Taking responsibility day to day
Data protection
We have a Data Governance Committee (DGC) to promote and ensure the protection of personal data, be it that of staff, customers, prospects or suppliers. The DGC’s role is to ensure that appropriate processes and controls are in place to guarantee that Sky processes personal data in accordance with Data Protection laws, and that individuals are able to exercise their rights under such laws. Data protection compliance also extends to all those third parties who process Sky’s personal data on our behalf. The DGC is chaired by Mike Darcey, COO and reports to the Exec and Audit Committee.
Sky’s Data Protection Policy has been circulated to all managers to cascade to their staff. The data protection policy is designed to promote consistent standards and practices in handling Personal Data across Sky, and sets out the responsibilities of Sky people in managing personal data, as well as outlining the escalation process should staff become aware of any breaches of the policy. Each department within Sky have appointed data protection co-ordinators that is responsible for ensuring data protection requirements are met within their area.
Our suppliers
We believe that good supplier relationships benefit us all: Sky, our suppliers and their employees. To ensure we are rigorous about maintaining responsibility within our supply chain, we have developed ten Responsible Sourcing Principles that we ask our suppliers to follow. You can read these principles on the Our Policies page.
We expect suppliers to meet our standards, and in return we need to treat them fairly and pay them on time. We’ve signed up to the Prompt Payment Code, an initiative supported by the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, which says that we will promise to pay suppliers on time, and give them clear guidance on payment and complaint systems. Further information on the Code can be found at www.promptpaymentcode.org.uk (opens in a new window)
Our People
As a business, we know that we are only as good as our people. It is fundamental to the success of our business that we attract and retain the most talented people, whoever they are and whatever their background.
Reward and Development
We believe in recognising and rewarding our People, and offer some great benefits including a pension plan, life cover, a Share Save plan and free Sky TV, Sky Talk and Broadband. To find out more, see Work for Sky (opens in a new window)
We believe in investing in our people, helping them perform to their best and reach their full potential. The Sky Development Studio makes it easy for our people to access a wide range of training courses and resources such as books and DVDs. We’ve created bespoke training courses and offer qualifications to help employees develop their potential at every stage of their career. In the last financial year, 2,100 people took part in training courses, and over 15,000 resources including e-learning courses, books and MP3s and PDFs were accessed. This year, we’re aiming to significantly increase those numbers to 4,500 of our people taking part in training courses, and more than 35,000 resources accessed.
Diversity
We have a Fair & Equal treatment at work policy (pdf file size 37KB - opens in a new window) which commits us to provide equal opportunities for everyone.
This year we developed a diversity strategy to focus our approach and ensure we get results in helping two groups in particular get to the top - women and ethnic minorities.
Our KPIs are based around ensuring fairness to all; the best candidate must be selected irrespective of gender, race, sexual orientation or anything else. But we do want to maximise the chances of individuals from underrepresented groups of fairly succeeding in any recruitment or promotion process.
Our targets include increasing the number of diverse candidates for all recruitment and promotional opportunities for our top four management levels, increasing the participation of women and ethnic minority employees in key management and leadership development programmes, and increasing opportunities for flexible working.
Sky is an active member of industry wide groups including:
Cultural Diversity Network (CDN), which last year was chaired by Sophie Turner Laing, Managing Director of Sky Entertainment. Through collaboration across the broadcasting industry, the CDN aims to improve multicultural representation both on- and off-screen.
Broadcast & Creative Industries Disability Network (BCIDN). BCIDN brings together the UK’s major broadcasters, film-makers and others in the creative industries to explore and address disability as it relates to the media industry.
Employers Forum on Disability (EFD). The EFD is the world’s leading employers’ organisation focused on disability as it affects business. Their mission is to enable companies to become disability confident by making it easier to recruit and retain disabled employees and to serve disabled customers. Jeremy Darroch, our Chief Executive, is a member of the EFD’s Presidents Group.
Broadcast training and skills regulator (BTSR). Deborah Baker, our Director for People sits on the board of the BTSR. The organisation works with Ofcom, the broadcast industry and Skillset to ensure that the industry provides training and skills development opportunities for its workforce that are relevant, inclusive and cost-effective; and they also monitor equal opportunities.
Health and Safety
We work hard to keep our staff healthy and safe, whether we are reporting news from war-zones or installing satellite dishes.
We have a wellbeing programme called Keeping Karma to encourage our people to get fit and look after their health with advice, support and a range of activities at work. We encourage staff to cycle to work rather than drive, helping both their wellbeing and the environment. We also provide a confidential counselling service through an impartial contracted company for any of our staff and their family who need this support.
One of the ways we track the success of our health, safety and wellbeing initiatives is by monitoring absences. Comparing the same week in November 2009 with November 2008, overall manageable absences throughout the group has fallen from 5.1% to only 3.9%.
In our contact centres, absences are a little higher, but still much improved due to initiatives including revising our absence policy, developing line manager capability in dealing with absences, and providing increased support for those returning to work. As a result, absence rates for the same week in November 2009 compared to November 2008 have fallen from 9.6% to 6.7% - a good performance for the contact centre industry.
People Plan
Each year, we develop a ‘People Plan’, which sets out our people-related objectives for that year to help us achieve our priorities.
Below is a list of our 2008/09 People Plan objectives, and examples of the ways we met these.
To make Sky a place where...
- Leaders inspire and enable people to create the future
We developed a set of five leadership development programmes from first line manager to senior executive level to develop leadership skills and capability. A new performance and development framework and tools were developed, including a new online Personal Development Plan (PDP) process in order to enable our people to be in control of their own future at Sky. - The best people want to work, stay and build a career
We have created the Workforsky.com dedicated career website in order to help us attract the best people to work for Sky. In addition we launched a senior women’s network to allow women from across the business to meet, and to support their career development. - We recognise and reward performance and achievement that delivers business goals
Developed ‘total’ reward statements for our People to improve their understanding and appreciation of the value of the total Sky benefits package. - We live the ‘believe in better’ spirit
New absence policy and strategy for the contact centres created to reduce attrition and absences, and increase engagement. Extensive training provided to equip managers to deal effectively with the issue, action plans created in teams, and a monthly survey launched to gauge how people are feeling and allow us to take steps to enhance the working environment. - The People team is creative, commercial and leading edge
Produced and implemented people plans for each of Sky’s Directorates in order to improve HR support by very specifically aligning people related activity within each unit to their specific strategic and commercial goals. - We manage change as the business develops
When our new Leeds contact centre opened, high-calibre team members with an existing level of relevant experience were recruited to enable the new site to make an immediate positive impact to our customers, and a number of innovations to improve business performance were piloted, such as an online training programme completed by new employees before starting work for us.
Our 2009/10 objectives, and some of the ways we are meeting, or intend to meet them, are:
- Simplification - Delivering what the business requires right first time, in the fewest possible steps
Removing unnecessary steps and complexity. Using everyday language to improve transparency, speed and ease of use of key HR processes such as our automated Personal Development Plans, restructuring, and recruitment.
A new e-recruitment system will simplify our recruitment process and improve our reporting capabilities to respond to business needs.
From December 2009, all employees will be able to access their pay-slips electronically at work and at home. - Leadership & Collaboration - Partnering with the business to develop our people to be great leaders and encourage collaboration at all levels
We are developing a formal mentoring scheme which will run across the business. This is due to go live in January 2010 and will provide a framework to offer high quality development options on feedback and coaching skills.
Piloting a new collaboration process "Hotspots" across five areas of our business which develops collaboration and team working skills. - Business Improvement - Building for the future by continually improving business performance and embracing change
Roll out our new pre-learning tool to develop knowledge and skills prior to induction across the business.
Implement our diversity strategy to improve the ratio of women and ethnic minorities in leadership roles. - HR support to business projects with a specific people impact
Pandemic response - HR successfully participated in a company wide ‘desktop test’ facilitated by a third party to ensure our continuity plans for the business were robust and up-to-date.
The HR teams provide support for projects designed to get closer to our customers. For example, a new Customer Hub has been launched where we are piloting the use of multi-skilled advisors who can provide first time resolution to customers.