Business Leadership and Job Quality

Businesses are critical partners in nationwide efforts to implement policies that promote higher job quality for lower wage workers, including paid leave. Thanks in part to business support, the momentum behind movements for earned sick leave, paid family and medical leave insurance, and responsive workplaces is growing.

CLASP engages with progressive business associations and directly with business owners to promote the business case for improved job quality policies. CLASP's work on this issue includes research on the ways in which fair leave and workplace flexibility policies increase the value workers provide to businesses; providing support to local, state, and national campaigns seeking business allies; and toolkits for business owners seeking to implement high road policies.

In Focus

New Tool for Job Quality Advocates: A Primer on Business Certifications

By Liz Ben-Ishai

Today, CLASP and its partner, the American Sustainable Business Council (ASBC), released a new tool for job quality advocates, including advocates for earned sick days and paid family leave. The jointly produced brief provides advocates with a primer on the nuts and bolts of the business certification movement and suggests ways to foster fruitful relationships between the movement and campaigns for improved job quality, such as earned sick days campaigns.

Increasingly, businesses are seeking out certifications as means to assess their impact and verify that their practices are consistent with their values. Such certifications — which assess practices regarding environmental sustainability, living wages, paid sick days, flexible schedules, etc. — help businesses to maintain a high level of commitment to ethical practices and allow them to showcase this commitment to consumers and the public. In addition, a growing number of states have adopted “benefit corporation” legislation, which promotes and legally protects socially responsible businesses, many of which have attained certifications.

For job quality advocates, who are increasingly recognizing the crucial role of business support in successful campaigns, both certifying organizations and certified businesses can be valuable partners. Be sure to read the brief and follow up with ASBC in order to learn more.