Fair work action plan: annual report

3.2. Fair Work Framework Benchmarking Tool

Our commitment

To help employers assess their Fair Work practices and build on good practice.

What we have achieved

With £35,000 funding from the Scottish Government and its own dedicated staff resource, Scottish Enterprise led the development of a Fair Work Employer Support Tool to help employers provide Fair Work. The tool is targeted at small and medium-size businesses and enables employers to self-assess their Fair Work practices and access support to strengthen their approaches. It was developed in partnership with the other enterprise and skills agencies and key business partners, and involved a range of businesses from sectors and locations across Scotland. The Fair Work Convention provided valuable support, ensuring the tool aligns with the Fair Work First criteria and dimensions of Fair Work, and is both accessible and responsive to business needs.

The tool was launched online on 29 January 2021 and is being promoted extensively through Scottish Government networks and key partners. Scottish Enterprise is also planning online sessions to promote awareness of the tool and assist employers to use it effectively. The tool complements the Fair Work Convention's Fair Work Employee Self-assessment Tool, which enables employees to assess their own experience of Fair Work.

Our future priorities

We recognise the challenges that smaller employers face, particularly those with limited or no HR function of their own. Therefore, we will continue working with Scottish Enterprise and its partners in 2021/22 to consider how the Tool can be further developed and enhanced to support small to micro businesses. We will also consider how the tool can support those involved in the collaborative economy to adopt fairer work practices.

The tool will be evaluated and feedback gathered from employers to inform future developments.