Inclusion & Diversity 2.0

2023/24 - 2025/26

OUR CRGs

Our CRGs are at the heart of Princes’ Inclusion & Diversity Strategy. Providing a safe space for colleagues to connect with others, our CRGs identify and drive action which leads to a more inclusive work environment for us all.

Joining a CRG benefits colleagues through networking opportunities, learning experiences, skill development and CRG project involvement. They’re a chance to showcase your skills and the impact you bring to a wider audience within Princes.

ACCESSIBILITY

Cultivating a workplace where disabilities and long-term physical and mental health challenges are understood without stigma.

If you would like to find out more about our CRGs, or get involved, please email: inclusion@princes.co.uk

SOCIAL MOBILITY

Broadening access to Princes for colleagues from less advantaged social-economic backgrounds.

GENDER DIVERSITY

Enabling an environment where equal opportunities exist, at all levels, regardless of gender.

Inclusion Diversity&

MULTICULTURAL

Recognising and respecting the valuable contribution colleagues from diverse backgrounds and experiences bring to Princes.

AGE DIVERSITY

Recognising and respecting the valuable contribution colleagues of all ages and experiences bring to Princes.

LGBT+

Creating a truly inclusive workplace, recruiting and retaining talented colleagues who can work at their best.

INTRODUCTION Joe Dent

It’s important for us to ensure that we create an inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and respected because of their difference.

We know that the more we collaborate and value difference, the closer we get to living in a truly inclusive community.

A lot of great work has been achieved since we launched our inaugural strategy in 2020, with increasing education and awareness around some of the important issues. More and more colleagues are getting involved, and I believe we’re in a very good place.

Progress has been driven by our Inclusion Champions and they have been ably supported by our six Colleague Resource Groups (CRGs) as well as other key people in the business and at Board level. I’m also very grateful to all those colleagues who have embraced the changes and contributed in many different ways to our success to date.

With the building blocks in place, I’m delighted to say that we’re now ready to take this business-critical subject to the next level with a new, invigorated and bolder approach and a road map that will help us to cultivate an inclusive community.

We recently welcomed Siwan Smith as our first dedicated Inclusion & Diversity Manager and her role is going to be invaluable to the business as we continue to evolve our strategy and embed it across the Group.

We want Princes to thrive with an innovative and productive culture so we can deliver the best products to our customers, and a diverse workforce will help us achieve this. It will also ensure that we keep pace with how approaches to I&D are evolving in the UK and globally.

I see I&D as everyone’s responsibility and to get the best possible results we need the commitment of every colleague across the Princes Group to work together and be open to change.

I’m extremely proud about the progress we have made to date, and excited to see where we’re going with the next iteration of our journey.

Read on to find out more about our ambitious plans for the future.

JOE DENT Chief People Officer #TogetherWeAchieveMore

What a long way we have come together over the past three years. With strong foundations now in place, we’re setting our sights on a very exciting I&D future.

INTRODUCING Siwan Smith

I’ve got a strong background of designing programmes that are equitable, that bring communities together and ensure that products and services are more inclusive.

I know it’s as easy to get I&D wrong as it is to get it right. The consequences of getting it wrong can be severe in terms of the impact on a business’s culture and long-term success.

We’re a global business and it’s exciting to be able to ensure there’s a connection across all our sites around the world.

My big focus is continuing to bring diversity to life and everyone has a role to play in this. It’s important to broaden colleagues’ knowledge and ensure that people feel valued and respected and to know they have a voice. This comes from being an inclusive organisation.

I’ve seen lots of things I like already. We’ve got really good leadership engagement at Princes, we talk about I&D regularly and there is a strong commitment to support the I&D agenda within the business, and for it to be given the time it requires to accelerate progress.

We need to continue embedding I&D across our systems and processes.

Princes’ CRGs have a lot to be proud of. Some great examples of the changes they have helped to drive include the Gender Diversity CRG with the menopause initiatives, the LGBT+ quiz which was very well attended and the Sunflower Room from the Accessibility CRG.

My aim is to make Princes purposefully more inclusive and diverse so you can expect to see us seeking external accreditations. We want industry recognition for the fantastic work we are doing.

We have big plans and these are exciting times.

SIWAN SMITH Inclusion & Diversity Manager

Since joining Princes in July, I’ve been impressed with the I&D work that has been achieved to date and the level of interest and engagement from colleagues – and I’m excited about building on this.

WHY AN INCLUSIVE AND DIVERSE Workforce is important

Why is an inclusive and diverse workforce important to us at Princes?

The food and drink industry is the UK’s largest manufacturing sector, contributing more to the economy than all other manufacturing sectors, including automotive and aerospace.

Within the UK alone, food and drink manufacturers directly employ over 456,000 people across every region.

The fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) market is huge and it touches on everyone’s life every day whether they work in the industry or not. It’s important that our industry innovates and adapts to the changing needs of our diverse consumer base, to foster brand loyalty.

At Princes, we have the opportunity to really embed I&D into our strategy and workplace practices, to ensure that each individual or group of people is given equitable resources and opportunities.

Studies show that decisions made and executed by diverse teams deliver 60% better results and inclusive teams make better business decisions 87% of the time. Increased leadership diversity correlates with better financial performance too.

The people around us are important contributors to how welcoming, comfortable, and valued we feel.

Attracting talent from more diverse backgrounds with more diverse experiences and views gives us the ability to challenge established ways of thinking.

Diverse perspectives lead to innovation and creativity, supports our ability to understand our customers changing needs, and helps us to provide alternative or improved approaches.

Benefits include the ability to attract and retain the best talent, increased colleague satisfaction, improved outputs and better organisational performance.

I&D is not only essential for a happy and productive workplace, it’s an important factor for our customers and colleagues too.

The evidence for encouraging diversity at work is clear and it requires a conscious effort to reach out and create a more diverse population.

Diverse teams deliver 60% better results

Inclusive teams make better business decisions 87% of the time

Food and drink manufacturers directly employ 456,000 people across every region of the UK

OUR STORY so far

We launched our inaugural I&D Strategy across the Group in August 2020. Our initial focus was to create a supportive, inclusive environment where colleagues of all backgrounds and perspectives felt valued, respected, and included.

We led with Inclusion because when people feel included, and their unique perspectives appreciated, we will naturally attract a diverse group of individuals to Princes, meaning diversity comes as an organic bi-product, and can be embedded deep within the culture of the business in an authentic and real way.

In November 2020, we intentionally evolved the People Excellence Strategy and introduced “Our Princes – Our People” branding that brings to life the six Pillars of People Excellence.

Since then, we’ve seen some outstanding moments which represent a genuine step-change in the way Princes approaches I&D. While there is still much work to be done, we can fairly say that I&D has become a hot topic and a point of difference for Princes.

When we launched our strategy we made it clear that, for it to succeed and be authentic, it had to be a cultural change that was colleague driven. Through the work of our CRGs and the wider engagement of colleagues across the business, we have been able to move towards achieving this objective.

I&D sits firmly in its natural home as a core component of the “Our Community” pillar.

We launched the I&D Strategy with a balanced focus on six pillars: LGBT+, Accessibility, Social Mobility, Gender Diversity, Multicultural and Age Diversity. Each are led by a senior Inclusion Champion. We then put out a call for volunteers to join the Colleague Resource Groups (CRGs) that supports each pillar. Our colleagues didn’t disappoint in their response. In fact, we were overwhelmed and over 100 colleagues from across the Group joined the six CRGs.

Through our People Excellence Strategy we recognised the need to develop a stronger position on Inclusion & Diversity if we were to enhance our Colleague Value Proposition. It’s fundamental in our vision to become an Employer of Choice.

Some key achievements

• Our annual Inclusion Calendar of events has had a profound impact on our workplace culture. It has raised awareness, educated our colleagues about different cultures, identities, and experiences, and helped us create a more inclusive environment where all colleagues feel valued and respected.

• It’s attracting people to join us too. Hosting events that celebrate diversity, and talking about this on LinkedIn and our Careers and Corporate websites, is giving us a competitive edge in attracting and retaining the best talent in FMCG. Two events that stood out were an anti-racism webinar with football legend John Barnes and a keynote speech on unconscious bias by Rikki Arundel.

• We want to tackle talking points both inside and outside of the workplace in our efforts to become a more inclusive workplace. During Menopause Awareness Month, for example, we invited BBC TV presenter Louise Minchin and Dr Helen Kini to launch our new UK menopause friendly policy and practices and they gave a great talk to over 100 male and female colleagues.

• To celebrate Black History Month in October 2022, our Multicultural CRG hosted a live ‘Race in the Workplace’ Q&A with Sonia Bassey MBE and Everton FC’s Ben Osu.

• In December 2022, TV presenter JJ Chalmers joined us for International Day for Disabled Persons and took questions from over 100 colleagues about his disability and how he has overcome significant injuries and barriers relating to disability.

• Ongoing celebrations include: International Women’s Day, International Men’s Day, Pride Month and International Day of Disabled Persons.

• Since 2020, we’ve hosted 27 events across our six pillars which have been well received and provided opportunities for colleagues across the Group to get involved in experiences that align with their interests and values.

• Our customers are noticing too. We were honoured to be invited to lead a round-table event focused on levelling up inclusion in FMCG with one of our key customers, Co-Op Food, a leader in the field of I&D best practice.

“ Our events have been critical in raising awareness, starting the right conversations in the name of inclusion, and have led to a number of meaningful and positive conversations beyond our Inclusion Calendar.”

SIWAN SMITH Inclusion & Diversity Manager

We have also:

• Won Bronze in the GroceryAid Awards for our fundraising, awareness and volunteering.

• Signed up to UN Women’s Principles

This set of seven guiding principles was designed to help private sector organisations promote gender equality and empower women in the workplace.

• Joined the LGBT+ Allies’ Scheme

Our LGBT+ pillar introduced the Rainbow Lanyard scheme across UK & PFBV in 2021. By wearing a rainbow lanyard our colleagues have a very visual way to indicate their support for the LGBT+ community.

• Launched the Sunflower Lanyard Scheme

A program that allows people with hidden disabilities to discreetly indicate to others that they may require additional support or assistance while out in public. Colleagues across RLB have been encouraged to adopt the lanyard if they wish to indicate that they may require such support.

Using direct feedback and ideas from our CRGs we have also been able to progress some of our employment policies and practices.

• Enhanced Family Leave

• SMART Working

• Menopause Awareness

• Supporting Fertility Treatment

• Supporting Pregnancy Loss

• Dress Code

THE STRATEGY

2.0

It’s time now to build on our great foundations and ensure that I&D remains firmly at the top of our business agenda.

We’ve developed Four Key Goals which all have a number of actions.

#TogetherWeAchieveMore

Organic Inclusion

Objective

Our approach is culturally driven by our colleagues, so it remains authentic and encourages inclusion to live and breathe naturally throughout our business.

Actions

• Introduction of an Inclusion Committee – a steering group of colleagues from every CRG who meet regularly to discuss intersectional opportunities, align and coordinate current and future activities, monitor progress and support I&D recommendations.

• Introduction of an inclusion focused Leadership Objective – as part of the annual PDR process every Senior Leadership Team (SLT) member to be given an inclusion focused performance objective to replace the current people management objective.

• Senior Inclusion Champion and CRG Re-energisation – we want to revitalise our CRGs, by refreshing our I&D governance, establishing exciting new roles and opportunities and renewing leadership engagement.

• Introduction of Recognition & Celebration for CRG members – to thank and reward CRG members who drive I&D progress within Princes.

• Continuous review of Policies and Practices – to ensure we’re removing any barriers to inclusion and that we have a working environment that supports and enables a truly inclusive culture to thrive.

• Site and country specific research and engagement – to support deeper engagement across our sites and countries to understand sub-cultural challenges and opportunities.

Positive Reputation

Objective

We want to continue to build Princes’ positive and growing reputation as an inclusive organisation and employer. We will enhance our CVP for our own colleagues and within the external candidate market, and inspire inclusive operations for our customers, consumers and communities.

Actions

• Each pillar to have an Accreditation and/or Affiliation – with a recognised organisation that demonstrates our commitment in all aspects of I&D and allows us to leverage thought leadership and best practice.

• Enhanced reputation through greater external engagement – a deliberate communication and engagement strategy that demonstrates and promotes Princes’ position with external stakeholders.

• Achieve Gold Supporter status – to deepen our relationship with the Diversity in Grocery Partnership as part of our GroceryAid membership. Our ambition is to move from Bronze to Gold supporter status.

• Achieve industry and colleague recognition for our I&D progress – so we can proactively promote Princes and our extraordinary colleagues externally for I&D progress and dedication.

• Develop insightful impact reporting mechanisms – develop a comprehensive package of impact reporting mechanisms, including case studies, dashboards and testimonials, which will help Princes to tell a compelling story of our progress and inspire others.

Balance Representation

Objective

We want to take positive steps to move the dial on representation levels of all minoritised groups. It will give our business better balance and be more reflective of the communities we operate in, the customers we serve, and the consumers who love our products.

Actions

• Conduct a ‘This is Me Data Capture Campaign’ – to improve our data capture and create a safe way for colleagues to share their personal data. It will allow greater monitoring and understanding of equity within Princes.

• Work with CRGs to develop and agree specific representation targets – we will work with our six CRG groups to develop aspirational representation targets, generate goals to monitor progress against and establish greater understanding of the role of targets, the considerations needed to establish them, and how they can drive action.

• Continue to enhance our recruitment strategies – we’ll review recruitment processes, establish improved data capture and monitoring and support innovative and inclusive practice.

• Ensure Colleague Value Proposition practices are fully aligned – we’ll carry out analysis and reviews into wider colleague practices across the full employee lifecycle, supporting, promoting and achieving improved balance in areas such as reward, development, promotion and retention. Working with the CRGs, we’ll develop a deeper understanding of the needs of minoritised communities within Princes.

• Monitor and improve supplier Inclusion & Diversity – working with Procurement and Sustainability colleagues, we’ll ensure that Inclusion and Diversity is built in and assessed during our procurement processes, understand our wider societal impact and increase spend with minority owned suppliers.

• Improve female and UK ethnic minority senior leadership representation – we’ll benchmark female and UK ethnic minority leadership (G7+) representation and develop an action plan to drive improvement within the next 3 years.

Education and Understanding

Objective

Everyone has a responsibility to create and foster a sense of belonging at Princes through our words and actions every day. Developing deep and impactful learning experiences to drive education and understanding of all colleagues is at the heart of this change.

Actions

• Provide conscious inclusion training for all colleagues – so our colleagues can acknowledge and understand unconscious bias. We’ll also provide practical support to enable consciously inclusive actions and fair decisions.

• Enhance inclusion learning experiences and resources – providing colleagues access to content that supports their active learning and practical application in line with organisational insights and personal interests. This will include inclusive communications, inclusive meetings and inclusive hiring guidance.

• Create an annual programme of inspiring guest speakers – quarterly inspiration from guest speakers around topics of importance to our CRGs to drive fresh I&D discussions and greater understanding.

• Onboarding education for all new colleagues

– we’ll review and enhance our onboarding process and materials to ensure new colleagues joining the business are immersed in our inclusion journey and made aware of the I&D Pillars and CRG networks they can support.

• Launch of values and behaviour framework – to help develop a more inclusive culture within Princes, our evolved values and supporting behavioural framework will go live.

• Share knowledge with our suppliers and customers – we want to develop an external offering to support our suppliers and customers with access to Princes I&D expertise and lived experience.

THE LEGISLATIVE Requirements

The UK Equality Act (2010) states that companies are legally required not to discriminate against employees or potential employees due to age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. These are called ‘Protected Characteristics’.

Section 3 of the Italian Constitution states that all citizens possess equal social dignity and are equal before the law, without distinction of sex, race, language, religion and political orientation, personal and social conditions, which is further supported by further Legislative Decrees on equal opportunities and equal treatment in employment and occupation.

Within Mauritius the Equal Opportunities Act prohibits indirect and direct discrimination based on age, caste, colour, creed, ethnic origin, impairment, marital status, place of origin, political opinion, race, sex or sexual orientation.

Within the Netherlands, The Equal Treatment Act states that direct and indirect distinction between persons is prohibited when the distinction is based on religion, beliefs, political preferences, race, gender, nationality, sexual orientation or marital status. Distinction based on pregnancy, childbirth or maternity is regarded as a distinction based on gender. This is further supported by the Dutch Civil Code.

Article 1 of the French Constitution outlines the equality of all citizens before the law, regardless of origin, race or religion, and is further supported by the French Labor Code, which prohibits any form of direct or indirect discrimination towards a candidate or employee based on their origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, family situation, pregnancy, ethnic group, nation or race, political opinions, religious beliefs and disability, amongst others.

The EU Equality Directive and EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, act as a framework for EU countries regarding equal opportunities and non-discrimination legislation.

Since April 2017, gender pay reporting legislation requires UK employers with 250 or more employees to publish statutory calculations every year showing how large the pay gap is between their male and female employees. We publish our Gender Pay Gap Report annually. Additionally, other countries that we operate within have reporting requirements, which can include gender pay gap reporting, gender representation and annual equality progress reports.

There are a number of legislative requirements that we must meet as a business.

GOVERNANCE & Accountability

• All colleagues across our Group have a responsibility to maintain an environment that is safe, respectful, and productive. We will continue to monitor this through colleague responses in our Group engagement and inclusion survey as well as via colleague feedback.

• Our I&D Sponsor is Joe Dent, our Chief People Officer, who is a board member and sits within the Executive Leadership Team.

• We have six CRGs, each of which has a dedicated Inclusion Champion selected from within our Senior and Executive Leadership Teams.

• Our Executive Leadership Team (ELT) receive regular metrics and reports regarding I&D and, separately, the I&D Manager and I&D Sponsor meet weekly.

• The I&D Manager ensures continuous progress against the I&D Strategy and action plans, with monthly monitoring. They also keep in regular contact with the CRGs and Inclusion Champions to ensure communication and collaboration around I&D challenges and opportunities.

• We publish an I&D update annually for colleague insight.