People 1st launches Good Employer campaign

The Good Employer Campaign, supported by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the British Hospitality Association (BHA) aims to enable companies to become 'good employers', and to be able to recruit and retain the best staff. Employers signing up to the scheme will be able to rate themselves against 11 best practice standards including vision and values, the working environment, management and motivation and building teams. These ratings will then highlight areas employers need to improve on. Employees will also have the chance to rate their employer against the same standards. The company's rating is public and can be viewed by future and prospective staff by visiting www.ukskillspassport.co.uk. Margaret Hodge, minister for Tourism and Culture, said: "Improving the skills of the tourism workfoce is at the heart of our plans for the future of the industry. I want all the employers in the sector to commit to the training and development of staff." Bob Cotton, chief executive of the BHA, said: "Hospitality and tourism are crucial to the UK economy and it is critical that, as a sector, we provide better working conditions and development opportunities to tackle the retention crisis that has plagued us for years." There are already 50 companies that have signed up to the campaign.