The Joseph Centre for Dignified Work

For a City which works for everyone, built on opportunity and fairness.

Our Work

The City of London is a place of work for 676,000 people. Beyond the Square Mile, the businesses which are based here shape the national and even global economy - determining the working conditions, opportunities, and prosperity of millions of people.

We believe that the City has an unprecedented opportunity to shape the global economy for the common good. And closer to home we believe that the cleaners, security guards, hospitality staff, couriers, and construction workers who keep the City functioning deserve the same dignity as those in its boardrooms and trading floors.

Rooted in the conviction that every worker possesses inherent dignity, the Joseph Centre works with those who shape the City to make that conviction count.

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Transparency Report

Our newest publication, A Theology of Financial Transparency by Paul Bickley was published today alongside a roundtable chaired by Robert Hughes-Penny.

Why the Joseph Centre Is Publishing a Theology of Financial Transparency

By Josh Harris, Director of the Joseph Centre for Dignified Work When we started the Joseph Centre, our work began with conversations. Hundreds of them. Cleaners arriving before dawn to empty bins in towers they would never enter as guests. Security guards working twelve-hour shifts in lobbies designed for people passing through, not for people staying. Hospitality staff serving meals to traders whose lunch cost more than their hourly wage. The launch event of the Voices for

17 hours ago

Remembering Those Who Never Came Home: International Workers’ Memorial Day

Today, on International Workers’ Memorial Day, we pause to honour those who have lost their lives at work and to renew our commitment that no worker should pay for their job with their life. The symbol of International Workers’ Memorial Day is a pair of empty work boots The history of workplace safety is a history of campaigners refusing to accept that suffering is simply the cost of labour. In the 1830s and 40s, Lord Shaftesbury campaigned tirelessly to limit the brutal hour

Apr 28

Doing Business Differently: Celebrating Clean for Good and Just Helpers

We have wonderful news to share. Two social enterprises the Joseph Centre holds in high regard — Clean for Good and Just Helpers Cleaning Agency — have both been shortlisted for Living Wage Champion Awards 2026 . We couldn’t be more delighted, and we want to take a moment to celebrate why this matters. Both are cleaning companies. Both operate in one of the UK’s most challenging sectors — low-margin, low-wage, and historically resistant to change. And both were founded by pe

Apr 16