Commitments to our people

Equal opportunity

We are committed to employing and developing our people based on their strengths, talents and potential, without discrimination. It is our policy to treat all employees fairly and equitably regardless of their sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, race, colour, nationality, ethnic origin, citizenship, disability, age, religion or belief, family status or trade union membership.

Our policy extends to all areas of operation and we expect you to work and act in ways that reflect our commitment to equality of opportunity. It is our specific aim to ensure that:-

• We treat applicants, employees and former employees fairly and equally.
• We provide fair opportunities for employment, training and promotion solely on merit.
• We make decisions about recruitment, promotion and training and allow access to company benefits facilities and services which are fair and based solely on merit.
• All employees treat each other with dignity and respect and enjoy a working environment free from discrimination, victimisation, bullying and harassment of any kind. As an Equal Opportunities employer, we will not tolerate any form of direct or indirect discrimination:-
• Direct discrimination – where an employee is treated less favourably than others based on any of the reasons stated above, e.g. a male promotion candidate being preferred to a female candidate, solely because of the female candidate’s sex.
• Indirect discrimination – where a provision, criterion or practice is imposed by an employer on all of its employees, which has the effect of unjustifiably disadvantaging a particular group of employees on any of the above grounds.

Our policy applies to all conditions of work, work allocation, pensions, recruitment and selection, training and development, promotion and redundancy.

We also recognise our obligations not to discriminate for any of the above reasons against any of our customers, agency workers, self-employed persons or contract workers.

Legislation and regulations

We adhere to all employment legislation (e.g. the Working Time Directive, health & safety, statutory leave, minimum wage, union recognition). We are also fully committed to abide by all data protection, information security and telecoms regulations (e.g. Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act).

Employee support and recognition

Our people are very important to us, so we have extensive employee benefits, employee forums, and an independent employee assistance helpline. We also award gifts for births, marriages, civil partnerships, adoptions, long service and outstanding performance.

To our suppliers

The value created from our supplier relationships enable us to maintain long-term growth, solidify our partnerships with our customers and preserve a competitive advantage. We aim to maximise supply chain opportunities by proactively seeking and building strong, value-focused relationships with all our suppliers.

We’re committed to conducting business with suppliers in a fair and honest manner, with openness and integrity. The performance of our suppliers is important to our business, so we aim to treat them with respect and to develop relationships that provide mutual benefit. Our objective is to obtain best value from our suppliers on a consistent long-term basis.

While price is an important factor, it is only one part of the purchasing decision. Overall, we aim to conduct the supplier tendering and assessment process in an open and transparent manner.

We believe that diversity in our work force and in our supply base contributes to a stronger, better organisation, able to draw from a variety of resources in order to deliver increased value to our customers and investors. We are committed to providing equal opportunity in sourcing, regardless of sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, race, colour, nationality, ethnic origin, citizenship, disability, age, religion or belief, family status or trade union membership.

Commitment to fair business

For the avoidance of doubt, we strongly condemn all forms of corruption, bribery and fraud.

We have a clear corporate gifts policy (available to all employees, online) that makes it clear that gifts should not be received in return for favour or preferential treatment. Our people must record all gifts in a prescribed way, and failure to do so will result in disciplinary proceedings, which may include dismissal for gross misconduct.

Our people may accept gifts if they are: lawful and ethical, occasional, customary and reasonable in value. They may do so in support of our business, not just for their own wellbeing or use.

Commitment to our planet

We are committed to reducing our impact on our planet. Learn more.

Commitment to our society

We believe that our people and our products can make our communities a better place. Find out more about how we do this in the following sections:

Digital Inclusion
Internet Safety 
Support for charities