Working for a B Corp: prioritising people and planet

Back in 2018 I was working an internship in Greece collecting and cataloguing marine litter, on sabbatical from my job as a hydraulic modeller. I had an idea of my perfect job – to research sustainability and have a real impact on the environment – but I didn’t know whether that job really existed until I found Resource Futures. Working for a B Corp accredited company driven by our values and commitment to sustainability, I know that what I am doing makes a difference in the real world.

I started at Resource Futures as a paid intern, so the company’s commitment to pay all staff a Living Wage made a real difference to me. I then came on board as a Junior Consultant and I have been well supported by colleagues to develop my knowledge and skills, which has helped me progress to Consultant level. I’m loving working with a great team of people who share many of my own values but who come from a whole range of backgrounds. There’s always something new and interesting to learn.

I’m one of over 75 per cent of our staff who – before Covid-19 compelled us to work from home – travelled sustainably to work by walking, cycling or using public transport, and I feel proud to work for a carbon neutral company.

I also love being part of the Consultative Group, our staff forum where ideas and questions are invited and put to our Executive Team. It’s really valuable to have this safe space where we can raise issues. As a result of an open and honest discussion about staff mental health, we now have access to an employee assistance programme.

Importantly in this group we also organise the staff social calendar. This includes activities at our two annual all-staff days where colleagues from Scotland, Wales, London, Cumbria, Devon and Gloucestershire gather with the rest of the team in Bristol. Though in 2020 we had to adapt to virtual staff days, we still had lots of fun.