Waves is a national franchised business comprising nearly 270 outlets and 2,000 employees across Great Britain.  As Founder and CEO of the Waves Group, Joanna has led the organisation through sustained growth as well as significant operational challenges, including the Covid and Brexit periods.  This year, the franchise network is expected to turn over £50m in revenue and serve over three million customers.

The hand car wash industry is recognised as being at high risk of endemic labour exploitation and modern slavery.  Waves has developed practical, scalable tools (both online and offline) to prevent, identify and manage risk within a complex franchise environment, including in areas such as employment rights, the National Minimum Wage, immigration and right-to-work legislation, and the operational realities of delivering compliance. 
Over the last decade, Joanna has collaborated with the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority, Nottingham Trent University, the Director of Labour Market Enforcement, Home Office, the Car Wash Association, the Police’s MSTU, NGOs and other stakeholders to raise awareness of systemic issues within our sector and call for greater oversight and industry regulation. 
This seminar will include learnings from the front line of delivering fair and ethical employment in a low/unskilled labour market.  These learnings are transferable across industries and should provide listeners with practical ideas and solutions to help them develop their own legal and ethical employment practices – either as individual or multi-site franchised operators, or as other franchisors.