80 John Lewis Partnership plc Annual Report and Accounts 2016 Partnership Council report (continued)


Partner Group


Terms of reference: To work principally with the Director of Personnel to gain an understanding of the Partner strategy and, in conjunction with the Steering Committee, to determine how discussion of that strategy and related issues can best enable the Council to fulfil its responsibilities as a governing authority of the Partnership. Ten members, with the Director of Personnel as the lead director.


Much of the group’s work has inevitably been focussed on supporting debate around the 4Ps (see page 24) and pay review, but they have also been involved in more detailed discussions of sick absence management, the role of the Personnel Business Partner, learning agility, diversity, premium rates and earned membership. Additionally, the Partner Handbook makes it clear that the group has a specific role in the monitoring of our pay policy and being consulted on changes to policies.


Use of Profit Group


This is a new Council group reflecting a growing desire amongst Councillors and Partners alike, now that the important matter of our pension scheme expenditure has been ‘settled’, to examine how our remaining profit is shared. Its terms of reference (which include any expenditure related to Rules 19, 20, 64, 73 and 74 of the Constitution) are to work with the Partners’ Counsellor and Director of Personnel (and their representatives) in the context of the legacy of the Founder, John Spedan Lewis, to:


a Gain an understanding of the range of benefits in the widest sense available to Partners today and how they add value to the Partner experience


a Consider and support the development of a suite of benefits for past, present and future Partners that adds value to the Partner experience, is relevant and affordable


a Determine how best to engage and enable the full Council to influence the future offer


£512k


The group’s members recognise the long-term nature and potential consequence of their discussions and are keen to reflect the workplace, retail and society themes of It’s Your Business 2028. Their meetings have so far focussed on building understanding around discount, leisure benefits, Partner support, catering subsidy, well-being and community.


Partnership Financial Assistance Committee (PFAC)


The committee is responsible for providing financial assistance to Partners in exceptional need (in accordance with Rule 64, Partners in exceptional need may receive financial assistance, normally through the Partnership Council or Divisional Councils, but also directly from management). On behalf of the Partnership Council, it administers discretionary awards of the Benefits in Retirement; exclusions from Partnership Bonus; leaving and wedding gifts.


Hardship grants £567k


£555k


Priorities


New term – new priorities Whilst the Council’s role remains unchanged – holding the Chairman to account, influencing policy, making key governance decisions – they began their term in July with a distinct shift in priorities. Having spent two years reaching a landmark decision on pensions, the focus was now moving to the daily challenge of delivering on the Constitution, especially the happiness described in Principle 1, a responsibility the Council shares with the Board and the Chairman. Key to achieving that was a greater emphasis on Partners being effective and valued members of high performing teams and the Chairman set out some of the work that he had commissioned to set a vision for the future. It was at this Council meeting that It’s Your Business 2028 and the 4Ps were first introduced to Partners (at exactly the same time as the Chancellor’s budget speech was introducing the National Living Wage!), with more detail following at the Council’s next meeting and its conference in November.


2014 2015 2016


Alongside hardship grants of £555,000 the Committee has made long service awards of £262,000 to those Partners celebrating 25 years service. Other gifts of £341,000 include wedding gifts to nearly 500 Partners and over 850 Partners receiving a leaving gift. Small gifts (usually flowers) were sent to 3,342 Partners who were away from work for more than four weeks due to sickness.


The new Council was already very much in tune with and energised by this emphasis on better performing Partners and in its examination of the 2015 Partner Survey results drew out several related themes. There was praise for progress on line management and IT as well as the level of advocacy amongst Partners in tough times, but some concern about lower scores for democratic engagement and leadership. This last point reflected a frustration reported by many Councillors that information about the Partnership’s performance had not been sufficiently communicated to Partners ahead of what was then for many a surprisingly low Bonus.


There was also debate about the quality and quantity of Partners, since our score for ‘we have enough Partners to get the job done’ was further below the external benchmark than any other. Better training for Partners, more support with managing underperformance, concern for our reputation for excellent service as well as realism about what was affordable and the importance of continued improvement to productivity were all themes raised by Councillors.


“ What is your message to Partners who don’t want to change or can’t change?”


Matthew Street Waitrose Crowborough on Pay/Performance Management and It’s Your Business 2028


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140  |  Page 141  |  Page 142  |  Page 143  |  Page 144  |  Page 145  |  Page 146  |  Page 147  |  Page 148  |  Page 149  |  Page 150  |  Page 151  |  Page 152  |  Page 153  |  Page 154  |  Page 155  |  Page 156  |  Page 157  |  Page 158  |  Page 159  |  Page 160  |  Page 161  |  Page 162  |  Page 163  |  Page 164  |  Page 165  |  Page 166  |  Page 167  |  Page 168