Respect for People

Our Policy - Equality & Diversity

The Company believes that everyone should be treated with fairness at work. Employees and workers (i.e. those under the control of, but not necessarily employed by the Company, such as agency workers and contractors), potential employees and customers will not receive less favourable treatment or consideration on the grounds of disability, race, religious belief, colour, nationality, ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, age or marital status.

Neither will employees or potential employees be disadvantaged by any terms and conditions of employment or Company requirements which cannot be justified as necessary on operational grounds.

Our Policy - Anti-Bullying & Harassment

We believe that everyone should be treated with dignity and respect at work. Whilst the builders' merchant environment is a 'down-to-earth' one, bullying and harassment of any kind is not tolerated or condoned. The company provides a clear policy regarding what might constitute bullying and harassment, and what means of redress an employee who experiences such inappropriate behaviour may have.

Our Policy - Stress at Work

Jewson recognises that stress can be a considerable risk to both our physical and mental health. We are committed to promoting a good, supportive climate and working culture where employees can access appropriate support. Believing 'prevention is better than cure', our aim is to prevent stress-related problems from occurring in the first place, but also to advise on what should be done if problems arise.

Our Policy - Family Friendly

Jewson is aware of the challenges involved in achieving a balance between the commercial realities of working for a customer-service focused organisation and the demands of family life. Guidelines are available for both managers and employees on the benefits available to them. Within the framework of these guidelines, we aim to ensure that employees are treated fairly in terms of achieving a sensible balance between home/family life and the work environment.

Our Policy - Employee Recognition & Reward

We believe in recognising and rewarding employees for a job well done. Whilst we strive to ensure that our pay packages are competitive in the marketplace, our view is that it is not just monetary reward that helps us to attract and retain staff.

Our remuneration packages reflect a company of our size and stature and in addition to market-benchmarked base salaries include: bonuses for some employees, a flexible benefits package that allows individuals to select their benefits according to personal preference, a share scheme and a favourable pension scheme. Furthermore, in a company where long service is valued, we also provide long-service awards and a retirement scheme.

Our Policy - Training & Development

Our policy is to provide all employees with the skills, knowledge and behaviours to operate effectively and efficiently, enabling them to provide the highest standard of service to our customers.

As a business we recognise that our biggest asset is our people. That's why we offer an extensive range of development opportunities, including work-based experience, formal courses and programmes, plus line management support and coaching. We identify opportunities through annual appraisals, succession planning and the requirements of individual roles.

All new Jewson employees are inducted through our "Groundwork" programme, with particular emphasis upon Health & Safety and Customer Service.

We also actively encourage the recruitment of school leavers, college students and graduates, and develop their skills through our internal training programmes.

Employee Schemes:

• Our Young Merchant Scheme allows employees to gain a number of external qualifications including a BTEC in Construction Materials from The Institute of Wood Science. They can also participate in the Government-encouraged Advanced Apprenticeship Programme where they can gain an NVQ Level 2 & 3 in Customer Service, two Key Skills qualifications and two Technical Certificates.
• The SGBD Learning Gateway allows employees to complete e-learning modules and view and book training courses online. The Gateway also gives information about individuals' roles, careers and appraisals, plus helps induct new employees.
• The "Potential Branch Manager" scheme is a 12-month skills-based modular succession programme. It consists of 15 off-the-job workshop days, branch-based project work, e-learning and on-the-job activities.
• Renewable energy modules have been developed for staff and customers covering renewable energy products, sustainability and the Code for Sustainable Homes.

In addition to formally arranged training schemes, every employee has access to an appraisal with their line manager. The Jewson Common Competency Framework focuses on those behaviours that lead to high performance and customer service.