Growing Fair Work in Retail

5. Retailers: Best Practice, Fair Work Examples, and Case Studies

Security

Security of employment, work and income are important foundations of a successful life for all. The following examples highlight fair pay and fair working patterns.

At CJ Lang & Son Limited, we are committed to celebrating the differences in each other and to treating our colleagues equitably. Our aim is to create a diverse and proportional workforce that reflects the communities we serve.

We have seen positive movement in our Pay Gap and are pleased to see a trend that our gap for both pay and bonus is closing for both for the median and the mean.

We continue to support colleagues across our business and remain committed to increasing the percentage of female colleagues in more senior roles. 36% of our Executive Board are women and we continue to focus on improving the level of female representation at all leadership levels.

We employ 1,800 people, with the majority working in retail stores throughout Scotland, and the remainder working in our Head Office and Distribution Centre in Dundee, or infield sales and support roles.

Women make up 61% of our employee base, many of whom work part time in Customer Service roles. As in previous years, our pay gap is driven by the higher

proportion of female colleagues in our entry level roles and differences in gender representation in different job functions.

Asda has launched a new neonatal care leave policy that will provide colleagues with additional leave and pay if their baby is born needing neonatal care treatment after birth.

Asda colleagues with a baby in neonatal care treatment for 7 full days or more will be able to take up to a maximum of 12 weeks of paid leave, in addition to their maternity, paternity or adoption leave.

With research showing that approximately one in seven babies born in the UK are admitted to a neonatal unit shortly after birth, Asda is now providing greater support to colleagues with parental responsibility of a baby receiving neonatal care treatment.

The policy will allow any parent of a baby admitted into neonatal care treatment within 28 days of being born to take additional paid leave.

Colleagues needing to stay in hospital, or another agreed care setting whilst their baby receives neonatal care treatment, will receive full contracted pay for each full week that their baby receives treatment up to a maximum of 12 weeks.

This forms part of a series of new and enhanced family friendly policies introduced for all colleagues, including enhanced maternity and adoption leave pay, extended maternity leave, and new kinship carers and baby loss leave.

Respect

Fair work is work in which people are respected and treated respectfully, whatever their role and status. Respect at work is a 2-way process between employers and workers. The following examples highlight supporting employee wellbeing and protecting them from harm.

The Scottish Wholesale Association have created a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) initiative to help members embrace diversity and further build an inclusive culture.

To bring members this support, we have partnered with leading law firm Burness Paull to help navigate this increasingly important area of business. Burness Paull’s employment law team is the largest in Scotland, ranked as Tier 1 by the legal directories, and acts for clients of all sizes.

We have created a free legal helpline which offers expert advice and guidance. The free helpline can be accessed for 30 minutes on two occasions during any six month period. SWA members will also receive a discount on legal fees if they engage Burness Paull for further support.

Alongside the helpline, the Embracing Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Starter Guide & Checklist has been designed to help members harness the benefits and opportunities that a DE&I culture provides. The guide explains what the law says in this area, what is meant by DE&I, and suggests some steps an organisation can take to improve diversity and inclusion, promote equality, prevent discrimination, and reduce the risk of grievances, disputes and potential claims arising in the workplace.

DE&I can be defined as:

• Diversity: The presence and participation of individuals with varying backgrounds and perspectives, including those who have been traditionally underrepresented
• Equity: Equal access to opportunities and fair, just, and impartial treatment
• Inclusion: A sense of belonging in an environment where all feel welcomed, accepted, and respected

At Dobbies, in line with our value of “we’re one team, getting better every day,” we’re committed to ensuring our teams are provided the best support as possible. As an addition to our partnership with the Retail Trust, and all the great wellbeing services they provide, we took the decision in 2022 to introduce Mental Health First Aiders to the business to help break the stigma that so often is associated with the term Mental Health and normalise the importance of seeking help when you need it. Therefore, we upskilled eight of our Central Support Office colleagues in our first cohort, conducted by BMR Health and Wellbeing in line with MHFA England, and at present we have fourteen MHFAs across the business. These individuals are not here to diagnose any condition; however, they are our in-house first point of contact to guide our colleagues to the appropriate help they need, including the likes of medical interventions, counselling, or support groups.

Our MHFAs can be reached by colleagues upon completing a short form via a QR code, which is displayed in all stores within colleague areas. The form asks for availability, best means of contact, and any preferences for who they speak to, e.g. specific gender requested, preference of phone or face to face etc. These are managed discreetly by the People Team, who assign a MHFA accordingly, enabling us to keep this process as confidential as possible. In addition to this, we also have some optional basic training on Mental Health Awareness for both leadership and non-leadership roles to encourage better understanding and help break the stigma. These have been well received and there’s an appetite for more across our regions, which our Talent Development Team are looking to enhance.

“As a Mental Health First Aider at Dobbies, I feel a great sense of trust and responsibility to ensure I provide timely, empathic support to any colleague in need. The tools I have access to via the MHHA England app allow me to signpost to both national and local supportive services for each person I speak to, allowing for different options to meet their comfortability. Having a network of trained MHFAs is also beneficial to us directly because we have a safe space to confidentially talk through any challenging conversations we have, and in turn learn from each other as we continue our professional growth in this space. I believe that what we do is crucial to showing our colleagues that we value them, we hear them, and ultimately, we care.” – Nicole Gusha, Talent Development Manager and Lead Mental Health First Aider at Dobbies.

Opportunity

Fair opportunity is more than the chance to access work. It includes having the right attitudes, behaviours, policies and procedures within organisations. The outcomes this produces reflect the value placed on fair opportunity. The following examples highlight fair and transparent recruitment and equal access to progression and development.

As a responsible employer, Boots is committed to implementing Fair Work practices for the benefit of its employees across Scotland. This commitment includes making sure that company policies are inclusive, fairly reward employees, and offer attractive routes for career development.

Regardless of their contract type, all Boots staff have access to well-established learning pathways so they can grow, develop, and progress their career. Store team members at Boots also benefit from flexible hours and part-time working opportunities to suit their lifestyle and commitments which ensures a healthy work-life balance.

The importance of diversity and inclusion is also reflected in the company’s approach to recruitment and retention. Boots employs people from diverse backgrounds, offering equal opportunities and ensuring the workforce is representative of the customers and communities being served.

More than a quarter of Boots team members are aged over 50 and many team members in Scotland have been with the company for several decades which is a testament to the positive workplace culture. In 2023, Boots was awarded independent Age Inclusive accreditation from 55/Redefined in recognition of its commitment to supporting the inclusivity of older people in the workforce. Approximately three quarters of Boots team members are female, and the company reported a 0.6% median gender pay gap in 2024, demonstrating its commitment to gender equality.

Balvinder

‘I’ve worked in the business for 30 years, starting in the St Enoch store while at university, then qualifying as a pharmacist and working in London before returning to Scotland. Over the years I’ve held roles from store manager to area manager, always staying close to our teams and customers - it’s always been about the people.

‘In my current role as Head of Pharmacy, I’ve worked with external stakeholders and acted as an ambassador for Boots. Development programmes have helped me grow as a leader and opened up brilliant opportunities, including being Chair of the Race, Ethnicity and Cultural Heritage (REACH) Business Resource Group during Covid. This position involved providing feedback to the Executive team that led to customer-facing respect messaging in stores, helping shape a health risk assessment for team members, hosting colleague listening sessions, celebrating South Asian Heritage Month, and raising awareness of different cultural events. I really value the opportunity to help connect the support office and stores and collaborate on meaningful projects’.

We want to be the employer of choice for care experienced people. The insights and feedback from those with lived experience have been instrumental in informing the design of the Building Happier Futures employability programme. The programme supports people in joining our business and gaining valuable work experience for their future careers.

Through our employability programmes, we offer:

• Drop in and tour to learn about our business, see behind the scenes and meet the team
• Work experience.
• Interview skills
• Guaranteed interview if work experience has been completed
• Interview questions shared in advance to reduce anxiety and enable preparation
• Post employment support - once a care experienced person starts work with us, support is available including buddies, mentors, a dedicated wellbeing contact from our in house Health and Wellbeing team and the opportunity to join the Care Experience Network

All Partners who run the employability programme in one of our sites are trained to be ‘Care experience Aware’ with our expert training team from Who Cares? Scotland charity .

Fulfilment

Workers who are fulfilled in their jobs are more likely to be engaged, committed and healthy. The following examples highlight workers who have been able to effectively develop and use their skills.

"I started with CJ Lang as a supervisor in 2015 at SPAR Kirriemuir and quite quickly took on more responsibility, which was great.

"I had loads of help and support from my Area Manager, other store managers and the training department and stayed in Kirriemuir before being given the chance to run SPAR Meigle. I thought it would be a great opportunity to work with staff who didn’t know me as well as gaining more experience by running the Post Office there.

"I stayed in SPAR Meigle for 2 years and helped with the training of a new manager.

"In January 2020 I started as a Pricing Assistant in the Head Office on Longtown Road in Dundee. I wanted to see the other side of the business after my time as a Manager. When the new Helpdesk started to roll out in March this year I jumped at the chance to be part of the team, thinking it would be good help to stores due to the experience I have gained in my time as a Store Manager."

- Mel Carlin

At Asda, we are committed to fostering a learning environment where all colleagues can develop skills, knowledge, and behaviours that drive organisational success, with inclusivity at the core. Since launching the Retail Level 2 programme in 2013, our apprenticeship offering has grown to over 80 programmes (Levels 2-7) across Retail, Logistics, and Home Office, delivered through Training Provider Partners.

Stuart is a current Graduate Apprentice in Scotland who is completing the Business Management degree, and has previously done the SCQF Level 5 and Level 6.

“Working as a Section Leader I did not have the confidence to challenge some of my colleagues on their performance. My apprenticeship supported me to develop my leadership skills, allowing me to constructively coach colleagues to work to a better standard and be able to articulate why we work the way we do. In the past 2 years I have been promoted from a Section Leader to a Trading Manager and now to part of the Future Team.”

• Stuart Clark, Future Trainer, Business Management Graduate Apprenticeship

Effective Voice

Having a say at work and being listened to can improve the experience of work as well as improve organisational performance. The following examples highlight employees being given forums to speak.

Boots is committed to ensuring employee views are heard and represented as a key pillar of enabling a healthy, inclusive workplace. The company operates employee-led forums called Business Resource Groups (BRGs), including in areas such as Disability, Women, Pride (LGBTQ+), Race, Ethnicity & Cultural Heritage and Working Parents. Staff are free to join and participate in the BRGs and these groups are an important vehicle by which the voice of Boots employees are respected, represented, and reflected in business decision-making.

As a result of the BRGs and their influence on policies and organisational practices, Boots has received accreditation as a Menopause Friendly employer in recognition of its commitment to supporting women’s health and improving the experience of the menopause for employees. In addition, Boots is accredited as a Disability Confident employer and has worked to ensure that its team members with disabilities are supported, including via workplace support passports.

The company also has a positive relationship with its trade union partners, including USDAW and the PDA, with whom Boots formally engages as part of its regular cycle of employee pay awards.

Leanne

‘I began my career nearly 22 years ago, spending 14 of those with an independent pharmacy, starting as a Saturday colleague and progressing to become an accuracy checking technician. I joined Boots in 2017 and progressed to Store Manager of the Irvine High Street store in 2021 - a role which has enabled me to grow and develop professionally.

‘Boots has always stood out to me for its focus on development and its reputation for working well with colleagues and the communities it serves. The company stays close to colleagues, regularly identifying talent and supporting career growth.

‘I currently serve as the Regional Forum representative for Scotland, representing all colleagues to ensure they have a voice in shaping the future of the company. I gather feedback across the region, meet with other reps, and raise key issues with the Executive team four times a year. This role is vital - it gives colleagues a chance to influence the direction of the business and feel more connected to the organisation.’

The John Lewis Partnership is built on democratic principles. We share the responsibilities and rewards of ownership: knowledge, power and profit. Partner opinion is crucial in driving the actions of our governing authorities: the Partnership Council, the Partnership Board and the Chairman.

For over 100 years The John Lewis Partnership has operated on democratic principles, sharing power with all Partners - values that remain as true today as they did in 1919. Today our democratic network of elected councils, committees and forums enables Partners to participate in decision making, challenge management on performance and have a say in how the business is run. We have over 3,000 specially elected representatives who feed into our three governing authorities - Partnership Council, Partnership Board and the Chairman, which run the Partnership.

In this short video, created for our Partners – the thousands of employees of the Partnership, we explain why their voice is so important and how power is shared between three governing authorities. Partner opinion is also enabled through our weekly in house magazine, in print and online.

We are proud to be ‘Working in Partnership for a happier world’ by improving the wellbeing of society and protecting and restoring nature so we can help create a more sustainable future for generations to come. We ran our Better Jobs survey with UK own-brand suppliers, which was an opportunity to collaborate and experiment with suppliers to drive sustainable and long lasting change. Suppliers and their workforce completed a survey based on a framework developed with from The Joseph Rowntree Foundation, the Institute of Employment Studies, and the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. The framework looks at seven areas of employment and experience of work; Voice, Growth, Reward, Security, Job Design, Respect and Health and Wellbeing. Through an online portal our suppliers can see their results, compare to peers and have access to guidance documents and dedicated resources. At a broader level insights are used to develop programmes to improve

By putting the voice of workers at the centre of our programmes, we aim to support the creation of better jobs for the people who make, pick and pack our products or provide our services through improving working conditions and job satisfaction. As co-owned business we are driven by our principles of democracy and we want to encourage and enable our suppliers to adopt similar principles within their own organisations.

Our Better Jobs programme has been set up to do just that by enabling our suppliers to hear direct feedback from their workforce to drive improved conditions and job satisfaction for those who grow, pick, pack, make products or provide services for our business. Since its inception, 80 suppliers sites across the UK and China have engaged with the Better Jobs programme. 11,000 worker responses have so far helped us design and deliver programmes within our supply chain aimed at improving the lives of employees.