Create customer value by putting them at the centre of everything you do. Test, improve and personalise their experience to be exceptional where it matters most.

Put your enquiring mind to work - be innovative, resourceful and agile, and come up with brilliant ideas that make us stand out.

Play your part in building an energetic and high-performing community - work openly, collaboratively and supportively.

Do business and treat all people with clarity, respect, honesty and understanding – value others for who they are.

Aim high – be relentless in seeking excellence and success for yourself, the Company, our customers and the communities we serve.

Produce valuable work every day – do the right job in the right way, on time and without waste.

David Phillips - Our Values (pdf)

The core objective of the Employee Forum (EF) is to provide a vehicle for the Company to inform and, where appropriate, consult with the workforce on progress, changes, initiatives and improvements and to work as a representative body of employees who, once elected by their colleagues, will work with the management of David Phillips Group on a range of initiatives to improve employee engagement and satisfaction.

• a. Employee
  • i. The EF will be made up of Employee Representatives from all Group companies (David Phillips Furniture Limited, David Phillips Rental, David Phillips FF&E and Milc), all organisational levels, and all geographical locations of David Phillips Furniture Group and will be deemed an appropriate consulting body should collective consultation be necessary.
  • ii. Appropriate functional representation will be ensured based on the principles of 2.a.i. above.
  • iii. Employee Representatives will be elected to the EF by colleagues within their defined constituency (see appendix 1. Constituencies) and will serve on the EF for a period of one calendar year from the first meeting after their election.
  • iv. Appropriate paid time off from normal duties will be granted to the Representatives for the performance of their representative duties.
  • v. One of the Employee Representatives will be elected by the Representatives to be Representative Secretary.
  • vi. The Representative Secretary will be responsible for organising and chairing pre-meetings of the Representatives (prior to EF meetings) and for collating and communicating agenda items and feedback to the Company.
  • vii. EF meetings will take place every 2 months.
  • viii. Every 6 months the meeting will be face to face.
  • ix. Employee Representatives will not be allowed to stand for 2 consecutive terms.
• b. Management
  • i. The Employee Forum will be chaired by the CEO.
  • ii. A member of Human Resources will attend each meeting in the capacity of secretary to the Employee Forum.
  • iii. HR will diary meetings, circulate agendas and minutes and ensure that the Terms of Reference of the EF are followed.
• c. Quorum
  • i. As long as 50% of employee representatives are able to attend any full meeting of the EF, the meeting will be held, but will not necessarily be deemed quorate for the purposes of consultation.
  • ii. A quorum of 80% of employee representatives is required for the purposes of consultation.
• d. Budget
  • i. A budget will be set annually and reviewed every 3 months;
  • ii. The budget will enable to the Employee Forum to undertake and/or manage agreed activities within the scope of the forum (see section 3 below)
  • iii. Any budgetary spend must be agreed by the Employee Forum and, where necessary, have approval from the Exec or a sub-committee of the Exec.
• e. Administration
  • i. The Company will, in conjunction with the Employee Representatives, arrange elections.
  • ii. Elections will be by secret ballot.
  • iii. Meetings will typically take place at times which cause least disruption to business as usual activities.
  • iv. Minutes of meetings and copies of presentation materials will be agreed by the attendees prior to being distributed by HR to the wider employee population.
  • v. Only the CEO will be able to nominate a delegate (who must be a member of the David Phillips Executive Committee) to attend on their behalf.

There will be a range of topics and/or activities in which the forum will be engaged to support which might include (but need not be limited to)

• Corporate Social Responsibility
• Business updates
• Gathering, collating and delivering employee feedback
• Providing feedback on business communication to the wider employee population
• Recommending initiatives or activities (and supporting implementation when agreed) with the aim of improving employee engagement and satisfaction
• Consultation on national, Group-wide matters/proposals where employees are likely to be significantly affected (e.g. changes to terms and conditions of employment or significant re-sizing or re-shaping of the organisation)

Activities of the Employee Forum will vary from time to time, and the business will be pleased to hear employee representatives’ ideas about other areas of activity where the representatives feel they could add value.