3w
Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts, everyone’s view is important to me and it is a shame you feel so negatively. I always want people to have enjoyable careers and experiences whilst in the group, so I am gutted that your experience was not a positive one.
Your references tie together a wide range of incidents over many years across many different people. Having traded for over 40 years, we like most businesses, will have had a wide range of issues. I can only speak for my tenure as CEO, but during that period I have been and remain committed to all issues raised being investigated, dealt with and ensuring that no one is silenced. We have clear expectations around behaviour across the business, supported by reporting channels, HR processes and ongoing work to further strengthen our positive culture. Where issues are raised, they are reviewed and addressed in line with our policies and responsibilities as an employer.
I believe that subject to the context and situation, people should be given the opportunity to learn and develop from their mistakes. In this case that you highlight, the cited HR issues were poor personal choices early in their career with us rather than any prejudice or negative behaviours towards others. So, I would make no apology for protecting and indeed as per the social post you reference, celebrating someone….if that person has demonstrated consistent positive behaviours and clear evidence of having learnt from their mistakes and improved their life and those around them as a result of this.
As the recent external recognition as a best place to work demonstrates, we have created a great environment to enable people to be; successful, developed, well supported, happy and safe. Our engagement is a record high, everyone has a voice and we’ve invested in continued enhancement of behaviours across the whole group.
We are committed to providing a safe, respectful and inclusive working environment for everyone, and we continue to listen, learn and we strive improve every day. I genuinely appreciate your comment, but context is also key so as to be a fair reflection of a company. Hopefully those reading the review will endeavour to assess for themselves whether our environment and culture is positive and whether the engagement, recognition and success that our people have, are both justified and fair.
All the best
Matt
