Edrington has become the latest business to be approved for the Scottish Business Pledge, a programme that aims to build strong and sustainable companies in Scotland.

The Scottish Business Pledge is a partnership between businesses and the Scottish Government to demonstrate a commitment to promote fairness, equality, opportunity, innovation and internationalism. More than 800 companies across Scotland have signed up so far, including Barclays, Linn Products, Grant Thornton and the North British Distillery.

There are nine pledges in total. Approval is conditional on a company meeting three of the pledges immediately, including paying the real living wage. The business must also demonstrate its plan to meet all nine elements of the pledge.

Making the Scottish Business Pledge means:

1. Adhering to the real living wage
2. Avoiding the use of zero-hour contracts
3. Encouraging positive workforce engagement
4. Providing flexible working and a balanced workforce
5. Investing in young people through apprenticeship and internship programmes
6. Innovation through the creativity and exploitation of new ideas
7. Exploring opportunities through Internationalisation
8. Giving back to the local community
9. Efficient and prompt payment of invoices

Veronika Gunn-Boesch, Global HR Director, said: “The Scottish Business Pledge recognises our ambition to build an inclusive and high-performance culture that supports our people.  This pledge also extends our long-held commitment to building a sustainable business that is guided by our values.”

Lindsay McGarvie, Corporate Affairs Director added: “The member network of the Scottish Business Pledge includes many of our suppliers. It gives us the opportunity to learn from and collaborate with other innovative Scottish businesses, helping Edrington to meet our strategic goals and ensuring that we are working with companies that share our commitment to doing business fairly and sustainably.”

ENDS