In January, we were sharing some of our achievements relating to the Social aspect of our ESG (Environment, Social and Governance) strategy.
Every single one of our ESG credentials is backed by evidence and facts. Last year, we shared some of our Environment facts and we'd like to summarise this year's Social facts.
Real Living Wage
We have been a London Living Wage employer for almost 8 years now, which means paying at least a Real Living Wage to every single staff member, the only UK wage rate based on the cost of living. It is voluntarily paid by UK businesses who believe their staff deserve a wage which meets everyday needs. Paying London Living Wage means motivated and valued staff, a strong brand and a practical demonstration of our ethical credentials.
Starting our Manchester operations, we are extending the same approach to the staff there, paying them a Real Living Wage.
Led by Women
There are several reasons why companies need to have women in leadership roles or to be run by women. We are proud that 75% of overall workforce and 78% of our senior management are women. Women bring diverse perspectives and approaches to problem-solving and offer different viewpoints, which can only lead to better solutions in our operations. Research has shown that companies with greater gender diversity tend to perform better financially, especially in leadership roles. Women also bring a balanced approach to risk-taking and stronger ethical standards, which can contribute to more sustainable and responsible business practices.
Equal Pay
Equal pay in a cleaning company promotes fairness, boosts employee morale, and ensures legal compliance. In an industry where workers often face low wages and challenging conditions, it is essential that all employees receive equal pay for equal work, regardless of gender.
Our approach results in high job satisfaction and reduced turnover. Workers who feel valued and fairly compensated are more motivated, leading to better performance and higher productivity. Equal pay also strengthens our reputation, as our clients know and value our ethical practices.
Volunteering
Volunteering is an essential part of our ESG strategies. Volunteering has numerous benefits, from team building and employee engagement to supporting and improving communities. Environmental volunteering is a special focus of ours. We don’t only volunteer ourselves but also create some fantastic opportunities and invite our clients, suppliers, staff, and other partners to volunteer with us during our beekeeping experience days at our apiary in Kennington Park, join us in planting trees and restoring hedgerows for our reforestation project in Hive Wood, and clean London’s canals, which was a natural choice for us being a sustainable cleaning company.
Internal Promotions
Internal promotions are vital in Hive Cleaning as they motivate employees and reward hard work and loyalty. Promoting from within means that leaders deeply understand our operations and culture, leading to smoother transitions and better team cohesion. Currently, most of our account and area management team comes from an internal promotion. Also, internal promotions reduce recruitment costs and shorten the learning curve, as promoted employees are already familiar with our procedures.
Sustainable Development Goals
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) are a set of 17 global goals to improve people's lives worldwide, which are an ‘urgent call for action by all countries’. As a part of our B Corp certification and internal monitoring and metrics, we closely follow the alignment of our strategies with SDGs and are proud to contribute to 12 of them through our environmental, social and governance strategies and our overall sustainable and ethical approach to business - whether its reducing poverty with our Real Living Wage accreditation or contributing to Life Below Water with our work with the Plastic Bank.
Comments