Promoting equal opportunities
The PPR Group comprises a variety of customers and employees through its various companies, product brands and businesses. Conscious of this wealth, PPR undertakes to promote equal opportunities and treatment. This is an economic and competitive advantage, a factor of social cohesion and dialogue and a socially responsible commitment.
The Group's Human Resources Department has now given a framework to this commitment, initiated in 2001 by SolidarCité: promote equal opportunities and treatment for populations who could be subject to discrimination on account of their health, gender, age or ethnic background. This does not involve segregating employees or implementing positive discrimination measures.
A commitment undertaken at the highest level
François-Henri Pinault formalised the Group's commitment in France by concluding a partnership agreement with the AGEFIPH for the employment of disabled persons within the Retail division in March 2005 and by signing the Diversity Charter in May 2005 (already signed in 2004) and the Corporate Commitment Charter for Equal Opportunities in education in December 2006. This commitment is also included in the PPR Code of Business Practices, distributed to all employees since 2005.
Inter-company management
One of PPR's specificities is its decentralised management organisation. The Group's role is therefore to determine and communicate a framework, promote the strategy within each company, encourage them and support them in this approach.
The Group's Human Resources Department coordinates, through the Diversity Committee, the commitment within the Retail division by relying on the managers of each company. This operating procedure enables PPR to provide a better response to the companies' specific problems in terms of culture, history and employment regions. It also promotes and guarantees an understanding of the matter by each entity within the Group.
To build its policy with regard to diversity, PPR initiated three analyses in 2004 within the Retail division performed by external independent consulting firms. In addition to the conclusions and advice leading to the preparation of action plans, the analyses form part of the Group's commitment and represented the starting point for raising the awareness of the participating teams. This mechanism was completed with the supervision of the Group's external practices.
PPR, which had undertaken to recruit 160 disabled persons until February 28, 2007 under the partnership with AGEFIPH, concluded in 2006:
- 241 recruitments (57% on permanent contracts),
- 225 placements (also including internships, temporary positions or fixed-term contracts of less than 6 months) were completed.
Awareness raising and training
With the understanding that the awareness raising initiatives are essential in order to support objectives and results, PPR and the Retail division companies develop awareness raising measures in favour of equal opportunities.
In 2006, the topic of diversity was covered in all the companies: at CFAO's executives’ convention in October rallying 200 people, at the Management meetings of the Redcats Children-Family and Senior activities with 220 participants and in Conforama. It was also the subject of training for 6,800 La Redoute employees (managers and non-managers).
The awareness raising with regard to the employment of the disabled also continued in 2006: around 44,000 employees of the Retail division in France, Conforama Spain, Conforama Croatia and Conforama Italy were rallied on November 14. This operation involved an outdoor campaign called "We didn't chose to be disabled, but we do choose to work together", followed by the distribution of a bracelet marked with the phrase, "Our difference is what binds us", to employees to be worn in support of the commitments undertaken by the Group for the disabled and for diversity.
Equal opportunities in the Human Resources process: from recruitment to career management
By paying apprenticeship tax, the Group's companies support around 450 training institutions. The Group's relations with Apprentice Training Centres, secondary schools, grammar schools, associations or business and engineering schools underline the PPR companies' operational commitment in favour of diversity for the initial training path.
In addition, and to promote diversity in applications, PPR and its companies use general or specialist job offer sites such as Hanploi, and enter into partnerships with organisations that promote the placement of disabled or socially excluded persons, such as Cap Emploi , Arès Atelier or Janus.
Finally, the Group takes part in recruitment forums intended for persons who have difficulty in finding employment.
The involvement of labour and management
The PPR Group wished to associate its European Works Council with its equal opportunities policy. On November 30, 2006, the dialogue began with a presentation of the European laws and practices with regard to diversity followed by the illustration of a PPR best practice in France: management of the disabled. This approach, the starting point for future discussions, brought both labour and management to the same level of understanding and led to exchanges on perceptions and local actions. The dialogue continue in 2007.