Other issue areas
Employees
We have nearly 80,000 employees across the Kingfisher Group (as of April 2012). Our targets within this area cover sustainability issues from employee engagement to health and safety.
2020 target:
To be recognised as a 'best practice' retailer for equality and diversity
2015 milestone:
All our operating companies to have in place an action plan to become a 'best practice' retailer in their market on equality and diversity
2011/12 progress:
B&Q UK and Castorama France have demonstrated 'best practice' in retail on a number of diversity issues. However, further work needs to be done across other operating companies to ensure a level of consistency
Equality and diversity
We have a Group-wide policy at Kingfisher for equality and diversity, as well as an equal opportunities policy. Human Resources teams at operating company level implement the policy. B&Q UK and Castorama France have well-established diversity programmes. For example, B&Q UK has been at the forefront of a move to employ older workers for many years.
In early 2012, Castorama France was the first major retail company to be awarded the Label Égalité by the ministry of diversity and equality in France for its proactive and innovative engagement in diversity issues. Its diversity programme is implemented in three main areas: employing disabled people, gender equality and helping retain older people with 'longer career' support. Brico Dépôt France store managers have all been set objectives on employee diversity.
Our IT centre, Kingfisher IT Services (KITS) and our Screwfix business have an employee well-being programme with the Retail Trust, a charity that offers employee assistance for people working in the retail sector. The charity gives their employees a range of free services that includes counselling, legal and debt advice, hardship grants and course funding.
Gender and age diversity
In 2011/12, women accounted for 40% of total employees, 29% of managers and 18% of Board members. A number of operating companies are working to attract and recruit more women by providing flexible working arrangements. For example, B&Q UK's approach goes beyond legal requirements by allowing flexible working requests from all employees (not just those with caring responsibilities). Employees are able to request flexible working from their first day at work.
The proportion of women in management has remained stable for the past three years. We recognise the need to be more proactive in attracting and retaining women at senior levels.
B&Q UK has a long-established policy of promoting age diversity and has led the way, through initiatives such as flexible retirement, in the recruitment and retention of people over 50. In 2011/12, 28% of B&Q employees were over 50, significantly higher than the Group average of 14%.
Disability
In 2011/12, the proportion of employees with a declared disability was 2.8%. Brico Dépôt Spain signed an agreement with Red Cross Spain in 2011 to work together to increase the integration of disabled employees into the workforce of its stores.
Ethnic minorities
We report data on ethnicity for the UK only. We are not able to provide a Group-wide figure, as it is illegal in countries like France to ask employees to declare their ethnicity. In fact, there is no common definition of an ethnic minority in certain countries. The proportion of UK employees who declared they were from an ethnic minority was 9% in 2011/12. This aligns with the 8% of UK adults from ethnic minorities (UK Census 2001).
Page last updated 25 June 2012.
The Group data and progress against targets within the Group CR performance section is updated annually. The latest Group CR data covers the Kingfisher financial year ending 28 January 2012 (referred to as 2011/12). The text is updated on an ongoing basis to reflect new developments.
