solomons europe Our commitment to Socially Responsible Business

Transcription

1 solomons europe Our commitment to Socially Responsible Business

2 We are proud of our strong cultural values, which support our business objectives Our commitment to Socially Responsible Business STRONG CULTURAL VALUES At Solomons Europe we are proud of our strong cultural values, which support our business objectives: Striving for excellence Performance driven Client focused CRUCIAL PEOPLE VALUES But underpinning these traditional business excellence principles are our people values, and these values are critical to ensuring our overall success: Positive about People Open and Supportive These values are not just empty promises. We recognise that we are a people business and therefore need strong focus and commitment to the individuals who make up our teams, supporting and developing them, not just in their career path with our company, but also to ensure the personal and professional wellbeing of our people and the businesses and communities we work within. People values are critical to our overall sucess 2

3 Health & Wellbeing Today s hectic 24/7 lifestyles can be hard to juggle at times, and so as a company we are always looking for ways to support our teams in improving health and wellbeing. Our commitment Our people are spread across diverse projects, some in offices, some on sites, in different regions and sectors. We work hard and are driven to support our clients to achieve successful project outcomes. To support health and wellbeing across our teams and regions we have had to think outside the box a little, maybe even push the boat out a bit, to show we really mean it when we say that we need our people to look after themselves and take time out to recharge their batteries and spend some family time in the fresh air and Great British countryside. We have two specific commitments to this objective: Every employee in the business is entitled to a free weeks holiday each year for the family in our luxury holiday lodge in the Lake District Twice a year we hold family days in the great outdoors with outdoor challenges and activities for all ages so Mum, Dad and the little ones can all get involved In the workplace In addition to these family friendly initiatives, we also support healthy lifestyle choices for our people through our workplace commitment by: Encouraging our people to take up the 10,000 step challenge to get up and keep moving with Jawbone UP bands - which monitor daily activity, sleep patterns, diet and sedentary periods every now and again adding a bit of healthy competition into the mix with a regular health and wellbeing challenge Our regional offices in Cumbria and Hartlepool have dual purpose meeting and ping pong tables to encourage activity during the working day and add an element of fun and relaxation to the workplace Membership of Westfield Health which provides a generous cash plan for essentials such as glasses, dental care and physiotherapy, but also gives access to GP advice and consultancy, as well as counselling and therapy Our goal is to build and maintain a workplace environment and culture that supports healthy lifestyle choices To increase knowledge and awareness of Health and Wellbeing issues and healthy lifestyle behaviours To improve overall health and wellbeing of our teams We aim to encourage team members to be more physically active in the workplace by reducing sitting time where practical, and promoting social and emotional wellbeing through work place policies and training to increase knowledge and awareness around key health topics. Going forward in 2016 we have signed up to the Mindful Employer Charter, to raise awareness of the importance of mental as well as physical wellbeing, and ensuring our people are fully informed and supported by an Employer who is positive about mental health. 3

4 Solomons is committed to creating a working environment which is free from discrimination, harassment or bullying, and which is supportive of diversity and inclusion. Diversity & Inclusion Solomons is committed to creating a working environment which is free from discrimination, harassment or bullying, and which is supportive of diversity and inclusion. We aim to ensure everyone working within our business, regardless of personal circumstances, is confident of the opportunity to give their best and be fairly rewarded, developed and recognised for their efforts. Our commitment to these principles is clearly evidenced by the strong female presence on our Board of Directors where 43% are female and in our newly launched Accelerated QS Pathway. Our staff can be confident of the opportunity to give their best and be fairly rewarded, developed and recognised for their efforts. 4 Our pathway scheme offers a formal route to Chartership based on workplace experience backed by professional and academic accreditations and is targeting a trainee in each of our northern regions: Cumbria, Hartlepool and Newton le Willows areas where employment opportunities for young people and long term unemployed can be limited. To further strengthen our commitment to developing a truly inclusive workplace, we have made a commitment in 2016 to raise awareness of Diversity & Inclusion in all our teams through training and support from our Talent Management team.

5 Corporate Citizenship Solomons as a business have been very fortunate to grow from a startup in 1998 to feature in the 2015 Building Top 50 QS practices and Good Employer Guide. Along the way we have had support and guidance from a number of institutions and initiatives, to build our skills and confidence as a business - including Investors in People, Business Growth Accelerator, and the LEAD Programme. We strive to be an active contributor to social and community causes and initiatives. For this reason, we feel we should be an active contributor to social and community causes and initiatives. In previous years this has included supporting charities such as the Prince s Trust, through their Million Makers initiative, and mental health charity Growing Well. For 2016 we are formalising this commitment through the following initiatives: Raising awareness of the industries we work in with schools and colleges in our region to promote the Quantity Surveying profession as an accessible and rewarding career option The creation of an Employee CSR Action group who will be responsible for distribution of a 2500 charity fund to good causes nominated and selected by our employees An Annual Regional Fundraising Target of 500, or equivalent value in practical donations (e.g. food bank donations, etc.) to offices to a charity or community initiative of their choice Continued support for Growing Well, a mental health charity, organic farm and training centre in Cumbria Participation in the annual Salvation Army Christmas Present Appeal 5

6 We recognise that we are a people business and therefore need strong focus and commitment to the individuals who make up our close knit teams, supporting and developing them not just in their career with our company, but also in their personal and professional wellbeing. This commitment also includes being aware of the opportunities we have to make a positive impact on the businesses and communities we work with. 6

7 We do whatever we can as consultants to act in a sustainable manner. Sustainability As a Quantity Surveying organisation specialising in project controls and contract administration in the process and engineering sector, working for Main and Specialist contractors, decisions with regard to sustainability are usually made before we mobilise on site. However, we support our clients commitment to sustainability through cascading commitments and through supply chain contracts and prequalification assessments. Whilst we are rarely able to influence design options on the live projects we support, we do whatever we can as consultants to act in a sustainable manner. The ways in which we have done this include: Upcycling our office furniture as part of the recent refurbishment programme at our Cumbrian J36 special projects office. We redesigned our existing desks, consoles and cabinets using sustainably sourced oak and recycled cladding materials to give a natural look and feel to our offices, using Havwoods specially recycled cladding materials for the internal wall panels on that office We select our fleet of company cars based on low carbon emissions and fuel economy figures and keep this under regular review. Our BMW fleet has some of the lowest emissions for vehicles of their kind which means greater fuel efficiency as well as lower tax and benefit costs to our fleet users We have opted to use a Green Energy supplier for our Cumbrian J36 office We have organised paper and printer cartridge recycling protocols Our management team utilise conference calling for meetings each Wednesday to reduce travel requirements Our team is connected via an online collaboration portal, which acts as a virtual office community and knowledge exchange, keeping our people connected, whatever their location 7

8 Contact Us Feel free to contact us online or via our regional offices Cumbria Office North West Office North East Office Solomons Europe Ltd. 10 Moss End Business Village Crooklands Cumbria LA7 7NU Solomons Europe Ltd. Centrix House 26 Crow Lane East Newton-Le-Willows WA12 9UY t: t: Solomons Europe Ltd. Office 513 Hub 2 The Innovation Centre Venture Court Queens Meadow Business Park Hartlepool TS25 5TG t: solomonseurope.co.uk