How companies treat their workers is one of the most significant shifts in the new B Corp standards. Joining us to unpack Fair Work, one of seven core Impact Topics introduced in the latest standards, is Bernard Gouw, Senior Manager of Social Standards at B Lab.
With experience spanning Oxfam, the UN, and now B Lab, Bernard shares how B Lab navigated global feedback, competing priorities, and economic constraints to create a more flexible yet still ambitious approach. He explains why some requirements focus on measurable outcomes, such as closing gender pay gaps, while others emphasize strong internal processes, like stakeholder engagement and workplace culture assessments.
The conversation covers key updates, including the shift from individual to family living wages, the recognition of collective bargaining, and the decision to ban wage history questions during hiring. Bernard also shares the one change he’d prioritize for every B Corp, and why making space for honest worker feedback may be the most powerful lever of all.
Tune in for a thoughtful and practical look at how the new standards aim to support fairer, more inclusive workplaces around the world! You can also check out B Lab's Forces for Good podcast season 3, on exploring the future of quality jobs.
Key Points From This Episode:
Quotations:
“There are a lot of limitations to being in the compliance and certification space. You can't perfectly define everything. You can't draw perfect lines.” — Bernard Gouw [0:06:35]
“You can’t build a sustainable, purpose-driven business on the backs of undervalued workers. Fair work is foundational because it recognizes that a company's greatest asset is its people.” — Bernard Gouw [0:11:44]
“In a recruitment process, companies shouldn't be asking applicants, ‘What wage are you currently on?’ or ‘What is your preferred wage for this job?’ – If someone was underpaid in the past, this increases the chance that they continue to be underpaid, so it perpetuates wage inequality.” — Bernard Gouw [0:19:26]
“Collective bargaining is rooted in a legal system. There’s a legal accountability that living wage work doesn't have.” — Bernard Gouw [0:33:59]
“There are legitimate barriers that companies face to paying a living wage.” — Bernard Gouw [0:41:19]
“It's harder to meet the [living wage] standard in the US than it is in other countries because of the methodology in that particular country.” — Bernard Gouw [0:45:09]
“Purpose-driven companies work when everyone's engaged and locked into the purpose. That requires a workplace where people feel heard, they feel valued, they're engaged.” — Bernard Gouw [0:53:16]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
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