Just Submission Process FAQs

How long will the Just process take?

After organizations complete their registration and pay their label fee, they have one calendar year to submit their documentation for the Just team to review. The process of creating and/or changing the company’s policies to align with the Just requirements detailed in the Just Handbook can be lengthy, and takes most organizations around 6-8 months to complete.

Once the organization submits all of their documentation, the Just team will review it and might ask for additional information and/or suggest changes. If the Just team requests additional information and/or suggests changes, the organization can expect some back-and-forth with the Just team until indicator levels are finalized and the label is drafted, approved, and published on the Just 2.0 Database. Once a final label is issued, it will be valid for 2 years.

Find a brief overview of the Just review process below:

Who in our organization should be involved in the application process?

While we only require 1 staff member, organizations have a more impactful experience with Just when they collaborate with various stakeholders and decision makers to be thoughtful and intentional going through the Just process. Past Just contacts have been HR representatives, DEI Advocates, Principals, Marketing Directors, etc.

We recommend those who are submitting for Just should have the capacity or ability to work with those in the organization to do the following:

Be able to, or communicate with those who can, create, implement, or change policies related to the Just 2.0 indicators listed in the Just handbook.
Be able to, or communicate with those who can, accurately and transparently share information about the Just process and the organization’s goals with staff.
Have the ability to, or in communication with those who can, run a survey for the staff.
Have the ability to make sure the Just application process is completed within one-calendar year of registration.

Can multiple people work on the application at the same time?

Yes, collaborators can be added to the Just application on the Apply platform. All individuals must be ILFI members to be added as a collaborator through the platform. If multiple people want to work on the application and they do not all have a membership, they will have to share login information in order to access it. Please email just.support@living-future.org if you have any issues with your login/membership.

What documents should we have ready to submit before beginning our application?

Please read and refer to the Just 2.0 Handbook for any and all documentation requirements. This is the most-up-date resource for Just 2.0, and will contain everything you need for your application.

What are the benefits of getting a Just label?

Just is a valuable transparency tool that can help organizations reflect on and share where their policies, programs, and benefits stand in comparison to the Just achievement levels
Just is a robust management tool that can help organizations enhance human resources policies, programs and practices.
The Just process helps organizations build a culture that values diversity, equity and inclusion.
Just is a powerful recruiting tool and helps organizations attract a new generation of employees that show a preference to work for organizations that demonstrate corporate social responsibility.
Just helps organizations improve morale and retention levels as information disclosure and transparency builds trust and loyalty.
The Just process offers a roadmap for organizations to deepen levels of employee engagement.
Just provides a compliance pathway and credit in green building certification frameworks such as Living Building Challenge, LEED v.4, and WELL.
Just complements existing sustainability and corporate social responsibility programs such as B Corp and Global Reporting Initiative (GRI).
Just can help enhance existing community stewardship practices and build a stronger brand.

Here’s what some Just organizations have said about the program:

"We operate quite well already as an organization, but talk of a Just label and it's imperatives has opened the door for many many more conversations; some that people assumed where happening, but were not. A general quantification of how we operate is going to be huge. We do many things well, but none of it is written down."
"We have a much stronger shared nomenclature than we did before our Just disclosure and that helps us to all be talking about the same things with the same vocabulary which is really valuable."
"As a small company with seven people, the staff and office culture already supported one another. We have implemented vegan food options and exercise incentives. The staff is more educated about social equity and sustainable practices."
"We re-wrote our whole handbook and policies because of our good experience with Just."

How much does it cost to apply for a Just label?

We published a revised fee structure for Just in the Fall of 2021. This modification was necessary to ensure our financial sustainability to effectively support each Just client and invest in the program to grow this movement.

Our current fee structure covers more of our costs while maintaining a fairly accessible rate. As seen in the chart below, the Just program fee will now follow the formula: Base Fee + (Employee Fee x # of Employees). Please reach out to the Just team if you’d like an exact quote for your label!

Where can I get information about how to meet Indicator requirements?

The Just 2.0 Handbook, which includes clarifications and guidance on all Indicators, is available on the Member Dashboard. While going through the Just application process, please reference the Just 2.0 handbook for the most updated information.

Does ILFI provide a template that I can use for the required policies?

Yes! The Policy Statement Templates are available for members on the Member Dashboard.

Does ILFI provide a template for employee engagement and inclusion? Why is this required?

Yes! The Employee Engagement and Inclusion Survey Templates are available for members on the Member Dashboard.

Just organizations may utilize this template to create an employer engagement survey. Organizations may include additional questions or statements as needed, however the highlighted question in the “Work Engagement” section and the two highlighted questions in the “Work Environment” section must be included. The results for these questions will be required in the Just application.

Can I round my organization's data percentages for the Indicator qualifications?

No, unfortunately, all percentages are reviewed as is and should not be rounded or altered.

Can my organization with fewer than 5 employees get a Just label?

Yes! Keep in mind that some of the Indicators require calculations based on the number of employees, and metrics can be easily skewed by such a small number of employees. For more information, please visit the Just handbook.

Can multi-national organizations participate in Just?

ILFI welcomes multi-national organizations to participate in Just. Consistent with the approach for organizations with multiple locations within one country, indicator achievement level is determined by the location with the lowest performance level across all locations. Given the variation between contexts and national provisions between countries, if organizations feel this approach does not accurately reflect organizational equity and employee experience, ILFI encourages them to pursue individual labels for respective locations.

I finished the Just application process. Now what?

There are many ways that you can celebrate your Just label. Check out the Just marketing toolkit for ideas you can celebrate your label within your organization! You should also feel free to reach out to just.support@living-future.org for further support or collaboration in uplifting and supporting your organizations DEI efforts.