24 Ways to Strengthen Workplace Fairness This Labor Day

How B Lab’s Fair Work, JEDI, Human Rights, and Purpose-Driven Governance standards can guide meaningful change.

Labor Day began as a demand for dignity: it’s a day born from strikes, marches, and organizing for fair treatment at work. In the late 19th century, workers across the United States were fighting for a radical idea at the time: “8 hours for work, 8 hours for rest, 8 hours for what we will.” The holiday became a symbol of balance, respect, and the belief that prosperity should be shared between those who own businesses and those who keep them running.

More than a century later, the challenges are different but the core principles remain. Instead of unsafe factories and 14-hour shifts, today’s conversations are about pay transparency, work-life flexibility, inclusion, and aligning business strategy with social and environmental responsibility. The best way to honor Labor Day isn’t to close your doors for 24 hours; it’s to make every day fairer for the people who make your business possible.

Strengthen Everyday Practices

Fairness at work comes to life in the routines, expectations, and protections people experience every day. Even small policy shifts can ripple out into greater trust, lower turnover, and a healthier workplace culture. Guided by B Lab’s Fair Work Standards, the ideas below focus on the fundamentals—pay, scheduling, flexibility, and growth—that shape how stable, respected, and supported employees feel in their roles.

1. Publish transparent pay bands. When employees know the pay range for their roles and what’s required to move up, it eliminates guesswork and reduces inequities. Publicly posting salary ranges internally (and externally for job listings) holds leadership accountable for fair pay practices. It also builds trust by showing that compensation decisions aren’t arbitrary. The transparency may feel uncomfortable at first, but over time it encourages healthy conversations about performance, growth, and retention. To begin, review current salaries by role, benchmark them against reputable data sources, and work with managers to define clear criteria for progression. Even if you can’t share exact salaries yet, start with ranges to establish the norm.

2. Provide predictable scheduling. Last-minute schedule changes are one of the most common sources of stress for hourly workers. By committing to posting schedules at least two weeks in advance, and sticking to that timeline, employers give employees the ability to arrange childcare, attend school, or plan medical appointments without disruption. Predictability also reduces absenteeism and turnover, both of which carry high operational costs. For teams in industries with fluctuating demand, building a scheduling buffer into staffing plans can make this policy feasible. Start by auditing how often schedules currently change and why. Identify peak fluctuation points and add backup staff or on-call coverage so your posted schedules remain stable.

3. Commit to a living wage. Paying a living wage is one of the most direct ways to improve quality of life for employees. Unlike the legal minimum wage, which is often far below local living costs, a living wage ensures full-time workers can cover housing, food, transportation, and healthcare without relying on overtime or a second job. Many companies use tools like the MIT Living Wage Calculator to determine the right threshold for their area. This investment not only reduces financial stress for workers but also increases loyalty and productivity. The first step is to run the numbers: compare current pay against the local living wage and map out the budget impact of bringing everyone up to that level. If needed, phase in adjustments over 6–12 months with clear communication to employees.

4. Offer paid volunteer time. Giving employees a set number of paid hours each year to participate in civic life or community service is a simple but powerful way to connect company values to action. Whether it’s mentoring youth; helping at a food bank; participating in local government; or taking civic engagement leave for voting, poll work, or local advocacy, volunteer time off (VTO) allows employees to contribute to causes they care about without sacrificing income. It also reflects positively on the company’s reputation and strengthens ties with local communities. Some businesses even organize team volunteer days to blend service with team-building. To launch, set an annual hour allotment (e.g., 8–16 hours), create a simple request form, and highlight upcoming opportunities through internal communications.

5. Build in flexible work options. Flexibility can mean different things in different industries, from remote or hybrid schedules to flexible start and end times to floating holidays that accommodate all cultures or religions. Even small changes, like allowing shift swaps or compressed workweeks, can have a significant impact on morale and productivity. Flexibility is especially valuable for caregivers, people with disabilities, or employees pursuing further education. Clear guidelines and open communication help ensure flexibility works for both the individual and the team. Start with a pilot: choose one or two flexibility options, define success metrics (e.g., attendance, output, employee feedback), and adjust before rolling out more broadly.

6. Fund professional development. Allocating a set annual budget for each employee’s training, conferences, or courses is one of the most effective ways to invest in both individual careers and organizational growth. Encouraging employees to pursue skill-building outside their immediate role boosts engagement while preparing the company for future needs. To get the most from this policy, create a simple process for employees to propose learning opportunities and share takeaways with their peers. Over time, a culture of continuous learning can be a major differentiator in attracting and retaining top talent. If budgets are tight, start small: offer $250–$500 per employee annually, prioritize free or low-cost online courses, and gradually expand as ROI becomes clear.

Strong workplace practices turn fairness from an ideal into a lived reality: the kind that reflects Labor Day’s legacy and leaves a tangible mark on people’s lives year-round.

Build Inclusion and Respect Into Culture

Inclusion is the ongoing work of making opportunity equitable and ensuring every employee’s perspective matters. B Lab’s Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Standards center it as a core condition of true workplace fairness. The following policies help organizations expand access, interrupt bias, and create an environment where growth and participation are truly open to all.

7. Use diverse hiring panels. Bringing multiple perspectives into hiring decisions helps reduce bias and uncover strengths that might otherwise be overlooked. Diverse panels also signal to candidates that the company values a range of experiences and voices. Start by building a roster of trained interviewers from different departments, seniority levels, and backgrounds, and rotate them into interviews. Smaller teams can expand perspectives by inviting trusted external advisors, community partners, or board members to participate. Over time, a consistent mix of voices in hiring can help you attract and retain talent that reflects your customer and community base.

8. Provide annual bias interruption training for managers. Unconscious bias can influence everything from performance reviews to who gets stretch assignments, shaping career paths in subtle ways. Annual bias interruption training gives managers practical tools to recognize patterns, ask better questions, and make fairer decisions. Select a facilitator who understands your industry and workforce, and follow training with role-specific resources such as checklists for interviews or structured feedback templates. Keep sessions interactive so skills are practiced, not just discussed. Over time, managers will integrate bias awareness into everyday decisions, creating more equitable advancement opportunities.

9. Share clear promotion criteria across the company. When the path to advancement is visible and well-defined, employees can focus on developing the skills and behaviors that matter. Transparent promotion criteria also help managers maintain consistency across teams, reducing the risk of favoritism or misinterpretation. Develop a framework that outlines expectations for each role and level, then publish it in your handbook, intranet, or other easily accessed channels. Schedule annual review sessions where managers walk through the criteria with their teams. This repeated visibility reinforces trust in the system and encourages employees to pursue growth with confidence.

10. Support employee resource groups (ERGs) with budget and leadership access. ERGs provide space for employees to connect, share experiences, and influence company policies through lived expertise. Giving these groups an annual budget for programming, training, and events turns intent into impact. Establish regular meetings between ERG leaders and senior decision-makers to keep dialogue open and actionable. Start by surveying employees to understand what ERGs would be most meaningful, then support their formation with clear guidelines and recognition in performance reviews.

11. Offer inclusive benefits. Benefits should reflect the needs of a diverse workforce and support employees across a range of life experiences. Offering domestic partner coverage, gender-affirming care, and policies that account for varied family structures communicates genuine commitment to inclusion. Partner with your benefits provider to review offerings through an equity lens, looking for gaps or outdated exclusions. (You might first conduct an anonymous survey to identify benefit needs employees feel are currently unmet, and use that feedback to guide updates.)

12. Ensure language accessibility for essential materials. Clear communication starts with making sure all employees can read and understand essential materials (workplace policies, benefits, safety information) in their preferred language. Providing translations or plain-language versions of essential documents removes barriers and supports engagement across the workforce. To strengthen this commitment, create an inclusive language guide that reflects respectful terminology across cultures and communities, and update it annually. Start by auditing onboarding materials, benefits guides, and safety protocols to identify where additional language support is needed. Partner with professional translators and cultural reviewers to ensure accuracy, and keep a process in place for updating both translations and language guidelines as policies change.

By making inclusion part of everyday operations, companies create workplaces where access, respect, and opportunity are woven into every policy and interaction. These steps strengthen trust, expand participation, and allow people to contribute their best in an environment built for equity.

Protect Dignity and Safety

Dignity at work is anchored in enforceable rights, safe conditions, and ethical treatment for all employees. B Lab’s Human Rights Standards challenge companies to uphold these protections not only within their own walls but also across their supply chains and partnerships. The policies below create clear safeguards, close loopholes, and signal that protecting people is non-negotiable in both principle and daily practice.

13. Guarantee freedom of association and collective bargaining. Employees should know, without question, that they have the right to form, join, or support a union without retaliation. This assurance belongs in onboarding materials, the employee handbook, and all relevant contracts, stated in plain language that’s easy to understand. Share accessible resources about collective bargaining so employees can make informed choices, and train managers on labor rights to ensure consistent, respectful handling of organizing efforts. Start by reviewing your existing employee materials for clear, accurate statements of these rights, then adopt a formal neutrality policy toward unionization to reinforce trust. Ongoing good-faith negotiations with worker representatives, coupled with regular policy reviews, will keep your approach aligned with evolving labor laws and your organization’s values.

14. Conduct annual third-party health and safety audits. Partner with an accredited, independent firm to assess workplace safety, from ergonomics to emergency preparedness. Share the results openly with staff and outline specific steps for improvement, assigning accountability and timelines for each. Transparent reporting keeps people safer and sends a clear message that leadership is accountable for the work environment. Repeating this process annually helps track progress and spot new risks early. Start by identifying an accredited safety auditor with experience in your industry and requesting a baseline assessment.

15. Adopt a human rights supplier code. Extend your commitment to dignity beyond your own operations by implementing a supplier code of conduct that aligns with international human rights principles. Clearly outline expectations for labor conditions, fair pay, safe workplaces, and the prohibition of forced or child labor, and make compliance a condition of doing business. Begin by mapping your supply chain to identify and prioritize high-risk regions, then conduct human rights due diligence to prevent and mitigate potential violations. Support suppliers (especially smaller partners) by offering training or resources to help them meet these standards, and conduct periodic audits or request proof of compliance to ensure ongoing alignment. A strong, enforced code protects workers throughout your value chain and strengthens your brand’s ethical credibility.

16. Establish trusted reporting and whistleblower protections. Create clear, accessible channels for employees to raise concerns about misconduct, unsafe practices, fraud, or violations of rights without fear of retaliation. Options could include a third-party hotline, a secure digital form, or an ombudsperson role. Guarantee anonymity and legal protection, and communicate these safeguards during onboarding and regular refreshers so employees know their rights. Publish timelines for investigation and resolution, and share outcomes in a way that preserves confidentiality while showing accountability. Consider recognizing employees whose reports lead to positive change, reinforcing the value of speaking up. As a first step, survey employees anonymously to assess trust in current reporting systems and identify barriers that prevent use.

17. Enforce proactive anti-harassment measures. Go beyond minimum legal requirements by scheduling regular anti-harassment training, reviewing policies annually, and making reporting procedures simple and well-known. Investigate complaints promptly, apply consistent consequences, and track trends to identify underlying issues. Engage outside facilitators for sensitive training to improve impact and encourage open dialogue. Begin by reviewing your last year of harassment-related data and feedback to identify training gaps or policy blind spots.

18. Ensure accessibility for all employees. Make digital tools, physical spaces, and workplace processes fully accessible so every employee can participate equally. This includes meeting ADA standards for facilities, offering assistive technologies, providing captions for video calls, and ensuring documents are screen-reader friendly. Accessibility should be embedded in both daily operations and long-term planning, not treated as an afterthought. Begin with an accessibility audit covering facilities, digital systems, and communications, and create a prioritized plan to address gaps.

By embedding these protections into everyday operations, companies can create workplaces where safety and ethical treatment are non-negotiable, reinforcing trust and upholding the principles at the heart of Labor Day.

Govern With Purpose

Purpose-driven governance means making decisions in ways that balance profit with accountability to people and the planet. B Lab’s Purpose & Stakeholder Governance Standards call for structures that keep a company’s commitments transparent, measurable, and responsive to all those it impacts. The following practices help embed that accountability into leadership, operations, and culture.

19. Publish annual impact reports with third-party verification. Regular reporting shows stakeholders exactly how the company is performing against its social and environmental commitments. Third-party verification adds credibility and ensures data accuracy. Include both successes and areas for improvement, and distribute reports widely—to employees, investors, customers, and community partners—so they serve as a real tool for dialogue and progress. Consider adding year-over-year comparisons so stakeholders can track trends and see the impact of long-term initiatives. A simple starting point is to inventory the data you already collect and identify where external verification would add the most value.

20. Form stakeholder advisory councils. Bring together employees, customers, suppliers, and community members to advise on company strategy and decision-making. Councils can meet quarterly to provide feedback, review plans, and surface opportunities or risks leadership might overlook. Rotate membership to ensure diverse perspectives over time, and clearly communicate how council input influences final decisions. Provide council members with relevant company data in advance so their contributions are informed and actionable. Start by identifying two or three key stakeholder groups and inviting representatives to a pilot advisory session.

21. Make responsible marketing commitments. Align marketing practices with truthfulness, inclusivity, and respect for the audiences you serve. This includes avoiding stereotypes, substantiating all claims, and making communications accessible to people with varying needs. Codify these commitments in a written policy, train marketing teams to apply them, and regularly audit campaigns for alignment. When possible, include diverse voices in campaign development to ensure messaging resonates authentically with target audiences. Begin with an audit of recent campaigns to identify areas where inclusivity and accuracy could be improved.

22. Adopt ethical data practices. Protect personal data with robust security measures, limit its use to agreed-upon purposes, and communicate policies in plain language. Regularly review data collection to eliminate unnecessary information gathering, and give individuals clear options to control their own data. Periodic third-party security audits can help maintain compliance and strengthen public trust. Pair these efforts with ongoing staff training so everyone understands their role in safeguarding information. A good first step is to map all the types of data your organization collects and confirm that each has a clear, necessary purpose.

23. Set transparent company-wide goals. Publish strategic goals internally, along with the metrics used to track progress. Provide quarterly updates so employees and stakeholders can see where the company stands and where it’s heading. When targets aren’t met, explain the reasons and outline the steps being taken to course-correct. Encourage feedback from employees at all levels to refine goals and keep them relevant. Start with a short list of the top three goals that matter most to your organization and share them in a company-wide meeting or internal platform.

24. Share success through performance-based bonuses. Tie a portion of employee bonuses to overall company performance—not just individual or team metrics. This reinforces the connection between collective achievement and shared prosperity. Clearly explain how bonuses are calculated, and celebrate milestones together so employees see the tangible rewards of their contributions. Where possible, make bonus structures predictable so employees can see the link between effort, outcomes, and reward over time. As an initial move, review your current bonus criteria and explore how to link a percentage of payouts to company-wide results.

By governing with purpose, companies build systems that keep them accountable to more than just shareholders. These practices strengthen trust, reinforce long-term resilience, and ensure that business success benefits everyone connected to it. Over time, they help create a business culture where transparency and shared responsibility are embedded into the company’s DNA.

A Labor Day Worth Honoring

The first labor activists envisioned a world where work, rest, and personal time each had their place—and where none of these things came at the expense of a person’s health, safety, or humanity.

Each of the 24 practices in this guide moves toward that vision, whether you start small or adopt them broadly. Even modest changes can build trust, strengthen engagement, and share prosperity more equitably. This Labor Day, let’s carry forward the holiday’s legacy not just in words, but in the everyday choices that make work genuinely better for everyone.

Copyright B Lab U.S. & Canada

Header image courtesy of Birmingham Museums Trust

Body image courtesy of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library, via Wikimedia Commons