People & Workplace

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

At Uniphar, our aim is for our workforce to be truly representative of all sections of society and for each employee to feel respected and able to give their best. The collective sum of the individual differences, life experiences, knowledge, inventiveness, innovation, self-expression, unique capabilities, and talent that our employees invest in their work represents a significant part of not only our culture, but of our reputation and the Group’s overall success. We embrace and encourage the differences that make our employees unique. A copy of the Group’s ED&I Policy is available here.

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

In 2023, we have refocused our ED&I (Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) plans to drive our commitment:
» We established our ED&I Committee to drive action across the Group.
» We launched group-wide ED&I awareness training for all staff. This course included ‘culture busters’ and general awareness of acceptable behaviours reiterating Uniphar’s commitment to ED&I goals.
» We sponsored the Women in Leadership forum for International Women’s Day.
» We reviewed and updated job specifications to ensure inclusive language.
» We appointed external consultants to develop an ED&I Roadmap for the Group.

Uniphar is committed to an ongoing focus on developing our global talent pool and building a more diverse leadership team for the future. As of 31 December 2023, women accounted for 28% of senior management and 69% of total employees.

Diversity was also a key topic at Board level during 2023, as the Chair and Company Secretary embarked on a shareholder engagement programme with investors. In 2023, the Board approved a Board Diversity Policy, that sets out the Board’s commitment to diversity in succession planning, to ensure an inclusive and diverse Board. In January 2024, female representation on the Board increased to 37.5% which demonstrates Uniphar’s commitment to diversity at every level of the business.

Actions we have taken to date to promote ED&I and those we intend to roll out across the Group are set out below:

Gender Pay Gap Reporting

In 2023 Uniphar continued its commitment to tracking and reporting on the Gender Pay Gap as required by the Gender Pay Gap Information Act 2021. As a consequence of our continued growth Uniphar reported on a total of five entities which qualify under the headcount legislative requirement of 250 staff or more.

Published on the Uniphar Group website on 30th December each year, the gender pay gap measures the difference between the average earnings of all women and men across the business, irrespective of the work they do, expressed as a percentage of men’s earnings. In 2023, Uniphar initiated several actions which are designed to address the gender pay gap, including a new group-wide training programme addressing Equity, Diversity and Inclusion illuminating the potential for unconscious gender bias in decision-making, talent attraction, promotion, progression, and recognition. In 2024, we will continue to understand and work towards addressing the gap where possible.

Health & Safety

The health and safety and wellbeing of our people is imperative to Uniphar. With large operational facilities across numerous locations, it is essential that we adhere to the highest standards of health and safety throughout the organisation, ensuring that best practice is always adhered to.

Our aim is to monitor and investigate all safety concerns, analyse this data and use this to continually improve in this key area of our business including training
on Good Distribution Practices (GDP), manual handling and first aid.

We are committed to continuing to improve our health and safety risk assessment processes and incident reporting as well as embedding
more detailed health and safety KPIs across our businesses. This is a key area of focus for the Group for 2024.

Wellbeing

In 2023, our focus on wellbeing continued as we strive to build an environment which sustains a productive, inclusive, and healthy work-life balance. Central to the achievement of the balance of work and life is our Future of Work – Guiding Principles on Hybrid Working which are applicable to qualifying staff considering the nature of their work. We have invested in additional software allowing for more inter-connectivity for remote workers with additional security measures to protect data integrity. Our redesigned Head Office space continues as our hub for collaboration and in-person engagement with colleagues supported by an onsite cafeteria offering healthy meal choices.

Our Employee Assistance Programme continues to provide critical support to our staff and their families, who require professional confidential assistance during times of need. We have structured our Wellbeing Programme in alignment with Physical, Mental and Financial Wellbeing and during 2023, open information sessions and communications have been run for staff to familiarise themselves with the comprehensive range of services provided.

Training & Development

Uniphar is committed to supporting and investing in the professional development of our employees. The Group provides a range of career development opportunities which enable our employees to reach their full potential and grow within our business. We also continue to support our employees through further education and professional exams. During 2023 a new L&D function was launched with a mandate to create a long-term strategic talent development framework and strategy to support our continued growth and people agenda.

Labour Practices

The Group is committed to complying with the highest labour standards across all jurisdictions in which we operate. Attracting and retaining the right people is essential for the success of our business. Equality underpins our recruitment activity, ensuring that recruitment and selection processes promote fairness. The Group’s ED&I Policy outlines our approach to equity, diversity and inclusion and reaffirms our commitment to equality for all employees and potential employees. The Group’s Dignity at Work Policy recognises the right for all employees to be treated with dignity and respect and the Group is committed to providing all employees with a safe working environment which is free from bullying, harassment and sexual harassment. The Group has a Modern Slavery Policy in place which is available here. The Group also recognises the Trade Unions of which some of its employees are members and engages with them as necessary.