The Ethical Champions are the latest step in the PRCA’s work to raise standards and celebrate those who uphold the highest standards, providing a guiding light for the entire PR and communications industry.
The standard of excellence was launched in January 2017 and will run each year. To be an Ethical Champion you must demonstrate the following four key attributes:
- Staff welfare. This includes professional development and CPD programmes, employee mental and physical welfare, maternity/paternity care, and whether or not there is action to reveal and address the gender pay gap.
- Ethical account management. This includes whether an organisation has a moral code with regards to who it will and will not represent, whether staff can excuse themselves from accounts they are uncomfortable with, whether pro bono work can be facilitated, and what pro bono work is actually carried out.
- Recruitment and retention. This includes whether an organisation has a diversity plan, how interns are treated and paid, whether or not there is active support for schemes such as PR Internships For All (PRIFA) or the Taylor Bennett Foundation.
- Ethical business practices. This includes the work done to inform and educate staff on the code(s) of conduct that the organisation follows, how the code(s) feature as part of induction for new-joiners, how transparent the organisation is with its account work and business activities, and how the organisation handles its environmental and social footprint.
Those entering should provide up to 1,000 words responding to all four areas, in order to provide a 360 degree insight into the ethical positioning of the agency. The winners will be announced at a free-to-attend drinks reception in March. The entry fee is £115+VAT per entry.
There are five categories:
- Very small agency
- Small agency
- Medium agency
- Large agency
- Very large agency
Details will be publicised here when the standard of excellence reopens for entries.