Social

Our stakeholders are our employees, our investors, our customers, our suppliers, our advisors and the communities in which we operate.

Employees

It is the policy of the Group to communicate with employees via employee representation on works and staff committees and by regular briefing meetings conducted by senior management. A long-term view of the business is encouraged through the provision of defined contribution pension schemes and SAYE share option schemes for UK based employees and Long Term Incentive Plans (LTIPs) for the senior management team. We implemented the Group’s first Employee Engagement Survey in January 2018, using a benchmarked UK index provided by Best Companies. Further surveys were carried out in October 2019, October 2020 and June 2021 with improved response rate and engagement scores across the Group in the latest survey. 

Equal opportunities

The Group is an equal opportunity employer. The Group is committed to being a successful, caring and welcoming place for all employees. We want to create a supportive and inclusive environment where our employees can reach their full potential, without prejudice and discrimination. We are committed to a culture where respect and understanding is fostered and the diversity of people’s backgrounds and circumstances will be positively valued.

Whistleblowing

The Group has operated a ‘whistleblowing’ policy and arrangement for many years so that all employees of the Group are able, via an independent external third party, to confidentially report any malpractice or matters of concern they have regarding the actions of employees, management and Directors and any breaches of the Company’s Anti-Bribery and Corruption policy.

Health, Safety and Environment

Safety performance is measured through reported data on accidents, near misses and safety observations. 

Safety maturity is measured against improvement targets for each operational site using the Group’s Safety Maturity Framework. 

Performance is reviewed periodically by management and the Board. 

The Group employs a Director of Group Health, Safety, Quality and Environment, who reports directly to the Chief Executive. He is responsible for ensuring that the Group employs best practice that is consistent around the Group and leads the team of health and safety managers employed at each business in the Group. 

Charity

As part of our ongoing Health and Wellbeing initiative, the Group has again made MIND its featured charity. The Group also continues to support local charities and employees who individually raise money or volunteer for charities.

Training

The training and development of our staff is crucial to the continuing success of the Company. Employees should have the appropriate skills and knowledge not only to ensure success in their roles but also for the fulfilment of their career potential. 

The Company provides a range of training and development opportunities to its employees.

Modern Slavery

The jurisdictions and markets in which we operate show that we have a low risk of exposure to human rights issues but our Modern Slavery Policy can be found here.

For more information on how we performed this year, see our latest Annual Report.