People and Workplace

An organisation’s workforce is its greatest resource and its greatest responsibility. This responsibility to its workforce should be based on a sound commitment to their ethical and human values. The rewards from this approach are an engaged, aligned and productive workforce that provides the most valuable advocacy of firm’s brand and reputation.

Respecting the important role of work to the individual is an important foundation of this responsibility. Work provides the financial means for people to live and pursue their personal and family goals as well as contributing to careers, security and purpose. But these rewards also require hard work, commitment and sometimes some sacrifice.

The health of a person’s relationship with their workplace affects their performance as well as their wellbeing. Highly functioning people and teams are well led, managed, developed and nurtured using progressive policies, structures, processes and organisational cultures. Firms that understand these growing expectations are increasingly in a position to attract and retain the best people and support them to do their best work.

There are important relationships to note between the different elements that are measured in this report. For example, flexible working makes an important contribution to both gender equality as well as physical and psychological wellbeing. Diversity and inclusion also has a significant impacts on psychological wellbeing.

Employees are key stakeholders in a firm’s sustainability program and they are becoming increasingly interested in how a firm’s purpose and values demonstrate how it treats its people alongside how it supports the community and the planet in the delivery of its business aims.