The Good Business Charter (GBC) is an accreditation scheme that measures an organisation’s behaviour over 10 components:
- real living wage
- fairer hours and contracts
- employee wellbeing
- employee representation
- diversity and inclusion
- environmental responsibility
- paying fair tax
- commitment to customers
- ethical sourcing
- prompt payment
York became the first GBC City in 2021 and we're highlighting some of the organisations that are part of our GBC movement.
Partner PR
Founded in 1988 in York, Partners PR has been a mainstay of York’s professional services sector for almost four decades, providing marketing communication and media relations services to businesses across industries including manufacturing, construction and rail.
Current directors Monica Green and Karen Tinkler made the decision to sign up to the Good Business Charter after hearing about the accreditation scheme at an event in York.
Monica says:
Monica, from Partner PRI realised that we were already meeting all of the necessary components – it was a relatively straightforward step from that realisation to getting our business accredited.
“Whatever sector you’re in, whether you need to attract business clients or customers, it’s so important to show that you can be trusted. The values embodied by the GBC, such as fairness and sustainability, are very important to our client base.
“Our responsibility as a PR agency is to tell the stories of other organisations and so it’s vital that we live up to their standards, and model responsible corporate behaviour. This helps us attract clients who share our values.”
The GBC’s ten components include a commitment to employee wellbeing and to equality, diversity and inclusion.
Monica explained that Partners PR embodies these values by working hard to create a positive and supportive workplace culture:
“We were early adopters of a flexible and hybrid work model, and we try to accommodate people’s different needs, whether that’s for childcare, other responsibilities outside of work or simply their preferred working style.
“We provide our employees with a health care programme which provides support for their physical and mental health, and have an open door policy to encourage our team to talk through any issues they may be facing.”
Monica also explained that her company is proud to champion the benefits of employing a diverse workforce.
“Our team, although small, is culturally diverse and neurodiverse. We’ve made adjustments to support neurodiverse employees to realise their full potential – this could be making sure our presentations are accessible, or following up after meetings to check that they’ve got everything they need.
“Having this diversity when it comes to ways of thinking and seeing the world is great for our business, it means that we can give our clients a rounded view and add different perspectives to make our campaigns more effective.”
Beyond its day-to-day work, Partners PR works with York Cares, a charity which matches employers to volunteering opportunities, to give back to their local communities. Through this, Monica and her team undertaken regular community challenges – this year, they’re planning to spend a day painting and decorating at a local youth centre, to mark Good Business Fortnight (Monday 3 February to Friday 14 February 2025).
If you want to join Partner PR and over 90 other York organisations in becoming part of the Good Business Charter movement, sign-up to the accreditation scheme today.