Member Article

The Charity Retail Association adds value for members with new WorkNest partnership

Over 80% of UK charity shops set to benefit from free professional Employment Law, HR, and Health & Safety advice.

The membership association for charity shops, The Charity Retail Association (CRA), which represents members from over 9,000 charity shops in the UK, today announced its partnership with WorkNest, the Employment Law, HR and Health & Safety specialist.

As the charity retail sector looks ahead to a post-Covid future, members will now have access to free Employment Law, HR, and Health & Safety Advisory Services.

Amidst a tough economic climate, which saw additional competitive challenges such as supermarket chain ASDA branching out into selling second-hand clothing, the CRA have continued to promote best practice through policy guidance, mentoring and other practical programmes. This new partnership enables members to now access professional legal support for any employee issue, saving valuable time and frustration, and providing valuable reassurance about how to operate confidently within the law.

The agreement means that the leading voice in the charity retail sector can provide access to practical guidance for all its members on difficult and complex employment matters such as returns to work, absenteeism, vaccination and testing, home and hybrid working, risk assessment, policies and procedures, and contractual T&Cs.

The CRA has over 80% of UK charity shops under its umbrella, all of whom will be able to access specialist knowledge and reliable legal advice, 24-7. All advisors are qualified professionals who will provide bespoke advice and support for each member and their specific circumstances.

Susan Meredith, Deputy Chief Executive of the CRA, commented: “Our partnership with WorkNest will provide our membership with useful and essential resources, whether policy, advice or templates, in a timely and accessible manner. The ‘people’ aspect of charity retail is absolutely key and to be able to bring WorkNest’s expertise as a member benefit adds extra value to our offer and further strengthens our sector.”

Louise McGill, Senior Partnerships Manager at WorkNest, said: “We’re extremely proud of the support we currently provide for over 40,000 UK employers and are delighted to welcome the CRA to the fold – we’re confident their members will immediately benefit from our range of preventative and proactive services.”

CRA members can now access free Advisory Service support with the following benefits:

• Online Knowledge Hub resources, including template policies, letters, risk assessments and checklists.
• Webinars on topical matters, tricky issues and need-to-know legal and regulatory updates; and
• Articles, newsletters, and guides to keep you informed and up to date.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Daniel Sheridan .