UK
Special Award 2006
Special Award: Corporate Responsibility
Supporter: AccountAbility
www.accountability.org.uk
Winner: Marks & Spencer
People are empowered, engaged and productive when they respect the companies they work for, and Corporate Responsibility is an increasingly important part of this equation. The Great Place to Work® Institute UK, supported by Accountability, are pleased to present the 2006 Corporate Responsibility Award to Marks & Spencer.
Marks & Spencer, chosen as winners for their efforts to engage with stakeholders and address key areas their business activities impact, claim a strong tradition of Corporate Responsibility and see it as central to how they do business. Examples of Best Practice in this area include:
- Global Sourcing Principles that set down the requirements for suppliers to comply with all national and international laws.
- Collaboration with the Marine Stewardship Council to only sell fish approved under their Environmental assessment scheme.
- Replacing 99% of PVC packaging on their food products.
Values are also integrated at the grass roots level by involving employees in community initiatives. Marks and Start, the UK's biggest company-led work experience scheme, offers work experience to over 2,500 people who face barriers getting a job, including homeless people, disabled people, young people and parents. Participants have gone on to secure permanent employment, either at a Marks & Spencer store, or in areas such as education, accountancy or the police force. Over 90% of people who took part in the first year of the programme said that a short work placement with Marks & Spencer changed their lives and gave them the confidence they needed to get back into work. Around 1,000 Marks & Spencer employees act as mentors in the scheme each year, and develop skills such as coaching and communication - all during the course of their working day.
|
