Towards the end of 2020, the Ministry of Justice changed legislation to remove some ex-offenders employment barriers. Yet there is still a massive stigma around employing people with a criminal record; just 17% of ex-offenders manage to get a job within a year of release. If real change is going to happen, it needs to occur in the boardroom, not the courtroom.

More than ten million people volunteered in their community during the Covid lockdown, yet as the pandemic rumbles on, it’s easy to see how volunteering might become the last thing on your to-do list. When times are tough, and your life is increasingly busy, why should you be the one to give up your time, or the time of your employees, to volunteer? Because volunteering is not just about helping others.

Frank discusses how COVID-19 has uncovered the fragility of some supply chains, how buying from local businesses and social enterprises can help mitigate that risk, SAP's own approach to a more ethical supply chain and why he is hopeful that other large companies will follow suit.

If done correctly, it can enhance the commercial value of your company. But, on the other hand, it can be a costly, damaging exercise that can blow up in your face. So how do you do it properly?

It can be hard to move from talking about something to doing it, especially when you work for a large or complex organisation. Depending on your workplace culture and hierarchy, your passion and drive to create more social value might lead to frustration than action. But there are things that you can be doing, however small, that could influence genuine change.

From 1st January 2021, Social Value becomes mandatory in all Central Government procurement. This article will explore why the new model is so important and why private sector organisations should embrace it.

Climate change is a global issue affecting every single one of us, which means it's no surprise that it sits alongside ‘economic inequality’, ‘wellbeing’, ‘equal opportunities’ and ‘supporting communities most impacted by Covid’ as one of five priorities that UK central government departments will be expecting to see their suppliers address in their bids from January 2021.

The financial support provided by the UK Government has saved the economy in the short term, but it’s not sustainable. It’s cost £210 billion so far and doesn’t include NHS costs and the welfare bill to support those who, despite everything, have lost their jobs. The only way to kick-start recovery is if each and every one of us takes responsibility and starts to take action now.

So if you work for a business unaffected by Covid, what can you do to help #buildbackbetter?

The UK Government is doing everything it can to help the economy recover from COVID, one thing remains noticeably missing from the steady stream of Treasury announcements, and that’s any reference to social value.

Design a house that could be sold for less than £180,000 but still makes you a profit. Get innovative and imaginative with construction methods to keep costs down. Make it spacious, light, beautiful, high quality, sustainable and energy efficient. Make it a home people want to live in. Make affordability a selling point.

Extended payment terms were already the norm pre-lockdown, and big brands were some of the biggest culprits. Yet, in a tech-driven economy where invoices are sent electronically and payments can be made instantly at the click of a button, this outdated business practice is not just obsolete, inexcusable, and bad for the economy; it’s bad for the businesses who practice it too.

Is your company racist? How about anti-racist? Are you confident you would know?

As the government’s new ‘Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities’ is established, business leaders can be clear on one thing: It is no longer enough to be ‘Not Racist’ and hide behind a banner of ‘equal opportunities for all’.