We consider strong governance, with strategic management of our environmental and social impacts as integral to our future success.
The Partnership Board oversees the competent and ethical operation of the Group, assuring that the long-term interests of all stakeholders are being served. We have a dedicated company secretarial team who, together with our Head of Compliance, ensure that the highest standards of corporate governance and regulatory practice are applied across our business and Funds. Our governance is strengthened by our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Committee which is responsible for integrating our corporate ESG strategy into all areas of our business and investment strategy.
The CSR Committee is responsible for the operational implementation of the sustainability strategy. This is chaired by Chief Operating Officer of Tritax Management. The CSR Committee reports to the Boards of Tritax EuroBox plc and Tritax Big Box REIT plc.
The Committee meets every six weeks and has five sub-committees focused on property, governance, green finance, charitable partnerships and social activities. The Terms of Reference can be found under Policies and Reports.
Responsible business
The Manager has developed a Responsible Business Plan to minimise its operational impact and provide strong environmental management in its management of the Tritax Funds. This includes ISO 14001 accreditation, responsible procurement, and carbon neutral operations.
This is complemented with strong charitable and staff support, including a long-term partnership with London-based charity, XLP, and a focus on human capital development and employee engagement.
The Manager has set a series of Responsible Business objectives and targets, which can be viewed in the reports section.
Gender and diversity
We believe that a diverse, connected, and inclusive workforce is essential to managing our funds effectively.
We strive to foster a working environment where staff can achieve their full potential and understand that diversity of backgrounds promotes diversity of thought and adds value to our business.
We monitor diversity and provide staff with training on diversity. We celebrate diversity, such as supporting Pride month and celebrating the cultural holidays of our diverse and international workforce through our social committee.
Employee Engagement and Wellbeing
The well-being of our employees is an area we take very seriously, and we aim to be an attractive and inclusive employer.
The social committee was established with the purpose of supporting employee wellbeing initiatives, promoting inclusion and support work-life balance. As a result, the Manager provides its employees with free yoga and exercise classes and healthy snacks. The committee has also organised a series of activities for employees, including raising funds for selected charity partners; mental health and unconscious bias training; and lunch and learn sessions.
All employees also benefit from:
- One day of paid leave per annum for volunteering
- The opportunity to have charitable fundraising matched by the Manager
- Participation in the cycle to work scheme
- Discretionary bonus and share schemes
- Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
An independent staff survey was conducted for the first time in 2021 by HR consultants, WeThrive, which identified an overall engagement score of 74%. This survey will be conducted annually. We also conduct pulse surveys throughout the year to understand staff views on wellbeing and inclusion initiatives.
Health & safety
Tritax takes it responsibilities for staff health and wellbeing seriously. We aim to have zero health and safety incidents. The Chief Operating Officer has ultimate responsibility for overseeing health and safety for the Manager and its employees.
Tritax has a health and safety policy that covers all employees and contractors, and we aim to ensure employees enjoy a safe and accident-free working environment.
The Manager assesses its workplace health and safety on an annual basis, employing a health and safety consultant to conduct audits, ensure the emergency response procedures are up to date, and to train relevant colleagues to ensure this is managed day to day.
Policies
We have a comprehensive set of policies in place that support the Employee Handbook. All staff are also covered by formal grievance reporting or escalation processes. The details and process for this are covered by our internal Disciplinary and Grievance policy, which all employees are made aware of on joining. Employee policies cover:
- Adoption leave
- Bribery and corruption
- Covid-19
- Code of conduct
- Diversity and inclusion
- Environmental policy
- Flexible working
- Health and safety
- Insider trading
- Disciplinary and grievance
- Harassment and bullying
- Parental leave
- Time off for dependents
- Wellbeing
- Whistleblowing
A selection of these policies is published below, details of other policies can be disclosed on request.
To ensure staff are aware of and understand how to maintain our strong business ethics; they are trained annually on anti-money laundering, Code of Conduct, cyber security, whistleblowing, fraud, and market abuse.
We also have a comprehensive set of policies to govern our business and the funds we manage:
- Bribery and corruption
- Code of Conduct
- ESG policy
- Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement
