Dunsters Farm are proud to have been announced winners at the Good Employment Charter Awards, in the ‘Best for Flexible Working’ category.
Our team were awarded the accolade last week at the inaugural Good Employment Charter Awards held in Manchester, aiming to celebrate excellent employment practice amongst Greater Manchester businesses. The award, open exclusively to Good Employment Charter members, recognised our substantial efforts to offer flexibility to our staff, on how long, where & when our employees work.
As a small third-generation firm, we treat our staff as part of the family. We believe firmly that our team members work best when they are treated as individuals and are trusted with some autonomy when it comes to the way they work.
Even pre-pandemic we’ve been responsive to the needs of our staff, being open to different working arrangements where possible. Currently almost a third of our staff are part-time, and 17% are working term-time only hours – allowing more time for their family life.
Win-Win
Not only does this benefit our staff team, but it has a positive impact on our service delivery. We know in this day & age; our customers expect to have goods & services available outside of traditional hours and our operating hours needs to reflect the reactive and fast-paced nature of the supply chain.
Responding to our staff needs has meant we have engaged employees working as productively as possible at times to suit them and their circumstances. Which in turn, can only have a positive impact on the business and customers we serve.
Hannah Barlow said of the award win:
“Here at Dunsters Farm, we know that the decades-old approach of a 9-5 job doesn’t suit everyone, nor does it suit our customers. The way we work must fit around a fast-paced life, family, childcare arrangements, and other responsibilities.
“Despite our 60-year heritage, and the traditional nature of what we do – We have a modern approach. We believe we should treat every staff member as an individual, aiming to accommodate each employee’s work style and personal needs, where we can within our business.
“We’re thrilled to have been recognised as Best for Flexible Work at these awards – the Good Employment Charter is highlighting some great work being done by Greater Manchester employers and is inspiring real change in the world of work. We’re so pleased to be involved in the grass roots of such a positive movement in our region.”
This award recognises the investment we’ve made throughout our business to support our staff team, alongside many other recent initiatives including our Able Futures mental wellbeing partnership and our Living Wage accreditation.
Read more about our membership of the Good Employment Charter here, and why we’re encouraging other businesses within the region to join the movement.
