Environmental Policy

1. Introduction

SPE Resourcing recognise that our operations do have an effect on the local, regional and global environment. As a consequence of this, the management are committed to continuous improvements in environmental performance and the prevention of pollution. We will do this

by:-

• optimising the use of energy;
• ensuring the efficient use of energy;
• encouraging re-use and recycling; and
• ensuring that we meet all legislative requirements.

Environmental regulations, laws and codes of practice will be regarded as setting the minimum standards of environmental performance.

2. Policy Statement

Energy

The company will use environmentally safe and sustainable energy sources to meet our needs. We will invest in improved energy efficient products that we use such as energy saving computer equipment.

Resource consumption

We will seek to address its impact on the environment through the adoption of a sustainable procurement policy. We will conserve resources through efficient use and careful planning. For example, by adapting the way we use our IT systems we have reduced the amount of paper that we consume.

Recycling

A primary part of our corporate environmental strategy is sustainable waste management and as such we look to recycle materials wherever possible. Our major products are paper, toner and IT equipment. Paper and toner are recycled and old IT equipment is donated to charities and schools.

Transport

We aim to reduce fuel consumption and exhaust emissions through a number of methods. We encourage the use of public transport and car sharing for client visits. We are committed to keeping city centre locations for our offices enabling more staff to take advantage of public transport when commuting. We actively encourage the acquisition of diesel cars for our company car fleet.>

Audit

We will conduct an annual self-evaluation of our performance in implementing these principles and in complying with all applicable laws and regulations.

3. Summary

Office based business account for a significant proportion of the UK’s energy consumption. SPE Resourcing Limited wishes to contribute in improving the global environment by reducing the impact its activities have on the environment. We recognise that our staff have an important part to play in helping us achieve these objectives and we encourage and train our staff to carry out their tasks in the most environmentally responsible way possible. We actively encourage our staff to identify ways of reducing our environmental impact. All suggestions are considered by the management team and staff are rewarded for any ideas that are implemented.

Managing Diversity Policy

SPE Resourcing is committed to valuing and promoting Diversity in all areas of recruitment, employment, training and promotion. SPE Resourcing will work towards an environment that is based on meritocracy and inclusiveness, where all employees can develop their full potential, irrespective of their race, gender, marital status, age, disability, religious belief, political opinion, or sexual orientation. This policy applies to all employees of SPE Resourcing

Employer's Responsibility

• To comply with the letter and spirit of this policy.
• To value diversity in society and in our workforce as a means of broadening SPE Resourcing's talent base, achieving the highest levels of performance, and enabling all employees to reach their full potential.
• To identify the various behaviours and barriers that discrimination can take, and understand the negative effect these can have on SPE Resourcing and its' employees and customers.
• To dispel the myth that only certain types of people are suitable for certain types of jobs or training.
• To monitor the application of the Managing Diversity Policy, and work towards eliminating any discriminatory practices which may be limiting SPE Resourcing's ability to achieve its' objectives, thereby maintaining our reputation as a fair and responsible employer in the eyes of the Group's employees, shareholders, customers, and the public Employee Responsibility
• To comply with the letter and spirit of this policy.
• To be aware of the various behaviours and barriers that discrimination can take, and understand the negative impact these can have on SPE Resourcing, your customers and colleagues.
• To be sensitive to the potential impact of your own behaviour on colleagues, customers and job applicants.
• To co-operate with management in the elimination of any discriminatory practices which may be identified.

What is Managing Diversity?

'Managing Diversity' is a more effective way of dealing with equal opportunities issues. It emphasises the business and personal benefits that accrue from valuing the differences between people, rather than just complying with the law. Organisations that grasp the additional business opportunities generated by managing diversity effectively, are far more likely to enjoy sustained competitive advantage than those who do not.

Why is it important?

• It is essential that we attract and retain the most talented people to continue to compete successfully in the financial services market. Skills and ability are not, for example, the preserve of one particular ethnic group or one gender; by recognising this we can widen our recruitment pool and maximise the potential of our existing employees.
• We are committed to providing service excellence to all our customers and we believe that this can be better achieved by a workforce that values and reflects the diversity of our society
• We operate in an increasingly diverse society. In order to enhance business opportunities we should reflect and value that diversity in our advertising, marketing and sales strategies. • It has been established that employees motivation and commitment increase if people feel valued and perceive that they are being treated fairly. Evidence from a range of sources also indicates that diversity results in more creativity and higher productivity.

Managing Diversity Policy

Finally, but not least, there are a number of laws that set out how employers and individuals should act. The most important ones are: Equal Pay Act 1970; Sex Discrimination Act 1975; Race Relations Act 1976 ,the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006.

Avoiding Assumptions

Care should be taken to ensure that decisions and actions are not influenced by stereotypical views. Examples of such assumptions are:

• Ethnic minorities lack qualifications.
• Women with young children are less committed to their work.
• Disabled employees are more likely to be sick than the average member of employees.
• Older workers lack ambition and enthusiasm.
• Part-timers are less committed to their work than those who work full time.

Recruitment and Selection

Every effort should be made to attract applications from all sections of society and to ensure fair treatment throughout the recruitment process. This will include:

• Checking that job and candidate specifications are relevant and non-discriminatory.
• Ensuring that the wording and images used in job adverts reflect and appeal to all sections of society.
• Using advertising media that reach all sections of society.
• Communicating our policy to recruitment and employment agencies.
• Short-listing only those people whose skills and qualifications most closely match the candidate specification.
• Asking fair and consistent questions at interview.
• Keeping records of the recruitment and selection process, including interviews.
• Monitoring recruitment and selection to ensure equality of opportunity throughout the process and, if necessary, taking steps to eliminate any discriminatory practices.

Interviewing Technique

When interviewing job applicants, employees should ask fair and consistent questions which focus on job and performance issues rather than the candidate's private life. It is unlawful to ask candidates about their family commitments or medical history unless they are clearly relevant to the job and are asked of all candidates. The following are examples of assumptions which should NOT be made, and questions which should NOT be asked:

• Are you planning to get engaged or married?
• Do you have children? If so, how old are they?
• What is your husband's employment?
• What would your husband think about you working late?

Acceptable questions are:

• If asked to work extra hours at short notice, would you be able to do so?
• This job involves some travelling away from home, would that pose any problems for you?

Promotion and Career Development

When making decisions on promotions and career development, managers should focus on employee as individuals, with particular talents and experiences, rather than make assumptions based on their age, race, gender, marital status or disability.

Where, for example, jobs have been undertaken mainly by one gender or race in the past, efforts should be made to encourage others to apply for these posts.

Managing Diversity Policy

Flexible working, such as job-sharing, can also assist SPE Resourcing to retain the skills of valued employee who wish to continue their careers but who may have, for example, caring responsibilities outside of work.

Training

The role of training is to improve performance in the job, to develop skills, and to prepare individuals for other roles and responsibilities.

As with promotion and career development, managers should focus on the development needs of individuals. For example, priority should not be given to training a man in preference to a woman, and it should not be assumed that family commitments of either men or women will limit their career ambitions.

All training materials should be checked to ensure that the language and images used in them reflect the diversity of our employees and customers. Every effort will be made to accommodate the specific needs of disabled employees. A range of training options, such as open learning, computer-based training and regional seminars, will be offered to ensure that all employees have equal access to training irrespective of location or hours of work.

Grievance and Discipline

If any employee believes that they have been unfairly discriminated against they should make a complaint using SPE Resourcing's Grievance Procedure.

Likewise, if any employee is found to have breached SPE Resourcing's Managing Diversity Policy they may be subject to disciplinary action under SPE Resourcing's Disciplinary Procedure, which in serious cases may result in dismissal.

Monitoring

Human Resources will maintain records of the age, race, gender, marital status, and disability of job applicants and existing employee. However, it is the responsibility of managers to apply the Managing Diversity Policy at local level. Any patterns of under representation (for example, where one gender or race appears to have a consistently reduced chance of promotion) should be fully investigated in conjunction with Human Resources, and any discriminatory practices identified and eliminated.

Disabled Employees

SPE Resourcing recognises its responsibility towards disabled employees and seeks to eliminate unjustified discrimination on the grounds of disability by:

• Recognising the wealth of talent and skill possessed by disabled people.
• Interviewing all disabled job applicants who meet the minimum selection criteria for a job vacancy and consider them on their abilities.
• Ensuring that all disabled employees are smoothly and effectively inducted into SPE Resourcing.
• Identifying and providing any 'reasonable adjustments' to working arrangements or the working environment necessary for the effective performance of their job.
• Making every effort to retain employees who become disabled whilst in the employment of the Group.
• Taking action to ensure that key employees develop the awareness of disability needed to make these commitments work.
• Reviewing each year these commitments, what has been achieved, and planning ways to improve on them and letting employees know about progress each year.

SPE Resourcing also recognises its duties towards disabled customers, and is committed to eliminating unjustified discrimination against customers on the grounds of disability. It will not therefore unreasonably:

• 1. Refuse or deliberately omit to provide its services to disabled customers
• 2. Provide its services on worse terms, in a worse manner, or to a lower standard on the grounds of disability
• 3. Fail to make any of the following 'reasonable adjustments' where they would assist disabled customers to better access our services:
  • Make changes to our policies, procedures or practices; or
  • Provide auxiliary aids or services; or
  • Provide our services by an alternative method of service delivery where a physical barrier prevents, or makes it unreasonably difficult, for disabled people to use our services; or
  • Remove, alter or provide a reasonable means of avoiding any physical barrier which makes it impossible or unreasonably difficult for disabled people to use our services.

Age

SPE Resourcing is fully committed to promoting age diversity across SPE Resourcing. In valuing the contribution of its employees, regardless of age, SPE Resourcing will seek to eliminate age 'stereotyping' and discrimination on the basis of age. The underlying premise of this is that employees should be assessed on the basis of their skills, ability and potential, not their age. This means that employment opportunities and personal/career development will be available, irrespective of a person's age.This will involve:

• Basing employment decisions on objective, job-related criteria
• Encouraging staff of all ages to develop their careers
• Ensuring that staff of all age groups participate in training, and have the chance to improve their skills and experience.
• Avoiding assumptions about the physical abilities and career intentions of older job applicants or employees.
• Seeking to maximise the opportunity for both the business and employees, through flexible working patterns, retraining and the offer of flexibility to retire beyond normal retirement age at the discretion of SPE Resourcing.

Dignity at Work

SPE Resourcing aims to create a working environment that releases the full potential of employees and encourages their creativity and productivity. Unwanted behaviour in the form of bullying or harassment affects the dignity of everyone subjected to it. All employees have the right to be treated with consideration and respect at work. It is SPE Resourcing's firm intention to create a climate free from bullying and harassment, and in which all employees feel confident to raise concerns of this kind and have them dealt with quickly, sensitively and effectively.

Who is Responsible?

Accountability for SPE Resourcing Managing Diversity Policy lies with SPE Resourcing Executive Management Committee. However, responsibility for implementing the Managing Diversity Policy lies with the management of the various businesses within SPE Resourcing. Advice, guidance and support is available from Human Resources. Ultimately, a successful Managing Diversity Policy requires the genuine commitment of all employees.

How will the Policy be Implemented?

SPE Resourcing Managing Diversity Policy provides a framework and creates a minimum standard for all businesses within SPE Resourcing. However, each business operates within it's own unique environment and faces different circumstances and business issues. In this context it is for each business to decide its own priorities and strategies for implementing the Policy. Once a year each business within SPE Resourcing will be asked to report on the action they have taken to implement the Managing Diversity Policy in their areas.