Research Executive - Joshua Hodgkin reflects on The Nursery's B Corp accreditation

I appreciate when companies do things a bit differently and challenge the status quo. As one of the newest Partners here at The Nursery, I was really drawn to the way that we embody this ethos.

One of the things that immediately intrigued me when I came across the advertised role, was the fact that The Nursery were Employee Owned. This means that every decision and action we make as a business must benefit all Partners. Such a commitment was a major part of the decision to apply, and why I am proud to be part of a company so committed to ethics, equality, and fairness. This is further marked by our recent B Corp certification.

B Corp accreditation commits us to a pledge of acting for the good of society in the course of our work (“Business as a Force for Good”).

This means that we must treat our suppliers, clients, and employees with respect, putting their interests first, and leaving the world in a better place than where we found it. These are the kinds of values which I hold close to myself, so working here allows me to live out my values through my work.

It’s important to say that this is not just some airy-fairy stuff which will be forgotten about in a month’s time once the celebrations have died down. We are held legally accountable to this pledge, as all B Corps (including The Nursery) are required to make their commitment to these principles part of their legal framework for existence as a business.

With the legal accountability, along with our accountability to all Partners in the business due to employee ownership, we really do mean what we say when we have made our B Corp pledges.

I had been searching for a good, sustainable, ethical place to work, and The Nursery is just that. It’s there in black and white.

Joshua Hodgkin - Research Executive