Social Sustainability for SMEs

12 March, 14:00 – 15:00 GMT

Sustainability reporting among SMEs remains limited, largely due to the complexity of reporting frameworks and the resource-intensive nature of data collection. However, the significance of sustainability reporting is increasing, with growing expectations from stakeholders such as investors, commercial partners, and governments for companies of all sizes to disclose their impacts. This growing demand presents an opportunity for smaller companies to lead the way, particularly as larger organisations increasingly seek transparency from their suppliers and business partners. This session explored how to communicate the ‘S’ in ESG within annual sustainability reports and provided guidance on addressing the social components of the UN Global Compact’s Communication on Progress.

Speakers:

• Angela Jorns, Head of Impact Innovation, Fairphone
• Anna Bulzomi, Senior Manager – Lead Social Sustainability, PwC

12 February, 14:00 - 15:00 GMT

Occupational health and safety (OHS) is concerned with the safety, health, welfare, and wellbeing of people when they are at work. Fostering OSH is good for people and the organisation. It can help prevent stress and illness whilst creating positive working environments where individuals and organisations can thrive. This session discussed the steps SMEs can take to build a holistic health and wellbeing strategy that supports the needs of their employees and complies with relevant legislation. It explored what baseline policies should be in place, including policies for adequate physical and mental health welfare provisions, in addition to, highlighting company examples of ‘wellness’ benefits and perks.

Speakers:

1. Ruth Wilkinson Head of Policy & Public Affairs, IOSH
2. Craig Foyle CFIOSH MIoD, Director / Chartered Safety & Health Professional, Foyle Safety & Management

9 October 14:00 - 15:00 BST

There is a baseline expectation on all companies to respect human rights, regardless of their size, location, sector, or business model. Human rights form the foundation of social sustainability, so their relevance cannot be overstated. Most SMEs don't have to start from zero when addressing human rights. They will often have attitudes, policies, processes, and practices already in place upon which they can build - even if they aren’t thinking explicitly in terms of ‘human rights’. This session discussed the connection between business and human rights and how SMEs can align with the 10 Principles of the UN Global Compact, the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and other relevant human rights standards to become the supplier of choice for larger buyers, business partners, and consumers.

Speakers:

• Mairead Keigher, Business and Human Rights Advisor, Shift
• Olivia Canham, Sustainability Manager, Monica Vinader

7 November 14:00 - 15:00 GMT

Understanding the provenance of the products used by your business or sold to your customers, and the working and living conditions of all people connected to your business operations is necessary for companies wanting to procure in an ethical and socially conscious way. Considering that most sustainability impacts arise within company supply chains, it is essential to have responsible sourcing and supplier standards in place to ensure that human rights are respected and that decent work is promoted. This session explored the policies and processes that SMEs should implement to ensure a sustainable supply chain.

Speakers:

• Charlotte Kincaid Senior Consultant, SEDEX
• Will Kirk, Head of Operations & Finance, Forster Communications

11 December, 14:00 – 15:00 GMT

A living wage is an income that enables workers and their families to meet their basic needs, and it drives business success through productivity gains generated by the recruitment and retention of talent and enhanced employee satisfaction. In this session, participants learned about the business and social value of paying living wages within their operations and supply chains. They gained understanding of how to become living wage accredited in the UK and heard from an SME living wage employer on the benefits they have experienced from becoming accredited.

Speakers:

• Hannah Feldman, Senior Programme Manager, The Living Wage Foundation

• Anna Hamlin, Human Resources Director, Mercato Metropolitano

22 January, 14:00 – 15:00 GMT

Fostering and implementing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in the workplace is crucial for SMEs to ensure they attract the best people to support their long-term resilience and growth. In practice, this entails cultivating workplace environments that prioritise safety and a genuine sense of belonging for every individual. This session introduced the DEI agenda and explored how SMEs can meet their legal requirements and drive business growth through actions such as inclusive hiring and recruitment practices, workplace adjustments, accessibility policies, and identifying unequal pay gaps.

Speakers:

1. Amber Panting, Head of People, Wolf & Badger
2. Leila McKenzie-Delis, Founder & CEO, DIAL Global

23 April, 14:00 – 15:00 BST

The principles of good governance are just as relevant for SMEs as they are for larger companies, and although they are not subject to the same prescriptive requirements, SMEs can be just as vulnerable to risks. This session explored how SMEs can implement processes for effective business management, risk mitigation, transparency, and accountability. It also touched on how different business functions, ranging from procurement to marketing, can work to support good governance on social sustainability to ensure company-wide alignment and resource efficiency.

Speakers:

• Lucie Binder, Senior Specialist, Governance, and Integrity, Basel Institute on Governance
• Isabelle Smith, Head of Sustainability, Atrato Group