Job hunting: Ethical employers

Ethics in the workplace are increasingly important, with more and more graduates seeking an ethical employer...

What are ethical employers?

An ethical employer is an organisation that is committed to improving the environment and society.

A company that has strong links with third-world sweatshops or the destruction of rainforests is not ethical. But an organisation that manufactures its products using recycled materials could definitely be considered as ethical.

Other examples include small or medium-sized businesses that promote employees walking or cycling to work, or a company that gathers most of its electricity using solar panels. Some international organisations, such as Microsoft, give vast amounts of profit to charity each year, another example of ethical practice.

Who are the ethical companies?

Many ways of measuring a company's ethical value exist, a major one being The Corporate Responsibility Index. This ranks organisations on corporate strategy, integration, management areas, performance and impact.

Some 110 companies put themselves forward for public assessment in 2012. Those that scored over 95% or higher on the index total include:

• BT Group;
• The Co-operative Group;
• EDF Energy;
• Heineken UK;
• Kingfisher;
• KPMG;
• Marks & Spencer;
• J Sainsbury plc;
• United Utilities.

What is Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)?

A key term for ethical employers is CSR, which involves the measures an organisation takes to improve the world we live in. This can be at a local level, such as providing funding for youth schemes, or on an international level, helping build schools in less developed countries.

In recent years CSR has become a hot topic, with fears over climate change meaning companies are under pressure to cut back on energy use and carbon emissions. CSR covers a range of business issues and their impact on the economy, the environment and society, including:

• community partnerships and investment;
• environmental responsibility and protection, including climate change;
• ethical business strategy;
• ethical human resources management;
• sustainable development.

Why choose an ethical career?

Choosing to pursue an ethical career should not mean sacrificing well-paid or exciting job roles to become a volunteer, as ethical companies exist across all sectors.

Recently there has been a growth in the number of social enterprises - businesses created by entrepreneurs with social and/or environmental missions.

Examples include the Eden Project in Cornwall and the Big Issue magazine. Large companies sometimes support social enterprise through their CSR policies.

If you feel strongly about an ethical career then it is important to research a company before applying for a position. Most companies will have codes of ethics and conduct, which will outline their stance and organisational values.

Some of the questions you may want to find answers to include:

• how does the company conduct itself in the purchasing, selling or marketing of products?
• how does the employer's business practice reflect on the environment?
• what community or social schemes does the company run at a local, national or international level? 
• what workplace practices are in place?
• where does it rank in the The Corporate Responsibility Index 2012?