Health and work strategy: review report

Appendix V

Dimensions of Fair Work

Fair Work practices provide a range of benefits to both employers, workers and to society. The Fair Work Convention produced its Fair Work Framework for Scotland on 21 March 2016. It identified five main dimensions that define Fair Work and set out a vision that by 2025, people in Scotland, will have a world-leading working life where Fair Work drives success, wellbeing and prosperity for individuals, business, organisations and society.

Security: Security of employment, work and income are important foundations of a successful life. This can be achieved through, for example:

• Fair pay (for example, the real Living Wage)
• No inappropriate use of Zero Hour contracts or exploitative working patterns
• Collective arrangement for pay and conditions
• Building stability into contractual arrangements
• Flexible working to align with family life and caring commitments
• Employment security arrangements
• Fair opportunity for pay progression

Respect: Fair work is work in which people are respected and treated respectfully, whatever their role and status. This can be achieved through, for example:

• Considering the concerns of others
• Respect of behaviours and attitudes
• Policies and practices are understood and applied that respect health, safety and well-being
• Respect of workers' personal and family lives
• Opportunities for flexible working

Opportunity: Fair opportunity allows people to access and progress in work and employment and is a crucial dimension of fair work. This can be achieved through, for example:

• Robust recruitment and selection procedure
• Paid internships
• Training and development opportunities
• Promotion and progression practices
• Buddying and mentoring

Effective Voice: The ability to speak, individually or collectively, for example, through a recognised trade union, and to be listened to, is closely linked to the development of respectful and reciprocal workplace relationships. This can be achieved through, for example:

• Enabling staff to have a voice at all levels
• Openness, transparency, dialogue and tolerance of different views
• Formal and informal structures
• Union recognition and collective bargaining

Fulfilment: It was widely accepted that fulfilment is a key factor in both individual and organisational wellbeing. This included the opportunity to use one's skills, to be able to influence work and have some control and to have access to training and development. This can be achieved through, for example:

• Effective skills use
• Autonomy, opportunities to problem solve and make a difference
• Invest in training, learning and skills development and career advancement