The Group’s corporate social responsibility activities prioritise our people, responsible retailing and charity
We remain focused on the attraction and retention of talented individuals and refining our Employer Value Proposition to best serve our Group values and ambitions. Throughout the financial period we continued to make significant headway with synergies in people systems - recognising the importance of leveraging technology and data to drive meaningful and sustainable transformation.
We have worked extensively with selectively trusted partners and our in-house developers to configure and implement best-in-class tools, including but not limited to a proprietary HR system and a third-party reward provision solely for hospitality workers. We remain committed to prioritising colleague wellbeing and have introduced 24/7 GP access for team member households alongside up to eight face-to-face counselling support sessions across the entire workforce as part of the suite of changes introduced. Further, we were delighted to become the first hospitality partner of Ripple Suicide Prevention Charity this year, which is a tool designed to discreetly intercept harmful online searches and content related to self-harm and suicide on our internal network. We continue to pioneer and call for action for universal adoption within the sector, which is disproportionately impacted by mental ill-health.
Our guests and our teams deserve a safe environment where they are valued for who they are. We are both cognisant and proud of the diversity within our workforce and we strive to create places where everyone can express their authentic selves, realise their potential, and seize the many development opportunities. We are dedicated to providing meaningful employment, by developing our talent with on-the-job skills training through our expansive career path content. We are ever advancing our culture of opportunity via “Rev U”, our internal brand for learning and development programmes where we support the discovery of career ambitions and encourage our colleagues to continuously learn and grow both professionally and personally.
We believe that our actions, behaviours, policies and culture compound to bring about the manifestation of our vision - “we are the place where everyone wants to be”. We continue to engage in active dialogue with our teams via multiple channels and formats in order to respond to our colleagues’ concerns, opinions, and evolving needs to ultimately propel our journey of nurturing an inclusive environment for all.
All considered, and in spite of a challenging business environment, the People Team’s engagements and initiatives have brought about positive impacts in the areas of recruitment, engagement, well-being and learning and development to support our strategic aim of affirming our place as an industry-leading employer.
The Group’s Management team work closely with UKHospitality, participate in several working groups, and contribute to relevant policies on responsible drinks retailing. The Group supports practices that promote responsible drinking and has established its own “Responsible Alcohol Retailing Policy,” backed by staff training and monitoring. The Group's pricing models are designed to avoid heavy discounts on products. Events are promoted responsibly and are accompanied by individual risk assessments. Management routinely attend Pub Watch meetings to promote a safe and secure environment. Test purchasing exercises are organised through Serve Legal to ensure that staff apply their training effectively regarding age verification.
The Group continuously aims to improve the quality of its food offering and provide guests with the required information about its products to allow them to make informed decisions about their food consumption. This includes providing allergen and calorie information for all dishes via our website. Products not containing gluten or meat are highlighted on the printed menu. Full training is provided to bar teams to enable them to deal with guest queries and prevent cross-contamination. The Group sets out strict specifications for all products so that high standards of quality are met.
As part of its social responsibility agenda, the Group partnered with a new corporate charity partner in August 2021. Following an internal vote, over 75% of those that voted chose the Campaign Against Living Miserably (“CALM”). After a challenging pandemic, where at times up to 98.5% of our workforce was on furlough, the Group has an increased focus on employee wellbeing and ensuring a safe and supportive environment at work. Our people told us that suicide support was an incredibly serious concern given the challenging year many had faced, and the Group is proud to support CALM in their journey.
In FY24, the Group raised a total of £32k for CALM in the year through the sale of products and local fundraising initiatives. The Group also has a programme designed to promote other charitable activity within its workforce. The scheme, called “You raise it, we match it”, rewards funds raised by staff for other charities and matches what they have raised.
Each year the Bigger Peach team choose key charitable areas to focus on, fundraising through donations of certain menu items, pub events and wider projects. Peach reaches out to support both local and wider charities, including supporting homelessness, food donations, local youth football and rugby clubs, and nationwide charities.
The Group has in place an anti-bribery and corruption policy that is communicated through all heads of department to their teams and included in the colleague handbook. The policy requires transparency and the maintenance of an entertainment register that is regularly reviewed by the Board. Key suppliers have also been made aware of the policy.
The Group has in place a modern slavery policy that has been approved by the Board. Suppliers are required to acknowledge the Group’s policy and their obligation to adhere to it as part of any contractual arrangements.
The Group does not have a formal human rights policy, but it is committed to conducting business with integrity and fairness.
Please refer to the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (“TCFD”) Report which includes the requirements of the SECR disclosure, including relevant disclosures on emission type and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Intensity Ratio, scope and methodology, and sustainability plans, and therefore has not been duplicated here. Please see pages 18-25 of the Annual Report and Accounts for further information.