FAQs: Just Submission Process

How long will the Just process take? 

After completing registration and paying the label fee, organizations have one calendar year to submit their documentation for review by the Just team. We recommend registering as soon as you decide to pursue the program to (1) get started on your application and (2) ensure you're on our radar as an organization actively working toward the Just Label, allowing us to keep you updated.

Aligning company policies with Just requirements, as detailed in the Just Manual, can be a thorough process that typically takes new organizations around 6-8 months to complete. Once all documentation is submitted, the Just team will review it and may request additional information or suggest changes. Organizations should 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 Database. This final stage generally takes between 1-3 months. 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 one staff member, organizations benefit significantly more from the Just process when they collaborate with various stakeholders and decision-makers. Engaging a diverse team leads to more thoughtful and intentional outcomes. Past participants in the Just process have included HR representatives, DEI advocates, principals, marketing directors, and others.

We recommend that individuals submitting for Just have the capacity or ability to work with their organization to:

• Create, implement, or modify policies related to the Just indicators listed in the Just Program Manual, or effectively communicate with those who can.
• Accurately and transparently share information about the Just process and the organization’s goals with staff.
• Run a staff survey, or ensure that someone in the organization can.
• Ensure the Just application process is completed within one calendar year of registration.

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

Yes, you can add collaborators to the Just application on the Apply platform. The application owner must be a Living Future member. Once the application is initiated, the owner can invite collaborators. Invited collaborators will receive an email and need to accept the invitation to gain access. Notably, collaborators do not need to be Living Future members. Please email Membership Support membership@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 3.0 Program Manual for any and all documentation requirements. This is the most-up-date resource for Just 3.0, 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? 

As outlined in the chart below, the Just program fee is calculated as: Base Fee + (Employee Fee x Number of Employees). The Just label is valid for two years, so organizations wishing to renew can expect to pay the program fee every two years.

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 3.0 Program Manual, which includes clarifications and guidance on all Indicators, is available on the Living Future Community. While going through the Just application process, please reference the Just 3.0 Program Manual for the most updated information.

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

We provide detailed guidelines for written policies and offer several sample policies in the General Clarifications section of our Just 3.0 Program Manual.

Does Living Future provide the questions required for employee surveys? 

Yes. The Just 3.0 Manual outlines the necessary questions for the Belonging, Engagement, and Well-Being indicators. The questions can be found in each indicator's "Clarifications" section.

Organizations may include additional questions or statements in their surveys, but the questions provided in the Just manual must be included. To maintain consistency and data integrity, we will not approve alternatives to the required questions.

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 multi-national organizations participate in Just?

Living Future 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, Living Future 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.