A healthy, happy and engaged workforce - Unlimited Potential

Chris Dabbs, Chief Executive of social enterprise Unlimited Potential, talks about why paying people fairly and consistently is key to a healthy, happy and engaged workforce. 

As an enterprise that specialises in social and economic innovation, it is essential for Unlimited Potential to have people who are healthy, happy and engaged.

One key element of this is to pay people fairly and consistently. This is why Unlimited Potential is an accredited Living Wage employer. Not only does this help us to attract high-quality people, but it also keeps our costs down by raising productivity and reducing both sickness absence and staff turnover.

Unlimited Potential also wants to demonstrate to people and the wider communities with whom we work the value that it places in our people and activities. We want to provide opportunities for people to flourish and use all of their talents. This not only reflects our values, but also bolsters our effectiveness.

That is why Unlimited Potential decided to become a member of the Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter. This helps us not only to reflect on us as an employer, but also our commitment to making Greater Manchester a good place to live and work. We can also use our membership status when pitching for new work.

It was relatively easy to become a member of the Good Employment Charter. We assessed ourselves against the seven key characteristics of good employment, drawing on input from colleagues. We then confirmed how we meet the key elements of the characteristics. Following review, the panel made its recommendation and we were formally awarded membership status on 28 September, 2020.

Unlimited Potential encourages other employers in Greater Manchester to become members of the Good Employment Charter. Not only does it benefit your business but, with more of us together, we can make Greater Manchester a place known for high-quality employment.