The trade associations for the convenience retailing and wholesale sectors have teamed up with their members and major suppliers to launch a Charter defining and promoting standards of behaviour between individuals from different companies working together.
The Charter was first launched in 2019, to serve as a tool to unify the trade on best practice while at events and in the workplace.
ACS, FWD and Women in Wholesale will be displaying the logo on all event communications.
DIGNITY AT WORK CHARTER CONTEXT
UK Convenience and Wholesale is a vibrant, thriving sector that offers positive work opportunities to hundreds of thousands of people, and many more from suppliers to it and related industries. However, the labour pool is shrinking and it is our collective responsibility to make the industry an attractive place to work in order to sustain the sector and the economy. A core component of this is to ensure the safety and dignity of our people at work.
Currently, retailers, wholesalers and suppliers safeguard their shoppers and employees through their own workplace policies. However, this duty of care can only be delivered if we have confidence that the businesses we deal with as suppliers, customers, and service providers are aware of and working to common principles. This means the sector coming together to articulate what is acceptable behaviour, define standards and provide training resources and support.
OUR COMMITMENT
- We believe that everyone has the right to a safe and respectful working environment.
- We value each other and respect each other’s human rights and individual differences. We celebrate these differences and rely on them to help create an energising culture; a culture that is inclusive of all individuals and benefits from diversity of thought, skills, experience.
- There is no place for any form of harassment, discrimination, aggression or misconduct in our industry and such behaviour runs contrary to the ideals of the industry.
OUR PURPOSE
We are committed to improving the standards of behaviour during interactions between colleagues from different businesses, either in commercial dealings, or at industry events and other places where people meet, so that everyone in the industry feels positive and confident that they will be able to work and flourish in the sector.
We shall do so through the following focus areas.
- Set the Dignity at Work standard for the industry
- Drive awareness across the industry through member organisations
- Encourage the development and sharing of training and support
- Share good practice on mechanisms to apply these standards
It is intended that an employee of a business which has signed up to the charter will feel reassured that they will be mixing with colleagues and contacts which will follow the highest standards of conduct when the Standards & Dignity badge-style logo is seen on ticket confirmations, companies’ websites and email signatures.
THE DIGNITY AT WORK STANDARD
- We strive to provide a harassment free environment within our shops, depots, warehouses and offices and at industry events
- We will respect each other’s personal space and time.
- We will always remember we are representing our businesses at all times
- We will be receptive to and take seriously reports of behaviour, from members of our own company, that contradicts this commitment.
- All incidents will be referred back to the relevant HR department or business owner.
- We will not tolerate anyone being subject to physical, sexual, racial, psychological, verbal or any other form of harassment, bullying or abuse.
The Charter is available here.
If you have any issues at an ACS event, please contact Sarah C Johnson via [email protected] or call 07764927349
