Twelve local businesses have signed up to the City of Lincoln Council’s new Social Responsibility Charter.
The scheme showcases ‘star employers’ who provide their staff with benefits such as fairer pay, career breaks, and health support.
To be accredited by the council, employers must also give back to the local community via apprenticeship placements, fundraising and donations, employee volunteering, and other socially responsible activities.
“We’ve seen organisations doing all sorts of positive activities, including paying the living wage and granting leave for employees to engage in community activities around the city,” said Ric Metcalfe, Leader of City of Lincoln Council.
“This charter is not only of benefit to the employee, but the employer receives a host of benefits such as a happy workforce leading to increased staff retention and happy customers,” he added.
Since being introduced last month, twelve businesses have signed up to the scheme including Ruddocks design and print agency, Wise Software, St Barnabas Hospice, and Saul Fairholm Chartered Accountants.
“We chose to sign up as it appeared to be a good benchmark to measure ourselves as an employer in Lincolnshire,” said Steve Bond, Volunteer & People Development Manager at St Barnabas Hospice.
“It was obvious that we already ticked many of the boxes as standard practice,” he added.
Moving forward, the charity may expand on its Nurse Associate Apprentice role.
“A shortage of Nurses in Lincolnshire is well documented so being able to train them from within is really exciting,” said Mr Bond.
The number of activities organisations must undertake to be accredited by the scheme is based on how many people they employ.