|
Environmental matters
|
|
| In recognition of the importance of environmental responsibility
an environmental policy has been developed in the Group to raise
awareness, establish standards, assess the impact of its business
activities on the environment, set improvement objectives and
monitor performance against these objectives. |
|
|
Examples of the Group's commitment to this policy are as follows:
|
|
|
|
_ the continuing promotion of remote working to reduce
the environmental burden of commuting and business travel; |
|
|
| _ investing in technology solutions such as upgrading
remote connectivity links to promote direct electronic information
processing and exchange and teleconferencing; and |
|
|
| _ enhancements to the Group’s intranet site such
that employee bulletins and communications can be distributed
electronically. The Group’s philosophy is to establish
a paperless environment wherever appropriate. |
|
|
| The responsibility for maintaining and enforcing the
policy resides at Board level. A copy of the current environmental
policy is available on the Group website. |
|
|
|
|
Employees
|
|
| During the year the Group continued to communicate and consult
with employees using a variety of traditional and new media channels.
Priority is given to ensuring that employees are aware of significant
matters relating to the Group’s trading performance and
organisational changes. The directors recognise the importance
of individual employee contributions in delivering the Group’s
successful performance to date. They further recognise that sustaining
the Group’s competitive advantage over the longer term is
dependent on employees realising their full potential. |
|
| It is Group practice, therefore, to ensure that personal development,
reward and promotion is determined with direct reference to ability,
commitment and individual contributions to the collective achievements.
Disabled individuals are afforded the same opportunities as others,
and the Group actively supports the employment of disabled persons
both during the recruitment process and in the retention of employees
who become disabled whilst in the employment of the Group. |
|
| The Group is an equal opportunities employer and has established
policies to promote an employment environment that is free from
discrimination and harassment. The iSOFT policy ensures that no
employee, or applicant, is treated less favourably on the grounds
of gender, marital status, race, colour, disability or sexual
orientation or is disadvantaged by conditions or requirements
that cannot objectively be justified. |
|
| Employees are typically educated to degree standard and, as
a Microsoft Certified Solution Provider Partner, iSOFT actively
promotes Microsoft accreditation for staff engaged in the development
and support of the software application portfolio. The directors
are proud of the Group’s record in respect of staff retention
and development. |
|
| A significant number of employees have shareholding interests
in the Company either directly or under share option and share
save schemes. The directors actively encourage this level of employee
equity participation, subject always to the Group’s employee
share dealing code rules. Details of the current employee share
option schemes and the options granted during the year are provided
in Note 22 to the financial
statements. |
|
| Our July 2002 Sharesave Scheme has been widely participated
in, with 53% of eligible employees in iSOFT’s world-wide
locations joining the Scheme. The success of the Scheme was recognised
by the receipt of two ProShare Awards in December 2002 as well
as being highly commended at the Employee Benefits Awards ceremony
in April 2003. Given the success of the original scheme, the directors
are proposing to introduce a new offer under the existing Sharesave
scheme in the coming year. |
|
