Smarter operations gender pay gap is 4.9% (April 2019: 18.0%). These figures account for less than 20% of our workforce Investing in smarter operations so our colleagues as colleagues on furlough or reduced pay were can do their jobs better. excluded as per legislation. We continue to improve our systems and Over the same period we tracked our own internal processes to remove repetitive and unrewarding comparative median and mean gap metrics for all work and provide more compliant and leaner colleagues. These were presented to the Board operations. Our FY22 investment programme, and feedback from our gender pay analysis helped for example, aims to improve our commercial inform decisions during pay reviews. In common processes and systems and we are using tablets with many other retailers, around 80% of our more frequently to record audit information rather colleagues are employed in our retail operations than time-consuming forms. and, of these, over 70% of roles are filled by female colleagues. While we were pleased to see Fair reward that both our internal mean and median gender pay gap measures improved, we recognise that Our colleagues expect us to pay and incentivise we must continue to work towards reducing our them fairly and this was a topic of debate at our gender pay gap further. National Colleague Voice (NCV) meeting in April 2021 (see page 111). Based on the analysis of our ethnicity data collected to date, we see no evidence of any BASE PAY AND BENEFITS significant ethnicity pay gap. However, we will keep We apply the same pay principles throughout this under review as we build up a more accurate the organisation (see the Remuneration Report profile of our colleague diversity. on page 141 ). Our aim is that base pay should be competitive and set at median. All colleagues FINANCIAL SUPPORT are paid at least the National Living Wage or the To support our most vulnerable colleagues Minimum Wage, as set by UK Government. In and promote colleague wellbeing during the addition, colleagues receive a range of benefits pandemic, we helped colleagues to manage their including pension, colleague discount, a paid finances and draw on other support programmes, ‘birthday day off’, and access to a range of such as the Employee Assistance Programme discounts with third parties. All colleagues with (EAP) run by the Retail Trust, and the Salary minimum service (usually one month) are eligible Advance scheme which allows colleagues to to contribute to a sharesave scheme, allowing obtain an advance on their monthly pay. We also shares to be bought after three years at a 20% supported 242 colleagues through our Colleague discount to the share price at the start of the Support Fund (a self-funded hardship grant) which scheme, see page 151. Currently, around 22% of supplements third-party assistance. Information eligbe colleaguesavejoi ed, and, typcally, ths was made available on our ‘Home Comforts’ scheme has low drop-out rates. intranet which was used as a key resource tool for colleagues and the business during In FY20, and again in FY21, the Board agreed uncertain times. to make a special ‘thank you’ payment for commitment shown during the pandemic, Future of work meaning that over 97% of colleagues received a bonus each year. In 2020, we paid a flat rate of £250 to all colleagues, and in 2021 we paid Considering the impact of our internal strategy between £250 and £350 per colleague based and external trends on our colleague experience. on average hours worked (after feedback from The impact of Covid-19 has made us evaluate the colleagues about the fairness of giving a flat leadership skills we need to develop in the business amount to all) to all colleagues who were not for the changing nature of work. We want our eligible to share in the strong performance of the colleagues to ‘feel at home wherever they work’ – business in the year through their membership of in our support centres, for example, this involves another bonus scheme. introducing a hybrid work from home/office policy based on a combination of business need and GENDER PAY GAP REPORT personal preference, thereby embracing greater We published our fourth annual Gender Pay Gap autonomy and personal freedom. Our leadership Report on our corporatewebsite in October 2021 team aims to reinforce the importance of our new as per revised timelines set by UK Government, purpose, culture, shared values, cross-functional owing to Covid-19. Our published median gender learning and colleague support during this transition. pay gap is -6.4% (April 2019: 7.6%) and our mean DUNELM GROUP PLCANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS 2021 71 STRATEGIC REPORT GOVERNANCEFINANCIAL STATEMENTSOTHER INFORMATION