Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Policy

As a global business Clarks want to embrace individuality and draw on different perspectives and cultures giving everyone an equal opportunity to be successful. We comply with all legislation relating to equality, discrimination and harassment. Clarks believe that diversity supports creativity which then drives innovation. Commitment to equality and inclusiveness is becoming a competitive differentiator for companies seeking to attract and retain a new generation of talent. Being open, transparent, and active in promoting equality in the workplace can earn enduring customer and employee trust.

Inclusivity is essential for innovation. An inclusive team with diverse backgrounds and different perspectives will help identify opportunities, anticipate problems and innovate faster than the competition. Inclusivity comes from bringing together people from different cultures, race, and gender together but also includes elements such as socio-economic background, education level, geographic location, sexual orientation, thought, and many others. Each employee brings to the table a lifetime of experiences and knowledge. Each of us is different and adds value to the organisation because of these differences.

We expect our employees to be mindful of any form of discrimination and avoid any behaviour which goes against the ethos of this. Our Code of Business Ethics Principle 1 requires us to “Treat colleagues with dignity and respect”. This means treating people in the way THEY want to be treated not the way WE want to be treated. Different people find different things acceptable and everyone has a right to decide what behaviour is acceptable to them and to have their feelings respected. We encourage our employees to tell us if we can improve equality and diversity - our aim is continuous improvement and we will be tenacious in our approach to making changes to improve these areas.

All employees are responsible for ensuring that there is no discrimination in the workplace and are expected to apply the principles of equal opportunities and non-discrimination in their interactions with employees and third parties. Clarks promote a working environment that values difference and is free from prohibited discrimination, victimisation, bullying or harassment. We take all complaints seriously, and promptly investigate, and deal with them, in a sensitive and affect manner ensuring there is no victimisation or retaliation against employees who complain.

We are committed to providing equal opportunity for employment and advancement in all of our departments and regions. Our recruitment & selection, and promotion is transparent, merit-based and fair. We have clear policies in place to ensure that our practices do not put pressure on, or take advantage of people in vulnerable circumstances and ensure Equality and Diversity training forms part of our induction and annual refresher programme.

We will not tolerate behaviour that goes against this policy. Any breach of this policy will be promptly investigated; breaches will be a matter for disciplinary action. Breaches or concerns can be reported to ethics@clarks.com.

Anonymised equality and diversity monitoring information may be provided to external organisations to meet our contractual obligations or to comply with legislation.