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NEXT STEPS
FMs on both the client and service provider side are well placed to make a difference believes Tyson: “On the client side, just because they work for a different company doesn’t mean they can’t ask the questions on [hidden worker’s’] conditions. Speak to the people direct instead of assuming you have to go through the contract manager because it’s their business. And if you’re a supplier, you’ve got to raise it to customers in the right way and say this is the gap and these are the benefits we’d like to offer, including access to adequate washrooms, end of route facilities or foodservices.”
In the coming months, Tyson will continue the connection with Tavistock and the UCL in keeping the regional health providers involved. He is also having some “behind the scenes” conversations with major FM providers to talk about their challenges. He aims to forge wider coalitions with property companies in establishing new standards and help create a standard, rather than a policy process which might be left to management discretion.
“It’s down to the FM and procurement community to determine how we set these new standards,” he explains. “I want to get our FM partners excited so they’re saying this is the minimum now and then I want to create a toolkit which I’m hoping to launch round May/June, which any company can utilise to help change a worker’s employment contract.”
“No one wants to trouble the supplier if they’ve got labour issues, but if they can explain to us what’s going on, they can buy into it and believe in it. It is important to start somewhere as we move to address the gap we have identified, and to continue to stress our intent around health inequality in the UK. We might need more research on the impact of some of these changes, but it’s quite a logical approach to addressing health inequality.”
