The Corporate Responsibility Committee oversees the delivery of our corporate responsibility, people, health, safety and sustainability, compliance and ethics, and stakeholder engagement strategies.

The Committee ensures our policies and practices align with our Company culture, purpose and values. The Committee meets at least three times a year, for more information see our annual report.

We have a wide range of stakeholders who influence or are affected by our day to day business, with varying needs and expectations.

Our stakeholders include employees, investors, clients and consumers, suppliers, NGOs and government agencies. We approach stakeholder engagement at a global, country and local level.

Globally, we engage employees, investors, clients, suppliers and NGOs with particular focus on our key sustainability themes:

  • Being a responsible employer
  • Promoting nutrition and wellbeing
  • Reducing our environmental impact
  • Responsible sourcing and supply chain

Stakeholder Group and Activity

1. Our People

Description

Colleagues who work in our business.


Areas of focus




  • Engagement and teamwork

  • Providing opportunities for development and growth

  • Creating a respectful environment

  • Health and wellbeing


Why we engage


Our people are at the heart of our business and key to our ongoing success. We want our people to thrive in a fair and inclusive work environment.


How we engage


There are many ways we engage, including engagement surveys, town hall meetings, Speak Up reports, internal social media channels and consultative bodies.

2. Our Communities

Description

The people who live in the local communities around our sites and operations.

Areas of focus

  • Fair employment and equal opportunities

  • Local causes and issues


Why we engage

To build trust by operating responsibly and sustainably, and addressing issues that are material to our communities. To provide training opportunities and support to local people currently not in education, training or employment.

How we engage

We operate many local employment programmes to recruit and develop local people to work in our sites. We partner with local charities and organisations to raise awareness and funds to help local causes.

3. Our Clients

Description

The businesses and organisations for which we provide services around the world.

Areas of focus

Working within defined sectors, creating bespoke, innovative solutions to match specific market and client requirements

Health, wellbeing and focused sustainable CR initiatives

Technology and analytical innovation to support consumer solutions

Why we engage

By understanding what is important to our clients, we ensure that our solutions are tailored to support their individual business objectives.

How we engage

We aim to have open and transparent relationships which are based on honesty and respect. We build relationships at all levels of our client organisations, sharing market trends and insight, developing strategic and operational plans, against which we regularly report. We hold independent client surveys which measure satisfaction levels.

4. Our Consumers

Description

The people to whom we serve food and drink and provide support services.

Areas of focus

  • Delicious, safe and

  • Healthy food

  • Staying ahead of changing consumer lifestyles and habits which impact how people want to eat and drink

  • Making sure that our food and beverage offer is sustainable and good for the planet


Why we engage

We exist to serve people with nutritious food and drink, which helps them learn better, work better and recover better. We want our consumers to thrive and we create the environments to help them do that, at all life stages.

How we engage

We believe that engagement is a constant conversation with our consumers, listening carefully to how we can improve our service and find new ways to delight. We use a variety of methods including formal surveys, social listening, comment cards, workshops and observation. We combine analytical tools and common sense to get to actionable insights into our consumers’ preferences.

5. Our Suppliers

Description

Our trusted partners who source, produce and deliver products and services.

Areas of focus

  • Food safety and authenticity

  • Workplace health and safety

  • Supply chain integrity

  • Human rights


Why we engage

To develop mutually beneficial and lasting partnerships aimed at addressing shared challenges in responsible and sustainable sourcing, and to communicate our supply chain standards, expectations and commitments.

How we engage

Through a series of communications, interactions and formal reviews. In some of our larger markets we also host regular multi-stakeholder supplier conferences.

6. Our Shareholders

Description

Individuals or institutions that own shares in Compass Group PLC.

Areas of focus

  • Financial performance and strategy

  • Competitive positioning outlook

  • Ethical business practice

  • Sound governance and leadership


Why we engage

As owners of the business we rely on the support of our shareholders, and their opinions are extremely important to us. The views of our major shareholders are reported to, and discussed by, the Compass Group Board on a regular basis.

How we engage

We have ongoing dialogue with our investors through one-to-one and group meetings, webcasts, conference calls and at our AGM. The Group Investor Relations and Corporate Affairs Director has day to day responsibility for investor relations and the Group CEO and Group CFO dedicate significant time to engaging with our major shareholders. During 2019 we also conducted an investor survey.

7. NGOs

Description

Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) which support us with knowledge and expertise on key social, environmental and economic issues.

Areas of focus

  • Human rights

  • Climate change

  • Animal welfare

  • Social issues


Why we engage

To develop meaningful and robust action plans on the key social, environmental and economic issues that we can positively impact.

How we engage

Through a series of communications, interactions and regular meetings, industry forums and conferences.

8. Governments and Regulators

Description

Regional and national government bodies and agencies who implement and enforce applicable laws across our industry.

Areas of focus

  • Consumer health and public health policies

  • Food safety

  • Workplace health and safety

  • Human rights

  • Climate change

  • Compliance with laws and regulations


Why we engage

To communicate our views to those who have the responsibility for implementing policy, laws and regulations relevant to our business.

How we engage

Through a series of industry consultations, forums and conferences.