Business & Technology
Kallidus wins B Corp certification in HR tech market
SOFIAH NICHOLE SALIVIO
News Editor
Kallidus has achieved B Corp Certification, joining a small group of HR and people-technology companies with the accreditation.
B Lab verified the certification, which assesses a company’s operations across governance, workers, community, the environment and customers.
Kallidus, a provider of learning management systems and e-learning content, said the accreditation reflects standards applied across the business rather than to a single product or service. The process also requires companies to provide evidence of performance and to embed a commitment to purpose as well as profit in their articles.
The certification places Kallidus within an international B Corp network of more than 10,700 businesses across 104 countries and 162 industries. In the UK, more than 2,700 companies have been certified, making it the largest and fastest-growing B Corp community globally.
Sector benchmark
The move is notable in the HR and people-technology market, where relatively few businesses have secured B Corp status. The standard has become a way for companies to demonstrate social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability beyond financial measures.
The scrutiny covers internal practices as well as external relationships. For companies in workplace and training services, it also highlights whether their treatment of employees, suppliers and communities matches the standards they promote to clients.
Chris Turner, Chief Executive Officer of B Lab UK, welcomed Kallidus to the network.
“We are delighted to welcome Kallidus to the B Corp community. This is a movement of companies committed to changing how business operates and that believe business really can be a force for good. We know Kallidus will be a fantastic addition to the community and will continue driving the conversation forward,” said Chris Turner, Chief Executive Officer of B Lab UK.
Business context
Kallidus serves more than 1,000 organisations worldwide, according to the company, and works with employers on workplace learning, compliance training and skills development. Its customers include businesses and not-for-profits seeking training tools and content.
The company said the certification aligns with its role in helping organisations improve workplace standards. It argued that businesses advising clients on culture, fairness and skills should apply the same expectations to their own operations.
Pat Cannon, Chief Operating Officer at Kallidus, said the certification represented a significant commitment for the business.
“Becoming a B Corp is one of the most important commitments we’ve made as a business. It’s an external, independent validation that we set the highest standards, not just in how we serve customers, but in how we treat our people, our suppliers, our communities and the planet. We help organisations build better, fairer, more skilled workplaces, so it is only right that we hold ourselves to the same standard. For our people, it is a promise that values come first. For our customers and partners, it is the assurance of working with a business built for the long term. And for our industry, we hope it signals that doing the right thing and growing a great business are not a trade-off, they are the same thing,” said Pat Cannon, Chief Operating Officer of Kallidus.
The B Corp framework has gained visibility as companies face pressure from employees, customers and investors to provide clearer evidence of environmental and social standards. Rather than focusing on a single issue, certification reviews a company across several operational areas, helping to make it a broad marker of business practice.
In the UK, the growth of the B Corp community has included businesses ranging from consumer brands to media and retail groups. Well-known names in the network include The Guardian, Innocent Drinks, Patagonia, Tony’s Chocolonely, The Big Issue, Finisterre, Elemis and Sipsmith Gin.
Kallidus now joins that group as it seeks to distinguish itself in the competitive workplace learning and HR software market, where buyers increasingly assess not only product features and cost but also the conduct and values of suppliers.
The certification process is rigorous, requiring companies to provide evidence of performance while legally embedding their commitment to purpose as well as profit in their company articles.
Witney Vehicle Repairs Limited was handed the ‘cessation order’ by the Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) who said that the business would need to re-apply for the licence after the punishment has elapsed.
An MOT test is an annual legal check to ensure qualifying vehicles over three years old meet road safety and environmental standards.
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It is mandatory to drive vehicles on public roads in the UK.
A spokesperson for the DVSA said: “DVSA’s priority is to make Britain’s roads safer for everyone.
“As part of this, we are fully committed to taking action against anyone who undermines the integrity of the MOT.
“We have a range of intelligence tools and data available to allow us to carry out investigations, working with the police to bring fraudsters and non-compliant testers and garages to justice.”
The reason as to why Witney Vehicle Repairs Limited has lost its licence to carry out MOTs is not known, but it will need to show it meets the necessary standards in order to re-enter the MOT scheme.
These including ensuring an acceptable quality of testing, that MOT testers are regularly trained and that premises and equipment meets standards.
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While the business may no longer carry out MOTs, the garage itself is allowed to.
If the garage is taken over by someone else, it may again conduct MOTs.
Where this is the case, the DVSA runs checks to make sure that a different – credible – business is operating within the garage.
SOFIAH NICHOLE SALIVIO
News Editor
Evri is adopting Microsoft 365 E7 across its business and plans to deploy 6,000 licences over the coming months.
The move makes Evri one of the first organisations in the UK to adopt the package, which became available in May. The rollout will include Microsoft 365 Copilot, Microsoft Agent 365 and the Microsoft Entra Suite.
Evri says it has invested more than £3.5 million in artificial intelligence to date, building on an initial commitment of £1 million several years ago. The latest rollout will extend tools already tested in parts of the business and broaden their use across more teams.
Evri delivers more than 1 billion parcels a year and has expanded its workforce as the business has grown. The company says artificial intelligence will help staff find information more easily across the organisation and reduce the risk of siloed working.
Wider rollout
According to Evri, the software will cut manual work, support day-to-day decision-making and improve communication between teams. Employees will also be able to build agents to handle routine tasks and use data from VeriSnap to improve delivery quality.
Evri says Microsoft 365 Copilot is also intended to support staff with writing and grammar, which could help colleagues from different backgrounds communicate more effectively. The company linked that part of the programme to its diversity and inclusion efforts.
Evri says its existing technology architecture has allowed it to move early on the new Microsoft offering. Although Microsoft 365 E7 is aimed at large organisations, previous investment in artificial intelligence and related systems means it can scale the tools more quickly.
Security was one of the reasons for selecting Microsoft, Evri says. The system will operate within a secure closed environment at all times.
Technology plans
Marcus Hunter, Chief Technology Officer at Evri Group, outlined the company’s rationale for the investment.
“Our investment in Microsoft 365 Copilot E7 marks an exciting milestone in Evri’s AI journey. We’ve been building our capabilities in this space for a number of years, and this allows us to take the next step – putting powerful, secure AI tools directly into the hands of our people.
“This is about empowering all our people through technology. By removing manual tasks and unlocking insights from across our organisation, we can help our teams work smarter, deliver better service, and continue to scale as our business grows.
“Microsoft is a trusted partner for Evri, and together we’re ensuring that everything we do with AI is secure, responsible and delivers real value for both our colleagues and our customers,” said Marcus Hunter, Chief Technology Officer at Evri Group.
Evri Group was formed following the merger of Evri and DHL eCommerce UK. The combined business also handles a further 1 billion business letters a year. The group includes UK Mail and customs clearance specialist Coll-8 alongside Evri’s core parcel operation.
The company says it has more than 12,000 employees and more than 30,000 self-employed couriers, supported by a network of more than 12,500 ParcelShops and lockers and more than 500 hubs and depots. It describes its Barnsley site as Europe’s biggest dedicated parcel delivery facility.
The latest investment adds to a broader effort by logistics groups to apply artificial intelligence to internal workflows as parcel volumes rise and networks become more complex. At Evri, the programme initially covers 6,000 licences and more than £3.5 million already committed to artificial intelligence.
Chesterton Playgroup, based in the village hall of Chesterton, near Bicester, has supported generations of families for more than 50 years.
But the future of the group has been put under threat by the owner of the village hall, charity Chesterton Community Partnership (CIO), refused to negotiate a new lease and instead issue the group with an eviction notice at the end of June.
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A petition has been launched to try and save Chesterton Playgroup from closure, by demonstrating to the charity the importance of the group to the village.
The petition said: “The shock, sadness, and fear for our future have been overwhelming.
“At a time when so many playgroups and preschools across the UK are closing due to funding pressures, Chesterton Playgroup is not struggling — we are thriving.
“We are thriving because of this village, because of the families who have trusted us for generations, and because small, community-rooted settings like ours are increasingly rare.”
The playgroup said their goal was to sign a new lease so they could continue operating and invest fundraising money into renovating the children’s garden – a project which ‘families and staff were incredibly excited about’.
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The group allege that the charity, which manages both Chesterton’s village hall and community centre, said they want to use the building for their own ‘charitable objectives’.
A spokesperson for the charity said: “The Chesterton Playgroup were issued a Section 25 notice and discussions are currently ongoing with Chesterton Playgroup on a solution that meets the needs of both parties.
“However, as those discussions are being progressed via the correct legal channels the details need to remain a private matter between the Chesterton Community Partnership and the Chesterton Playgroup.”
The playgroup said they hope the petition demonstrates the strength of feeling in the village for keeping the service.
Chesterton Parish Council issued a statement to clarify that the council was not connected either to the playgroup or to the community partnership, after having received letters from ‘various village bodies’ and hosting a meeting which 48 members of the public attended.
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The parish council said: “For the avoidance of doubt, Chesterton Parish Council has no affiliation with either the CIO or the playgroup.
“Whilst the parish council has no authority over the decisions taken by either body, it remains committed to working constructively with all parties involved and will continue to offer any assistance it reasonably can to help find a solution that enables the playgroup to continue serving the children and families of Chesterton.”
The statement added that the council ‘fully supports the retention of the playgroup’.
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