Team Members are key to Signet’s ability to achieve its objectives and mission. Therefore teamwork, integrity, communication, and fair treatment all play an important part in the way the Company operates. Furthermore, Signet’s ability to operate in accordance with its Principles is dependent on its Team Members’ understanding of them and how they impact on their respective roles and responsibilities.
Signet considers its relationship with its Team Members to be excellent, valuing honest, open and constructive two-way communication throughout the organization. This is achieved through store, area and regional management meetings in addition to staff opinion surveys, feedback reports and staff meetings. These procedures facilitate consultation during which the views of Team Members can be expressed and taken into account in decisions likely to affect their interests. Team Members are kept informed of Signet’s performance and objectives through management contact supplemented by staff publications in both the US and UK. The involvement of Team Members in Signet’s results is encouraged through participation in performance-related incentive payment schemes and savings-related share option schemes, which include all Team Members, subject to minimum employment requirements. Signet does not restrict or discriminate against Team Members who wish to be covered by collective bargaining agreements.
Signet’s policy is not to tolerate any form of unlawful discrimination on any grounds or at any level. In respect of people with disabilities, full and fair consideration is given to employment, opportunities for training, career development and promotion according to their skills and capacity. The services of any existing Team Members who become disabled are, where possible, retained and appropriate training is arranged for them wherever possible. There are dispute resolution procedures in place in both divisions. Signet assigns responsibility for human resource matters, including health and safety, to divisional executive management committees. Both the US and UK operations have established systems which include the provision of training and development opportunities at all levels of the organization.
As a result of our commitment to our core values and the culture of our Company, along with our employment and advancement programs, more than 68 percent of all our store management staff are female, and female participation in management positions continues to increase. Women represent a critical and significant part of our senior and executive leadership team and we are fortunate to have four outstanding women as Board members. Signet is proud of the fact that our Company is and has been a place where all employees can succeed and advance. The percentage of female team members and managers at our Company is far in excess of the industry average of 44.1% reported by the U.S. Government’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. Even with these demographics, we believe we have a responsibility to lead and continuously improve.