Equal Opportunities

The Board recognises that employees need to understand and contribute to the broad objectives of the business and seeks to develop good relations with employees through regular communications and consultation. Selection for employment and promotion is based on the objective assessment of ability and experience and the Group is committed to ensuring that its workplaces are free from unlawful discrimination of any sort. The Group strives to ensure that its policies and practices provide equal opportunities for all irrespective of gender, race, ethnic origin, colour, religion, physical disability, mental health, marital status, sexual orientation or age.

We continue to encourage diversity in our workforce. In the year ended 30th June 2006 the percentage of female employees increased from 27% to 28% and the percentage of employees from ethnic groups increased from 2% to 2.5%. The percentage of employees who are disabled remained approximately constant at 0.1%. Next year we will be investing in the provision of equal opportunities training for managers through inhouse training.

Applications for employment by disabled persons are considered on their merits with due regard to the individual skills and abilities of the applicant. Where disability arises in the course of an individual’s employment the Group will seek to enable the person to continue working by making appropriate adjustments to the working environment and by offering appropriate support and training.

The Group is committed to employee training and development at all levels of the organisation and endeavours to contribute to the industry’s future skills base by an extensive recruitment and training programme for apprentices and graduate trainees.

The Group currently employs over 500 apprentices and over 50 graduate trainees recruited from communities close to its areas of operation and its policy is to ensure that the majority of divisions and housebuilding sites employ both graduates and apprentices. To stimulate graduate recruitment the Group has expanded its graduate recruitment programme and a further 50 graduates started work at the beginning of September.

The Group works closely with the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) and the NHBC in training provision and a training plan is prepared annually linked to identified business priorities and objectives. Having regard to the nature of our business, particular focus is given in the training programme to construction management, trade skills, health and safety and customer care. We have also committed to the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) for our employees and subcontractors as part of the Major House Builders Group Qualified Workforce Initiative.

As a business our commitment to quality and continuous improvement is absolute. Our National Employee Award scheme forms an important part of our “Forward Through Quality” initiative which seeks to raise quality and performance standards through a process of internal monitoring and appraisal. The Board recognises that the strength and quality of its leadership resource is crucial to the continued prosperity and commercial success of the business. The Board is therefore undertaking a review of the Group’s succession planning arrangements and a management development and support programme linked to our target operational growth areas is being developed.

This year, an Employment Procedures Guide for Managers was developed and will be launched following the recruitment of five Regional Human Resource & Training Managers who will assist in the implementation of our strategic and also our day to day human resource objectives.

Barratt Equal Opportunities Statement

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