Boots Approach to Workplace Health, Safety, Equity, and Diversity

MANAGING HUMAN RESOURCES 1
MANAGING HUMAN RESOURCES
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MANAGING HUMAN RESOURCES 2
Introduction
An organization’s human resources are an important determinant of its success. With this
understanding, many global organizations focus on providing the best working conditions for
their employees in order to benefit from their optimum performances. This focus is also as a way
of conforming to international and local labor laws as well as standard human resource practices
regulating the treatment of employees at the workplace (Armstrong, 2007). Of central focus are
regulations dealing with employee health and safety and workplace equality and diversity. Boot
is a good example of an organization whose focus on these two aspects of human resource
management is noticeable. Being a significant employer, its efforts in promoting equity, diversity
and prioritizing the health and safety of its employees is geared towards ensuring that the
company attracts and retains the best talents in the market. The company perceives their
employees as a critical aspect of their current success. My thesis statement is: Boots approach
towards workplace health, safety, equity, and diversity is the reason for its current success.
Boots approach to Health and Safety: The organization places much significance on
the health and safety of its employee’s customers and visitors. The management of the company
knows that these groups are critical to the achievement of organizational objectives. The
company is in a continuous process of improving its health and safety techniques (Gagné, 2009).
The seriousness with which the organization takes the concept of health and safety for its
employees, customers and visitors are reflected in the multiple strategies put in place by the
company.
Health and Safety Policy. The Company has a health and safety policy through which it
provides competent health and safety advice to all operational areas to minimize incidences of ill
health and injuries. Through its health and safety policy, the company has also established a

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safety organization culture embedded in proactive safety and active care, by which each member
of the organization is supposed to abide. The Company’s health and safety policy are geared
towards the protection of its employees, customers, and visitors. Through the policy, the
organizations also aim at ensuring that it continuously perfects its health and safety approach.
The policy includes the importance of behaviors and safety systems, strengthening of safety
culture, health and safety approach principles and provision of a learning opportunity form
investigations.
Safety governance. In addition to health and safety policy, the company also has a safety
governance framework. The company reviews its performance, business risks and health and
safety monitoring on monthly basis through its Governance committee based in the UK. It also
has other two groups for steering safety within the organization. The groups are Nottingham site
safety steering group and Retail safety steering group. The groups are involved in the
development of safety strategies for its various stores, risk assessment and the establishment of
risk mitigation strategies.
Safety culture plan. In addition, the Company has implemented a safety culture Plan
through which it encourages it’s to consider adopting ways of integrating safety into daily
routines and engaging in continuous communication in order to acquire input on ways of
improving safety at the organization. It is also meant to ensure that critical lessons on safety
improvement are shared on ways of improving safety for employees and themselves.
Primary Authority Partner. The company has also successfully conducted several reviews
on its stores in collaboration with the Highlands Council which is its Primary Authority Partner.

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Such reviews are aimed at helping the organization the organization to access the efficiency of
its safety plan implementation as well as safety systems. Through the findings from these
reviews, the Company is able to make improvements to its safety plans and strategy. It helps the
company to achieve its continuous safety improvement objectives.
Bike to work and ongoing support. In order to enhance the wellness of its employees, the
company encourages its employees to use bikes which are considered a more vigorous mode of
transport. They do this by creating awareness on the benefits of riding and developing interest
through bike riding events. It also provides ongoing support on pertinent issues affecting its
employees.
Work well Campaign. Through its collaboration with business in the community
campaign, Boots strives at improving the wellness of its employees, customers, and visitors as
well as improve the overall engagement of its workforce.
Both national and International labor laws require that organizations put in place robust
mechanisms to promote the health and safety of both their employees and customers. Employers
are legally obliged to provide a healthy and safe work environment for their employees. In the
United Kingdom, the Health and Safety at work Act 1974 is the main legislation dealing with
occupational health and Safety (Martin, 2010). The Act requires that managers provide and
maintain a healthy and safe working environment free of health and safety risks. The main
provisions of the Act include a requirement for employers to adequately train their staff on health
and safety; maintain workplace environment; put in place adequate welfare provisions and
maintain an updated health and safety policy. The approaches employed by the organization
reflect the provisions stated under this Act