Myer Holdings Limited Annual Review 2010

Corporate social responsibility overview

Corporate social responsibility

We are committed to building a socially responsible and sustainable business.

At Myer, we are committed to building a sustainable business, through integrating socially responsible business practices into key aspects of our operations. Sustainability at Myer extends far beyond our well-respected and long-standing tradition of philanthropic support to the community, to commitments in the areas of environment, and responsible interactions with key stakeholders – our people, our customers, our shareholders and our suppliers.

myenvironment

We are committed to the development of an environmentally sustainable business and reducing the impact of our operations on the environment, as well as promoting an environmentally responsible culture among our employees. In our stores, energy efficiency and waste management are focus areas. For example, we have undertaken energy audits in order to identify energy efficiency opportunities, and have progressively implemented initiatives such as replacing lamps that are currently high in energy use with more energy efficient models. We are also educating our team members to ensure that plastic and cardboard recycling opportunities are maximised, and have implemented a hanger reuse and recycling program. Recently, we have been investigating more sustainable point-of-sale bags, including paper and biodegradable options, to provide our customers with an alternative to the current plastic bag. Two in-store trials to obtain customer feedback have been conducted.

Our new Support Office is an environmentally sustainable building, achieving a 5-Star Green Star office design rating from the Green Building Council of Australia. This reflects Myer’s ongoing commitment to sustainability and the environment.

Myer is a signatory to the National Packaging Covenant, and is committed to reducing the environmental impact of consumer packaging waste associated with our Exclusive Brand products. All new packaging is subject to an internal design process to ensure that, where possible, packaging is avoided, reused or recycled, thereby ultimately reducing the amount of landfill waste.

We have also implemented numerous other recycling and waste management initiatives. For example, paper used in our promotional catalogues is PEFC accredited – produced from sustainable managed forests, is biodegradable and can be recycled; sales and marketing materials used for visual merchandising in stores have been redesigned to transition away from foam and polystyrene displays to, wherever possible, a combination of recyclable and re-usable alternatives; and redundant IT equipment is responsibly e-recycled. We also continue to analyse distribution packaging used in the Myer supply chain, and look for improvement opportunities, such as the drive for merchandise to be delivered to Myer in a ’floor ready’ condition, and thus substantially reduce packaging waste.

We have also supported the Earth Hour initiative across 2008-2010, and since 2008 we have partnered with Sustainability Victoria in its ’ResourceSmart’ Business Program. We are also a foundation partner of the ’EcoStation’ Pilot Program, which aims to maximise efficiencies and minimise environmental impact in the transport industry.

mycommunity

Our extensive history of philanthropy and community involvement, and continued support of charities and local community initiatives, is an integral part of our identity and role as a responsible corporate citizen.

The Myer Stores Community Fund is dedicated to supporting charities related to children, youth and women’s health, and currently has a strong partnership with the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre Appeal. Each year the fund contributes to over 80 charities, such as the Salvation Army, and supports fundraising events such as the ’National Bandana Day’ for the CanTeen organisation, the Cancer Council’s ’Breast Cancer Awareness Program’, ’Jeans for Genes Day’ supporting the Children’s Medical Research Institute, and ’Movember’ supporting beyondblue and the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia. Donations of $100,000 have also been made to fund specific initiatives, such as medical equipment for the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne and Sydney Children’s Hospital at Westmead, as well as to the Surf Lifesaving Foundation for their national RIPS water education campaign.

Our commitment to the support of local community initiatives has been a key focus and growth area for our business. Each Myer store engages with their local community through a variety of initiatives, including grants, sponsorships, partnerships and events. Myer also sponsors other key community events, such as Vision Australia’s ’Carols by Candlelight’, Christmas parades in Melbourne and Brisbane, and the annual Christmas windows in several Myer stores.

mypeople

At Myer, we are also committed to our workplace community and being a preferred employer of choice, by creating a supportive, challenging and rewarding work environment for our people.

We have developed numerous programs to support the career development of our employees, including a Graduate Development Program, Store and Merchandise Management Development Programs, international retail study tours and also support the RMIT internship program. The annual Myer Inspirational People Awards formally recognise the outstanding contribution of individuals and teams within the Support Office, Distribution Centre and stores. Team member benefits and wellness programs are also a key focus area of our business. Initiatives such as our flexible work policy, online wellness library, onsite gym facilities and health checks, are designed to promote a healthy lifestyle and support a better balance between work and home life. As a workforce that is comprised of almost 80% women, Myer is proud to be the first Australian department store to offer paid parental leave to its employees. The health and safety of our team members is also a key business priority, with safety controls and key performance measures firmly embedded into all aspects of our business operations.

mybusiness

Our team members are committed to adding value to key stakeholders, including customers, suppliers and shareholders. We have a strong focus on the importance of fair trading and product safety compliance within our business, and both store-based and Support Office team members undergo fair trading training to ensure that our interactions with suppliers and customers are both responsible and ethical.

We are also committed to ensuring that we meet our social compliance responsibilities, while recognising the difficulties and challenges in dealing with a large and complex supply chain. We have an audit program in place and are committed to developing social compliance within our supplier base. On a local level, we are a retail signatory to the National Retailers/TCFUA Ethical Clothing Code, and are supportive of Ethical Clothing Australia’s accreditation process on Australian-made products, which recognises brands that have taken practical steps to ensure that Australian workers receive fair wages and work in decent conditions. Cue, Mr K and Bardot are some of the brands in Myer stores that are currently accredited.