Employees
Recruitment and Equal Opportunities
The Board expects the Group to conduct its operations based on sound ethical practices which are open and free from discrimination and harassment, and will not tolerate discrimination in any form. It has adopted and disseminated appropriate policies and procedures, including clear guidelines on matters such as competition law, bribery and whistleblowing. The principles of equal opportunities are recognised through published employment policies which are designed to attract, retain and motivate quality staff and to give full consideration to the employment of disabled people and to staff who become disabled, including providing support and retraining to enable them to continue their employment. Full consideration is also given to age discrimination laws, and our policies and practices encourage recruitment and promotion based on merit, irrespective of factors such as: age, gender, race, religious beliefs or sexual orientation.
Reward
The Group recognises that its continuing success depends on the quality and motivation of its employees. It aims to ensure that its remuneration practices are competitive, enabling it to attract, retain and motivate executives and employees who have the experience, skills and talents to operate and develop its businesses to their maximum potential.
Incentives
Employees are able to develop a direct interest in the financial performance of the Group through its savings-related share option scheme, which is open to all UK employees, of whom over 1,000 are members. Options are granted over the Company’s shares at a discount of 20% from the prevailing market price at the time of grant at an aggregate value based on savings of up to £250 per month over three years. Some 700 employees (10.7% of those eligible to participate) took up their invitation and subscribed to the 2007 sharesave scheme in which some 370,000 shares are now held under option.
For staff in the UK, the Group offers many benefits. A Childcare scheme allows staff to opt to receive part of their pay in tax-free childcare vouchers. Other benefits offered to staff, dependent on grade and location, include: private medical care, subsidised staff restaurant, gym membership, life insurance and a company car or car allowance.
Training
All executives and managers, from the executive directors downwards, undergo an annual review where feedback is given on the previous year’s performance and goals for the upcoming year are agreed. Leadership Development initiatives continue, and 2007 saw the introduction of the “Leading from the Front “ programme in Menzies Aviation, which provides supervisory level employees with basic leadership skills and reinforces the “Menzies Way”, known as SPIRIT. SPIRIT – Safe & Secure, Passion, Integrity, Reliability, Innovation and Teamwork, underpins our leadership principles. The programme is delivered by local management and ensures local buy into the SPIRIT principles.
A coaching project was also introduced which focuses on senior management levels. Eight executives undertook the coaching which provides individual development plans and appropriate levels of support.
All new employees are given induction training designed to ensure that they can fulfil their tasks safely and securely, particularly where this involves lifting. All the Group’s commercial vehicle drivers are given driver training designed to help them to drive safely, economically and with consideration to those around them. Each division has resources made available to it to ensure the training needs of its staff carrying out particular functions and tasks are fully met. Managers are also encouraged to foster a work-based culture based on values espoused as part of a campaign promoting and providing guidance on ethical business practices and professional conduct concerning dealings with all our stakeholder groups such as customers, suppliers and of course employees.
Communication and Consultation
A comprehensive internal communication programme exists to ensure that all employees throughout the Group are kept informed about the direction and performance of their own division and of the Group as a whole. The Group’s final and interim results are communicated to all employees, supplemented by presentations being made during location visits by the executive directors. Both divisions operate in very different environments, and during 2007, each division enhanced its own internal communication programme.
A programme of comprehensive employee communications, differentiated by location and function, was introduced in Menzies Aviation to provide all staff with timely information about all aspects of the Company’s performance. Communications are managed for the audience, with translation into host languages as necessary.
New media is being utilized within Menzies Aviation to bring news bulletins to all e-mail addresses and to mobile devices, for dynamic relay of important news. In excess of 80 e-News Bulletins were delivered over a 6 month period, equating to more than 150,000 individual e-mails. Channels are incorporated into the bulletins to aid immediate and frank feedback. A new and more inclusive intranet is being developed, able to be adapted down to individual team level. Video is used, with division-wide and interest-group communications being delivered using this medium.
During the year the Managing Director of Menzies Distribution undertook a series of site visits and numerous sessions in the divisions Head Office, meeting with management representatives to discuss Strategy, Culture and Final/Interim results; the format of these meetings is a main presentation and an open Q&A.
Menzies Distribution also produced 10 staff newsletters, which are circulated to every employee. The aim of this communication is to inform our teams about the major developments and initiatives within the business, whilst supporting a positive, open company culture. All employees are free to raise any issues they wish either with their line manager or directly with the newsletter team by post or email.