Good Employment Charter to recognise positive workplace culture across Greater Manchester

Workers and employers in Stockport and across Greater Manchester are being asked to share their thoughts on plans for the city-region’s Good Employment Charter to recognise organisations that go beyond good employment standards to create a positive workplace culture.

Since launching in 2019, the Charter has worked with employers across Greater Manchester to raise employment standards and support good work. With many of those principles now reflected in employment legislation, the Charter is exploring how workplace culture can be recognised alongside employment practices, under a new Good Employment Culture tier of membership for businesses.

A consultation on plans has now opened after Charter Members from a range of sectors and organisation sizes have helped to identify what good workplace culture looks like in practice and how it could be assessed in a credible and meaningful way.

Bev Craig, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said:

“The Good Employment Charter has helped create better workplaces across Greater Manchester and put dignity and fairness back into work. Today, it has more than 160 members and 2,000 supporters, employing around 250,000 people across the city region.

“Whether it’s through the Bee Network or our Good Growth Fund, by requiring partners who receive public money to commit to good employment, we’ve embedded the Charter’s principles into our procurement and investment decisions.

“Now we have an opportunity to build on that progress and ensure the Charter continues to set the standard for good employment. Workplace culture is central to people’s experience of work, shaping how valued, supported and included they feel.”

Ian MacArthur, Director of the Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter, said:

“Good employment standards remain the foundation of good work, but we know they’re only part of the picture.

“The way people experience work every day is shaped by workplace culture. It affects how valued, supported and included people feel and can have a significant impact on wellbeing, performance and retention.

“As we look at the future of the Charter, we want to hear from employers, employees and stakeholders across Greater Manchester. Their views will help ensure any future approach to recognising workplace culture is practical, meaningful and reflects the realities of modern workplaces.”

Feedback from the consultation will help shape discussions during Good Employment Week 2026, which takes place from 5th to 9th October 2026 and will focus on the theme of workplace culture.

The consultation is open until 16 September 2026 via the GM Consult website.