Respecting Others

Many divisions and country organisations have a Workplace Safety unit within their Human Resources department, which deploys a variety of training and prevention programmes.

Mandatory classroom courses are backed by on-the-job presentations of the risks involved at each station.

Managers receive additional training in risk identification, accident prevention and accident management.

Redesigned safety posters were put up in 2007 to maintain employee awareness of safety messages and best practices.

In all of our host countries, our priority is to identify and acknowledge the contributions of each employee, primarily through our compensation systems.

Most managers receive bonuses based on personal and group targets. Following each annual performance review, a summary of the main issues discussed is prepared and signed by the manager and the employee. Where appropriate, employees may be given support in resolving any identified shortcomings.

Managers across the Group also participate in the ECHOS appraisal process, which helps to develop their skills and job mobility.

At local level, a number of initiatives have been launched to encourage, promote and reward innovation and best practices. These include:
• The Annual Achievement Awards in the United Kingdom
• Progress circles in Spain
• The Eliance Quality competition in France

Improving social dialogue is one of our priorities.

To share information with the Group Works Council, whose charter has been renewed twice since it was established in 2000, we have developed an innovative method based on a specially-created balanced scorecard that makes it easy to track the main human resources management indicators.

An agreement to form a European Works Council was signed in July 2005.
It refers directly to the labour relations aspect of our corporate responsibility commitment, which is led by the Corporate Human Resources Department and shaped by our pledge to support the UN Global Compact.

The fact that it won unanimous support illustrates the quality of the relations with employee representatives that we have forged over the years in all of our host countries. The European Works Council will have 12 members, including six men and six women.

In early 2005, Avenance UK acted ahead of the law by organising elections for the first Works Council in the contract catering business. Since then, the Council’s remit has been expanded to include all of our businesses in the United Kingdom.

Avenance Nederland and its Works Council have been awarded the Nijstenprijs prize on numerous occasions for the quality of their labour relations, in a competition organised annually by the Dutch trade association.