Best practices for measuring decent work include:

  • Consider the objective and subjective measures of job quality. Alongside measuring the number of jobs created, it is important to assess the quality of employment, which can be measured through objective measures (e.g., wages, benefits, and stability) as well as subjective measures (e.g., employee satisfaction and fulfillment). This is especially relevant, for example, in the gig economy in which there is often limited wage growth, stability, and work-life balance. 
  • Select contextually-relevant measures of decent work. As outlined by the International Labor Organization’s (ILO) standards, decent work is complex and involves many different components, including pay, labor rights, job safety, and job satisfaction. These measures differ from industry to industry. Construction or mining companies will take special precautions to ensure physical job safety, whereas that may not be important for a call center. Select the most material components of decent work and let these drive your measurement process.  
  • For whom are you creating decent work? In addition to measuring detailed factors of job quality, also consider the demographics of who is employed. For example, some businesses make a concerted effort to employ disabled workers, or ensuring racial or gender equity within management positions.

Resources about IMM for decent work

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