Our People
Progress 2007
Diversity and inclusion
Our promise to treat employees with respect is reflected in our approach to diversity, which is led by a Diversity Council comprising business function directors and chaired by a Board Director. The Everyone is Welcome at Tesco programme is the name we give to our diversity and inclusion work.
We want everyone at Tesco to meet their full potential regardless of age, gender, disability, ethnicity or sexual orientation. Our diversity strategy aims for a workforce at all levels that mirrors the communities we serve.
Our priorities reflect those of the countries in which we operate. We focus on employing local people and developing local leaders wherever we operate. Of the 180,000 people employed in our international business, fewer than 200 are from our UK business.
Ethnic and cultural diversity
We do not discriminate on the basis of ethnic origin and promote understanding of different cultures to help staff work effectively together.
In the UK, stores celebrate cultural festivals such as Eid and Diwali alongside traditional British festivals. Our managers have a religions toolkit providing information on festivals, diet, fasting and prayer to help them understand and support people from different faiths. In 2007, this toolkit was updated to cover the growing range of cultures and countries our employees and customers come from, including Bangladesh, the Caribbean, China, Ghana, India, Pakistan, Poland and Somalia.
Age
We have no retirement age in any of the countries where we operate and employ people in their 70s and 80s. In 2007, we launched apprenticeships in the UK for people of all ages to help them develop their careers.
Gender and sexual orientation
In 2007, we launched the Tesco Women's Network which aims to help female managers and directors progress. Around 150 women from across the Group attended the launch event. We are in the process of forming a similar network for sexual orientation.
Flexible working
We support flexible hours whenever possible. In the UK this includes family-friendly shifts, maternity leave for full and part-time workers, paid paternity leave, equal training and development opportunities for full- and part-time workers, childcare vouchers and career breaks. We also encourage job sharing, flexi-time and compressed hours, shift swaps, home working and part-time working when practical.
In 2007, we agreed a range of new benefits in the UK in response to our employee survey. These include up to five days' paid leave to train as a foster parent, as well as paid time off for fertility treatment, and the opportunity to take leave for study and lifestyle breaks.