The Fair Work (FW) Impact Topic requires companies to provide good quality jobs and create positive workplace cultures. To do this, companies will set clear expectations of workers, implement fair wage practices, incorporate worker feedback in decision-making, and monitor and improve the culture in their workplaces. All workers deserve to be treated fairly and with dignity. These mechanisms are ways to address those priorities and issues that are unique to each workplace.
This article lists examples of evidence companies can provide to showcase their impact. The examples of evidence provided are meant to guide companies, and are not exhaustive. Companies may have other types of evidence, or one of the listed examples may be comprehensive enough on its own. See the Impact Topic summary for more information.
1. Clear Expectations
Companies set clear expectations for employees, empowering them with information about their responsibilities and what is expected of them. This also includes setting fair and equal cancellation policies for both employers and employees working with variable schedules.
FW1 The company sets clear expectations of employees. |
|---|
FW1.1 The company provides all employees a signed employment contract or offer letter. | Written employment contracts or offer letters that include FW1.1.1a through c. List of employees stating if they have a written contract, offer letter, or letter issued once already in employment. Interviews with employees. A written letter that includes FW1.1.1a through c. List of employees stating if they have a written contract, offer letter, or letter issued once already in employment. Interviews with employees. Records or an acknowledgement from employees confirming they have received a copy of their employment contract or offer letter. Interviews with employees.
|
FW1.2 The company has equal cancellation periods when using variable schedules. | Policy, procedure, or handbook document that includes FW1.2.1a through c. Interviews with workers on variable schedules. Records of communicating the information to relevant employees (such as an email or intranet post), or a handbook or policy document that is accessible to relevant employees.
|
2. Fair Wages
Fair wage practices promote wage transparency, enabling workers to understand their pay and rights, and to hold their employer accountable for fair and equitable wage practices. This helps identify and eliminate disparities, especially between men and women, and helps ensure all employees are paid fairly and can afford a decent standard of living.
FW2 The company implements fair wage practices. |
|---|
FW2.1 The company has a policy of not requesting wage histories from job applicants. | Policy, procedure, or handbook document that confirms the commitment and includes FW2.1.1a through b. Interviews with employees.
|
FW2.2 The company tells workers how it sets their wage and what benefits they are entitled to. | Records of communicating the information to relevant workers (such as an email, payslips, or intranet post), or a handbook or policy document that is accessible to relevant workers. Interviews with workers. Written payslips that include FW2.2.2a through c. Interviews with employees. Payslips written in the company's official working language, or a language the employee understands. Overview of the official working language per group, such as office, site, department, or hub. Interviews with employees.
|
FW2.3 The company has wage scales. | Document or intranet page listing the wage scales. Document or intranet page that is accessible to employees. Interviews with employees.
|
FW2.4 The company calculates its gender wage gap. | Calculation for each gender wage gap. Gender wage gap report shared publicly. Data used in the calculations. Title, header or note specifying the type of calculation. Methodology notes or section in an analysis or calculation document, or gender wage gap report. Data includes FW2.4.3a through c. Methodology notes or section in an analysis or calculation document, or gender wage gap report. Data excludes FW2.4.4a through d. Data used for the calculation or a note or section specifying the methodology
|
FW2.5 The company publicly shares its gender wage gap or gaps. | |
FW2.6 The company maintains a closed gender wage gap, reduces the gap, or justifies why the gap is not sufficiently closed. | Calculation for each gender wage gap. Data used in the calculations. Written justification for reducing the gap by 50%, if applicable. Evidence to support the justification. List of actions taken to reduce the gap, if applicable.
|
FW2.7 The company evaluates equal pay for work of equal value. | Evaluation data and document with results of the gender-neutral job evaluation. Methodology notes or section in the assessment document includes FW2.7.2a through e. The date in the assessment document, confirming it was completed or updated in the last five years. Communication records (such as emails, meeting minutes, slides, or intranet posts). Interviews with workers. A plan document to address any wage gaps identified.
|
FW2.8* The company implements fair wage practices for its lowest-paid employees. | List that specifies the chosen option (a, b, or c) per employee location. Payroll information, such as a spreadsheet or payslips, specifying employee wages. List of living wage estimates used. Living wage data, if purchased. Link to webpage or report with living wage data, if publicly available for free. List of locations without living wage data. Living wage calculations. Wage data, including a breakdown of the wage components. Document confirming a collective bargaining agreement covers the relevant employees, such as the agreement itself, employment contracts, employee handbook, or wages policy. Payroll information, such as payslips, specifying employee wages. A copy of the active collective bargaining agreement that is recognized by national legislation, goes beyond legal minimums, and is as advantageous as legal entitlements. Internal plan to close the identified living wage gap. List that specifies the chosen option per employee location. Option a: Living wage calculations. Wage data, including a breakdown of the wage components. Option b: Highest and lowest wage in the company. Wage ratio calculation. Option c: Employee handbook or benefits policy that employees have access to, or employee contracts. Communication to employees, such as email or intranet posts. Option d: Records of the collective action Option e: A link to the company's webpage or public report that includes FW2.8.c option e i through iii. Option f: Third-party assessment report. Option g: Employee handbook or benefits policy that employees have access to, or employee contracts. Communication to employees, such as email or intranet posts. Option h: Employee handbook or benefits policy that employees have access to, or employee contracts. Communication to employees, such as email or intranet posts.
Interviews with employees.
|
3. Worker Consideration in Decision-Making
Companies actively seek and consider employee feedback, fostering a meaningful dialogue with their workforces. While the intent is not to agree with all feedback, the company should demonstrate a genuine effort to understand and incorporate workers' perspectives in decision-making.
FW3 - The company considers feedback from workers on decisions that affect them. |
|---|
FW3.1 The company has an employee representation mechanism. | Governing document, such as a union agreement, charter, memorandum of understanding, rules of procedure document, or policy document. List of employee representatives and their locations. Interviews with employee representatives. Interviews with employees. Meeting notes or records from representative meetings. Governing document, such as a union agreement, charter, memorandum of understanding, rules of procedure document, or policy document. List of employee representatives and their locations. Governing document, such as a union agreement, charter, memorandum of understanding, rules of procedure document, or policy document. Communication records, such as meeting minutes and emails. A link to the company's public statement explaining why employees do not want a representation mechanism and how this was determined. Data used to come to this conclusion, such as worker feedback or results from a vote. Interviews with employees.
|
FW3.2 The company considers feedback from workers on decisions that affect them. | Communications with workers on relevant decisions and how worker feedback was considered. This can include copies of emails and slides from meetings. Records of workshops, group discussions, or surveys. Interviews with workers. Interviews with employee representatives.
|
4. Workplace Culture
Companies regularly evaluate their workplace cultures and respond to findings to foster continuous improvement. Companies also aim to understand how experiences and perceptions of workplace culture may differ based on gender identity, sex at birth, or other aspects of social identity.
FW4 The company measures workplace culture and takes action to improve it. |
|---|
FW4.1 The company measures workplace culture regularly. | Records of workshops, group discussions, or surveys. Communication records (such as emails, meeting minutes, slides, intranet posts or information in the measurement tool). Interviews with workers. The measurement records showing at least two of the themes (satisfaction, well-being, belonging, feeling engaged, being engaged, psychological safety) were included. Annual communication or assessment records. Measurement data.
|
FW4.2 The company has a plan to continuously improve its workplace culture. | A plan document to improve workplace culture. Evidence to verify that the company’s plan is approved by the executive team or highest governing body. This may include meeting minutes or a signature on the plan. Dates in the plan document. Actions in the plan document to increase participation.
|
FW4.3 The company disaggregates its workplace culture measurements by gender identity or sex at birth. | Workplace culture data disaggregated by gender identity or sex at birth. Communication records (such as emails, meeting minutes, slides, intranet posts or information in the measurement tool). List of actions taken to protect worker identities, if applicable.
|
FW4.4 The company disaggregates its workplace culture measurements by one additional social identity. | Confirmation of the chosen social identity. Workplace culture data disaggregated by social identity. Confirmation of the chosen social identity and how the company reached that decision. (Summary of) stakeholder feedback. Communication records (such as emails, meeting minutes, slides, intranet posts or information in the measurement tool). List of actions taken to protect worker identities, if applicable.
|
Release 1 - 23 October, 2025 - based on B Lab Standard v2.1 - © B Lab 2025