Colleague wellbeing
We know that everyday life can be challenging. To help our colleagues be at their best, we’re committed to supporting their mental, physical and financial wellbeing.
We focus on empathetic leadership and psychological safety at work, empowering managers to take an approach that puts people first.
We provide tools that allow us to signpost colleagues effectively and enable them to look after their wellbeing in ways that work for them.
Our employee assistance programme, via Health Assured, includes access to counselling.
Peppy Menopause support is a transferable benefit for every colleague and their loved ones.
Schroeders Financial Wellbeing helps people to manage their finances and plan for the future.
A network of Mental Health First Aiders provides support across the Group.
Physiotherapy for The Sofa Delivery Company team helps to manage their physical health.
Our holiday buying scheme means people can take more time away from work in addition to standard annual leave.
Flu vaccination vouchers keep colleagues healthy through the winter.
Our partnership with Bluecrest includes free/discounted medical health checks.
Discounts on gym membership through the YourDeal reward portal help colleagues to keep fit.
Colleague Networks – Creating communities
Our colleague networks unite like-minded people and help us to build on our inclusive culture. We invite everyone to join any of them as an ally – you don’t have to be a member of the community.
Our Exec Sponsor framework ensures each network is supported by leaders and that colleagues’ voices inform decision making.
The networks have already led us to introduce the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower, our affiliation with Carers UK, and our activity around Pride.
364 Women's Network
A group of highly engaged people who care about gender equality. The name was inspired by International Women’s Day because we believe it’s an all-year-round conversation.
Disability Inclusion Council
Our network is here to raise awareness of all disabilities – visible and non-visible – to create a workplace where everyone feels they can bring their whole self to work.
LGBTQ+ & Allies Group
A place for the LGBTQ+ community and its allies to educate and inspire each other, engage with like-minded people and build relationships. This is a safe space for open discussion and authenticity.
Black Heritage Network
This is a thriving community celebrating Black culture and history, raising awareness around racial equality, and encouraging better conversations.
Carers' Network
Uniting people with caring responsibilities across the Group to not only support each other, but identify how the business can help to navigate the blend of our roles inside and outside work.
Asian Network
A community of people of mixed Asian culture coming together to celebrate heritage and welcome everyone, supporting the education of others.
Mankind
Bringing men from around the Group together to support each other in navigating the modern day workplace and promote positive mental health.
Equity, diversity and inclusion – Everyone Welcome
Embedding our Everyone Welcome culture is fundamental to our success at DFS Group and sits at the heart of our People Strategy.
We believe that every one of our colleagues should feel respected, supported and free to bring their whole self to work every day.
By ensuring inclusion is central to decision-making, we believe we can attract, retain, and develop diverse talent, helping our teams – and our business – to thrive.
Our Everyone Welcome approach
‘Always on’ colleague listening: We actively seek and use colleague feedback to make sure our inclusion initiatives are relevant and responsive to evolving needs.
Developing inclusive leadership: We’re building the skills and capabilities of our managers – who are fundamental to a positive colleague experience – so they can lead high-performing, diverse teams effectively.
A data-driven approach: We use data and insights to move beyond instinct, providing proof points to inform decision-making, track our progress objectively, and identify areas for focused action. We’re also simplifying our systems.
Inclusive colleague experience: We proactively use Inclusion Impact Assessments to identify recommendations and influence a more positive experience for everyone.
To help us achieve our Everyone Welcome ambitions, we also support our active Colleague Networks to thrive, and we’re proudly partnering with Carers UK, Hidden Disabilities Sunflower, and Diversity in Retail.
Learning and development
By investing in our team members, we can empower them to reach their full potential, contributing to our continuous improvement and progress.
Building leadership capability, nurturing skills, and improving colleague experience through learning are all fundamental parts of our People Strategy.
Every year, hundreds of managers and leaders complete our development programmes to help them advance in their careers and lead diverse, high-performing teams inclusively. Each of our brands has its own offer, providing a range of learning opportunities on a wide variety of topics to people at all levels.
We also offer apprenticeships, giving people the chance to learn, earn and develop new skills, and support colleagues from minority backgrounds through our partnership with Diversity in Retail.
Health and safety
Our Health & Safety Strategy is built on a simple but powerful vision: Everyone has the right to go home safely.
We take personal and collective responsibility to build a culture that reduces the health and safety risks of our activities, products and services. Our approach aligns with our Group Code of Conduct.
What does this mean?
It means embedding safety into our culture, taking proactive steps to manage risks, developing essential skills, collaborating with others to achieve shared or complementary objectives, and continuously improving our approach.
Fundamental to this success is our shared dedication to creating a strong health and safety culture. We want every colleague to feel safe, valued, and equipped to thrive.
Leaders at all levels must understand the risks in their part of the organisation and manage them appropriately. Leadership and culture are therefore core to our new Health and Safety Strategy for 2025. We’ve invested in NEBOSH Leading Safety Excellence training for all senior leaders, and bespoke safety leadership masterclasses for all managers and supervisors.
Making safety a core value ensures it remains integrated into our business decision-making and processes.
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Group Communities & Charitable Giving Policy |
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Whistleblowing Policy |
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Health and Safety Policy |
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Group Human Rights Policy |
Download document |
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Group Code of Conduct |
Download document |
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Gender Pay Report 2024 |
Download document |
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Board Equity, Diversity and Inclusion policy |
Download document |
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Modern Slavery |
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