116


John Lewis Partnership plc Annual Report and Accounts 2015


Directors report


THERE IS INCREASING DEMAND FOR TRANSPARANCY ON A VARIETY OF ISSUES FROM CORPORATE CONDUCT TO WHERE AND HOW PRODUCTS ARE MADE AND THE IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT.


Keith Hubber General Counsel and Company Secretary


The Directors present their report and the audited financial statements for the year ended 31 January 2015.


The Directors are required to make a statement on key events during the Partnership’s year, confirming the state of the business and certifying that it is being run responsibly.


Principal activity and future developments


The Partnership’s principal activity is retailing, with the main trading operations being the John Lewis and Waitrose businesses. John Lewis and Waitrose operate in a number of different formats including John Lewis department stores, John Lewis at home stores, a John Lewis liaison office in Gurgaon, India, Waitrose supermarkets and convenience stores, on-line (johnlewis.com and waitrose.com), business to business contracts in the UK and abroad and ancillary manufacturing activities (together the Partnership). The Company controls the entities listed in note 37. An indication of likely future developments in the Partnership can be found on page 4.


Corporate governance


The Partnership’s statements on corporate governance can be found in the Governance section of these financial statements on pages 82 to 119. These also include the Audit and Risk Committee report, the Chairman’s Nominations Committee report and Remuneration report. The Governance section forms part of this Directors’ report.


Equal opportunities


The Constitution of the Partnership provides for the democratic involvement of employees (our Partners) as co-owners of the business. Partners are provided with extensive information on all aspects of business operations, including economic and financial factors affecting performance, and are encouraged to take an active interest in promoting the Partnership’s commercial success. All employees can benefit from the Partnership’s training and development policies, and further information can be found on page 55.


The key purpose of our Equal Opportunities Policy is to provide equality and fairness for all those who work for and are engaged with the Partnership by creating an environment free from discrimination, where all Partners are given equal opportunities to develop and progress. The Partnership aims to develop and maintain a workforce that is fully representative of the society in which it trades, where every Partner feels respected for their contribution, works to the best of their ability and feels supported to develop to their full potential.


This applies as equally to our Partners with a disability as it does to any other group covered under protected characteristics. The Partnership recruits people with disabilities to suitable vacancies on merit. Where disability occurs during the period of employment, every effort is made to continue to provide suitable employment with the provision of appropriate training


Discrimination on the grounds of disability is prohibited under the Equal Opportunities Policy. This includes direct and indirect discrimination, any unjustified less favourable treatment because of the effects of a disability, and failure to make reasonable adjustments to alleviate disadvantages caused by a disability.


Diversity and inclusion


The Partnership seeks to embrace diversity and this is reflected in all we do. The Board is therefore committed to providing equal opportunities for all in employment at all levels of the organisation, regardless of individual differences such as gender and ethnic origin. Further information can be found on page 54.


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