Fair Work Practices is a general term used to describe a variety of ways employers can motivate and treat their employees fairly.
Giving employees opportunities such as:
This is not an exhaustive list.
Fair Work is central to achieving the Scottish Government’s priority for sustainable and inclusive economic growth.
Public services are often dependent on the quality and engagement of employees for those suppliers who provide public sector contracts. This is especially true for service contracts where people are critical.
Adopting Fair Work can contribute to the delivery of high-quality public services, offering workers:
For businesses that offer Fair Work, they are more likely to attract engaged, committed and adaptable workers who:
Fair Work can improve productivity, innovation, organisational reputation and recruitment, reduce staff turnover, and lead to diverse workplaces with a richness of talent and a diversity of ideas.
In addition to the above, the Scottish Government believes that employers are likely to deliver a higher quality of service if their staff are:
This is why procurement, and how bids are evaluated and contract managed, is a key way to deliver high quality public services. The Scottish Government expects suppliers who deliver public contracts to adopt policies which show how they operate Fair Work Practices. This will also include showing you have policies in place that comply with relevant employment, equality and health and safety law and human rights standards.
Public sector buyers will ask Fair Work question(s) in their tender documents that you will need to respond to. An example tender question on Fair Work and payment of the real Living Wage can be found in the Fair Work First in Procurement Guidance on the Sustainable Procurement Tools
Fair Work First is the Scottish Government’s policy for driving high quality and fair work across the labour market in Scotland.
Public bodies that include questions on Fair Work First and the real Living Wage in their procurements will be looking to attract businesses who are likely to deliver a higher quality of service and have a positive impact on those workers engaged in the delivery of the contract.
The Fair Work First criteria are:
Examples of what each of the Fair Work First criteria mean in practice can be found in the Fair Work First in Procurement Guidance on the Sustainable Procurement Tools.
Businesses should explain how they can deliver on each of the criteria. Where they cannot deliver on one or more of the criteria, they should explain why.
The real Living Wage is a voluntary wage rate which is calculated annually and announced in October/November. It should not be confused with the national minimum wage.
More information can be found on the Living Wage Foundation’s website.
The Scottish Government considers paying at least the real Living Wage a significant way that an employer can show its commitment to fair work practices and its positive approach to its workforce.
The Scottish Government requires payment of at least the real Living Wage to be paid to workers delivering its contracts where:
Once the Contract Has Been Awarded
During the lifetime of the contract, suppliers may be asked to provide evidence on how they are progressing towards adopting Fair Work practices including the Fair Work First criteria. One example might be evidence of being a real Living Wage Accredited Employer.