Until now, we have paid lip-service to the idea of fairness in modern organisations. We worry about, and legislate for, ‘equity’ and ‘equality of opportunity’ but these ideas are not the same as fairness which is more instinctive and visceral – and which provokes such an immediate and angry response if we feel its sanctity has been violated.
This paper by Will Hutton for the Work foundation annual debate in 2010 argues that the restoration of fairness in our organisations is about much more than atoning for the credit crunch and the ‘greed is good’ generation. It is fundamental to giving business new legitimacy and to engaging our employees to give something of themselves to their work, to their customers and to their employers which they currently seem determined to withhold.