The Jersey Good Business Charter
WHO WE ARE The Jersey Good Business Charter The Jersey Good Business Charter is an initiative that highlights, celebrates and encourages the contribution of businesses in Jersey to building a better community and a better world. THE CHARTER The Jersey Good Business Charter is an initiative that highlights, celebrates and encourages the contribution of businesses in Jersey to building a better community and a better world. The Charter is a standard of excellent business practice for companies with a presence in the island of Jersey. We operate independent of government and as a not-for-profit entity, drawing expertise on an honorary basis from the business community. The Charter is governed by a Board, who are advised by a Council, and supported by an Executive Director. The Charter Mark is then awarded by our Board to those Associate Member businesses that can demonstrate against a series of standards that they are serious about business ethics and corporate social responsibility, focusing on the impact of business on its people, supply chain, community, future generations and the planet. WHY To celebrate and challenge To celebrate those Jersey businesses who are doing great work and making an impact for the common good To challenge all Jersey businesses to progress their activities towards greater impact, greater measurement and more holistic thinking Also To broaden and deepen the conversation in the Jersey business community about business ethics and the role of business for the common good To create a community of mutual support and encouragement for those who are serious about taking their journey of ethical business to the next level The Charter was built with reference to international standards such as ISO 26000 and the UN SD framework. The Charter is principally tailored to Jersey’s SME sector, which has smaller businesses, serving local customers and clients. The Charter includes priorities such as sustainability, wellbeing and diversity & inclusion – but takes a more holistic view of the ethical imperative to make a net contribution to the common good. LEVELS Standard - be a part of the movement for good business. Bronze - resolved credible intention… Silver - significant measurable outcomes… Gold - exemplary business-wide outcomes… CRITERIA Indication of Standard - be a part of the movement for good business Standard - be a part of the movement for good business Principles and Indicative Criteria for Jersey Good Businesses The Standard level of Charter membership is non-assessed at the point of application. Prospective members make a self-assessment, which may be audited. In the self-assessment applicants may answer: “Yes, we do this”; “Yes, we are aiming to start doing this”; “No, we have no intention of doing this”; Charter membership, at standard level, is awarded on the basis of 12 or more “yes’s” out of 15 possible. Principles SUPPLIERS - Fair Treatment of Suppliers: Demonstrating fairness in dealings with local suppliers and business partners. Principles - Decent terms of business - Decent supplier selection - Decent supplier communications - Decent partnering CUSTOMERS - Quality Products and Services: Providing high-quality products and services while prioritizing consumer/client satisfaction. Principles - Good products - Good service - Effective sales and marketing - Efficient dispute resolution PEOPLE - Employee Well-being: Ensuring fair treatment and rewarding employees adequately. Principles - Fair reward - Fair treatment - Fair inclusion - Transparent communications ENVIRONMENT - Environmental Responsibility: Minimizing the impact on the planet through sustainable practices. Principles - Lower carbon emissions - Reduced energy consumption - Decreased paper usage - Reduced travel footprint COMMUNITY - Corporate Citizenship: Engaging positively with local communities and contributing to their welfare. Principles - Local philanthropic initiatives - Community involvement - Participation in local politics - Contributing to the local economy Indicative Criteria Suppliers 1. Are you mindful of the needs of small business suppliers and do you operate a prompt payment policy? 2. Do you provide local suppliers with testimonials and referencing? 3. Do you help local suppliers to tackle problems in their business? Customers 1. Do you deliver high quality services that meet human needs? OR Are your services well delivered by well trained and happy providers? 2. Do you employ an ethical and honest approach to identifying, communicating, presenting, and persuading prospective customers? 3. Do you have good complaint handling and resolution procedures? People 1. Are you working toward being a living wage employer? 2. Do you avoid recruiting people on zero hours contracts in your workforce? 3. Do you have published discipline / grievance and health and safety policies? Environment 1. Do you monitor and aim to reduce energy use? 2. Do you have plans in place to minimise use of paper and other consumables? 3. Do you have plans for increased recycling in the workplace and of things you produce? Community 1. Does your engagement with third sector bodies go beyond occasional donations? 2. Do you give time and resources to community initiatives and projects? 3. Do you factor in local impact into your economic decision-making? THE BOARD The Board brings together four of the most senior and well-qualified people in the Jersey business sector to ensure the good governance and high standards of the Jersey Good Business Charter. Board members’ responsibilities include; Ultimate responsibility for the Jersey Good Business Charter. Directors of the Company Limited by Guarantee. Decide which charities/causes to distribute surplus funds to. Oversee the Executive Director. Approve budgets and amend the standards. Serve without remuneration. Chair of the Board Heather-Anne Hubbell Chair of the Board A former barrister & solicitor, risk manager and banker, Heather-Anne is an experienced entrepreneur who works with local and global clients. She provides governance training to registered directors and is the founder of a Jersey based FinTech. THE COUNCIL The Council is a group of highly experienced and respected and members of the Jersey business community. The Council’s responsibilities include; Deciding on applications for Charter Mark status. Suggesting amendments. Proposing future Board members. Serving without remuneration. NEWS Jersey Good Business Charter 2024 Update 2024 is going to be a transformative year for the Jersey Good Business Charter. Events We are delighted to be bringing back the Business Is Good conference to St Helier on [6] June 2024. This will be a high-profile event with international speakers that celebrates business as a force for good in our Island society and highlights the achievements of Charter members for Jersey. In addition to our international keynotes there will be opportunities for corporate Charter members to speak, and participate on panels with local political and civic leaders and to have their good business stories celebrated in front of the whole local business community. We will be issuing some discounted tickets to each corporate Charter member for their people for the event – details to follow. Event comms will be launched in April, through the usual channels. Business is Good will be followed by some other smaller events in partnership with other bodies in the business community. Accreditations In March 2024 we are opening up the new Silver level membership accreditation process to new applicants. We already have four corporate candidates for upgrading, and one business who already beta-tested the Silver standard with us at the end of 2023. They will be ready in principle for the award of their accreditation at Business is Good. We will be giving all existing corporate Charter members £[1,000] off the assessment fee if they commence their Silver assessment process during 2024. Silver is about the journey from credible ethical intent to evidenced ethical outcomes across sixty credible criteria. This standard therefore celebrates the evidence-based achievement of good impacts on customers, suppliers, people, community and environment. The present standard level of membership will be revised and rebranded as a new “Bronze” tier. This level is based on the demonstration of resolved ethical intent across the same sixty criteria as the Silver standard. All existing corporate members of the charter will be offered the opportunity to transfer their standard memberships to the Bronze tier on the basis of a validation of their prior commitments. At the same time the Standard level will be opened up as a self-declared entry-level tier for businesses who wish to commit to the Good Business journey. Governance We will be consulting with corporate members in 2024 on a simpler, member-led and member-owned organisation, where you the members will set the strategy, decide on fees (if any) and can do everything except the award of the accredited standard to each other. While this consultation is happening the work of the Charter will be continued by Simon Soar and Simon Nash and Tim Rogers of the Insight Group. Simon Soar has worked in a number of local businesses, charities and trade associations, including most recently with Caring Cooks, Jersey Hospitality and Policy Centre Jersey. Simon will be developing the network of charter members and contributing to the events programme. Simon Nash will be no stranger to most of you. He has been working in the field of business ethics in Jersey for the past seven years and has recently developed the assessment framework that has been adopted for Silver level of membership for the Charter. Tim Rogers works with Insight clients on a number of business ethics and transformation projects, and will be an accredited assessor for the Bronze and Silver assessments. The Board of the Good Business Charter will continue to be chaired by Heather-Anne Hubbell, one of Jersey’s leading experts in corporate governance and the CEO of a tech start-up. We anticipate that 2024 will be the last year in which corporate members pay the current level of annual subscriptions, as the Charter shifts more to a ‘user-pays’ model based on accreditations and events, with a much smaller level of annual subs to cover a lighter-touch central governance and comms. Membership Fees Corporate subscription A new tier of membership for “micro” business (below 10 employees) is launched. Annual membership subscriptions w.e.f. 1/1/24 are Micro: was £450 now £150 Small: was £450 now £300 Medium: was £950 now £450 Large: was £1450 now £750 Assessment fees for accreditation Standard level: Free of charge Bronze level: £1,000 (for three years). This includes a site visit with an Assessor / Council Member but no inspection of documents. Silver level: £3,000 (for three years). This includes a site visit with both an Assessor and a Council Member with inspection of sampled documents. Gold level (2025): £5,000 (for three years). This includes a site visit with an assessor team, inspection of documents, and meetings with customers, suppliers and staff. CONTACT info@jerseygoodbusinesscharter.je director@jerseygoodbusiness charter.je This is a temporary page set-up for The Jersey Good Business Charter March 2024.