Becoming a Fair Work Nation: consultation analysis

Summary

The Scottish Government’s Fair Work vision is that "by 2025, people in Scotland will have a world-leading working life where fair work drives success, wellbeing and prosperity for individuals, businesses, organisations and for society".

The consultation on Scotland Becoming a Fair Work Nation ran from 1 October to 23 December 2021. This infographic summarises the key themes evident across the 95 consultation responses.

Number of responses by sector

• Third Sector: 21
• Representative / Member org.: 20
• Public - Local Authority: 10
• Public - Public Body: 8
• Trade Union: 7
• Private: 4
• Public - Other: 4
• Other: 2
• Individual respondents: 19

Opportunities

Sectoral opportunities

• Improved pay with more workers being paid at least the real Living Wage and more real Living Wage employers
• Attracting, recruiting and retaining high quality, skilled staff, and building a diverse workforce
• Improved physical and mental wellbeing, and improved quality of life from more flexible, hybrid or remote working
• Better support and representation of workers, through trade union recognition and collective bargaining

In the current economic climate

• Part of Covid-19 recovery: a chance to take stock, with flexible working increasing access to the workplace
• Benefitting organisations through greater productivity, resilience and sustainability
• Aligning Fair Work with the Just Transition to Net Zero, creating high quality green jobs

How to maximise opportunities

• Take sector specific approaches and work in partnership with key sectors
  
• Longer-term public sector funding for some sectors
• Investing in training, skills development, apprenticeships

Challenges

Sectoral challenges

• Cost to businesses of raising wages and implementing Fair Work practices
  
• Lack of organisational knowledge about Fair Work, and of capacity, skills and expertise to implement
• Overcoming organisational culture in sectors which are misaligned with Fair Work
• Limited enforcement/monitoring; bureaucracy linked to accreditation
  

In the current economic climate

• Challenging financial climate due to Covid-19 deterring investment in Fair Work
• EU exit leading to supply chain pressures and labour shortages which detract attention from Fair Work
• Low wages and the increasing cost of living
  

How to overcome challenges

• Moving from short- term to longer-term funding of the third sector and sectors funded by the Scottish Government
• Addressing low wages in sectors such as social care, ELC, with predominantly female workforce
  
• Greater recognition, discussion and employee participation with trade unions
• Improved rights and employment law

What can you and your organisation do to help Scotland become a Fair Work Nation?

Increase public awareness of Fair Work

• Improve awareness of employee rights

Make employers aware of Fair Work and its benefits

• Promote positive Fair Work outcomes e.g. increased productivity and resilience

Support other organisations

• Use expertise to deliver training and guidance
• Share examples of best practice

Lead by example

• Encourage others to adopt Fair Work
• Influence sectoral codes of practice and strategies
• Research into Fair Work to inform strategy and policy

Scottish Government actions to deliver Fair Work

• Increase support for organisations through:
  • Funding, investments, grants and loans
  • Centralised source of guidance
  • Free Fair Work training for employers
  • Mentoring schemes for businesses
• Strengthen Fair Work in procurement activity
• Lead by example
• Promote onal approach
• Fair Work
• Engagement, research and data collection
• Invest in other policy areas supporting Fair Work
• Enforcement and monitoring Collaboration
• Learn from other countries
• Encourage flexible working
• Support equality organisations to provide training
• Take an intersecti

Other actions to deliver Fair Work

Employers

• Improved pay and fair conditions
• Tackle the gender pay gap
• Accommodate flexible working
• More effective recruitment
• Invest in training and development
• Gain or maintain accreditation e.g. real Living Wage
• Support employee wellbeing
• Recognise and work with trade unions
• Ensure contractors apply fair work practices

Equality rights organisations

• Raise awareness of Fair Work
• Deliver training and guidance e.g. on mental health, cultural competence, age or race discrimination or supporting disabled employees
• Demonstrate how industries can achieve best practice

Representative bodies

• Lead by example
• Raise awareness of Fair Work
• Influence sectoral codes of practice
• Demonstrate how industries can achieve best practice
• Carry out research and inform policy
• Deliver training and guidance
  

Local authorities and public bodies

• Lead by example
• Pay the real Living Wage
• Strengthen Fair Work in procurement
  

UK Government

• Strengthen existing Equality, Health and Safety and trade union legislation