can free up charities to seek direct funding for projects from other donors, including the public. Businesses can break the cycle by thinking strategically about where their money is used, recognising that core costs are not frivolous add-ons but essential components of effective charity operations.?

While the misuse of funds by a few individuals is deeply troubling, it should not overshadow the broader need for sustainable charity management. By supporting core costs and fair salaries, businesses and the public can help build a more resilient and effective charitable sector.?

5. Wine not

If ever you need or want a bottle of sustainably produced, vegan wine, produced by a woman, then look no further. The Real Wine Company is a small business committed to connecting a hand-picked selection of independent wine producers to similarly value-driven consumers.?

Their wine selection comes from sustainable and organic producers, meaning they practice good vineyard husbandry, boast eco-certifications, or are members of organic associations. And they also celebrate and promote women in wine, who currently produce 17% of global wine supplies, despite making up 57% of the buying power. We particularly like the ‘Celebrating Female Producers’ case, which offers 12 bottles of white, red, rose and sparkling wine all made by female winemakers from around the world.??

You can filter by production, country, style, tasting notes, alcohol content and grape variety, and through their blog, you might even find a recommendation for a meal to match your bottle. You can also customize and buy a case as a one off or subscribe for a more regular delivery and you’ll be drinking a glass of good wine before you can say ‘sustainable wine’. And as you check out, use the code GOODBUSINESS to benefit from a 10% discount on your first order.??