Challenges’ staff work within a flat organisational structure, where all employees have the ability to feed in and influence our fair working practices. Challenges offers a safe working space for all its employees. With a dedicated Safeguarding officer and a separate Health and Safety officers, we offer multiple routes to raise queries, concerns, or areas for development. We encourage a culture of positive challenges, and everyone who works for Challenges is encouraged to embrace that philosophy. Each member of the team has a direct Line Manager who they can speak with regarding their work, their personal life, and the balance between these, however, they are also encouraged to speak to those who they feel most comfortable with if needed. As a relatively small working team, there isn’t an active trade union presence, however, all employees are encouraged to join a trade union and have the right to trade union representation at all formal disciplinary and employment meetings. Effective voice is a critical dimension of Fair Work and requires workers, employers and trade unions or worker representative groups to work in partnership to make sure the right decisions on workplace issues are made and ensure workers are treated fairly and equitably. This approach for co-determining working practices is the key to delivering all of the dimensions of Fair Work effectively.
Challenges is an approved delivery centre of the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), and as such, is committed to providing development opportunities for all our staff. We have a robust on-boarding and performance and development management framework that enables staff to evidence their impact within the organisation. The competency framework clearly outlines the bands within staff sit and how to achieve a promotion through work-based responsibilities. Challenges has an excellent track record of internal mobility, with staff developing their skills and abilities by taking on more responsibility and higher paid positions over time.
Challenges has a strong track record of having women in senior positions within the organisation. Challenges carries out periodic performance reviews with salaries forming part of this process. We have been working over the past year to introduce clearer salary bandings so that staff understand where they sit within a particular band and also what competencies they have to demonstrate in order to increase in salary or band. This process is carried out by both a direct line manager and also another, appropriate, member of the senior staff team. We are also working hard to ensure that we’re an inclusive workspace and responsible for diversity in the workplace. This will primarily focus on the recruitment of new staff and ensure that there is a transparent process in place.
Challenges does not use or intend to start using zero-hours contracts.
Challenges adheres to the principles of the Living Wage movement. We are committed to paying all employees at least the Living Wage. Challenges recognises that there are numerous benefits to paying the living wage including:
• Increased staff retention
• Lower absenteeism
• Increased staff engagement
• Increased loyalty to the organisation
• Improved lifestyles and work-life balance for our employees
• Leading by example as responsible employers
We ensure that all consultants engaged directly by Challenges are paid at least the Living Wage.
Our partnerships and procurements process aims to ensure that we engage with partners and contractors who also pay the Living Wage.
