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. The Group has adopted and disseminated appropriate policies and procedures, including clear guidelines on matters such as competition law, bribery and whistleblowing. The Board has tasked each Divisonal Managing Director to be responsible for the implementation of these policies in their
divisions. 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 750 employees took up their invitation and subscribed to the 2008 sharesave scheme in which some 487,000 shares are now held under option. For staff in the UK, the Group offers many benefits, such as a childcare scheme which 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.
Within Menzies Distribution, developing our people has been a key area of focus in 2008 with the introduction of various initiatives. ‘Stepping Up’ provided 116 supervisors with basic leadership skills and best practices. ‘Release the Potential’ aimed at first level managers helped employees understand themselves better and improve the way they relate to other people with the intention of improving business performance. Twelve managers attended this programme. Fifty-five managers attended Employment Law seminars highlighting legislation to be followed and best practice procedures when it comes to managing staff. NVQ training was piloted in our warehouses and will be rolled out to the rest of the business in 2009 and Tachograph training sessions have been held in co-operation with the Freight Transport Association sharing best practice.
Leadership development initiatives remain important in Menzies Aviation and 2008 saw the continuation of the ‘Leading from the Front’ programme, 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 this ensures local buy-in to the SPIRIT principles. 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 of the Group’s commercial vehicle drivers are given driver training specifically 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
During 2008, both divisions operated a comprehensive internal communication programme to ensure that all employees throughout the Group are kept informed about the direction and performance of their own division and of the rest of the Group.
A programme of employee communications, differentiated by location and function, was introduced in Menzies Aviation to provide all staff with timely information about all aspects of the Group and division’s performance. Communications are managed for the audience, with translation into host languages as necessary. New media is utilized within Menzies Aviation to bring news bulletins to all e-mail addresses and to mobile devices. During 2008, more than 120 e-News Bulletins were delivered, equating to more than 230,000 individual e-mails. Channels are incorporated into the bulletins to aid immediate feedback. The division will continue to use the current system in 2009 along with other means such as video conferencing.
2008 saw the Managing Director of Menzies Distribution continue and expand his programme of head office and site seminars; meeting with management representatives to discuss strategy, culture and financial results. These sessions are supplemented by a tri-annual publication ‘Critical Business Briefing’, a document for senior staff designed to capture in writing and expand upon the themes discussed in each meeting.
Publication of the Menzies Distribution staff newsletter has also continued, with a survey conducted during the year to determine in which direction staff wished to see the newsletter progress. A network of local contacts exists covering each distribution location, with the aim of generating more content from the experiences of colleagues throughout the country. After a wideranging consultative exercise with stakeholders throughout the division, a regular, dedicated staff bulletin has been created to raise awareness and support for the i-SAP project and a project focused intranet site is due to be launched during 2009.