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Within our own company we are committed to battling bias and unfairness. We hire, promote and appraise colleagues based purely on their performance and potential in line with our closely-held value of: ‘I am Proud and Free to be Me’. We’re proud to partner with Inclusive Employers - the UK’s first and leading membership organisation, helping us to create a truly inclusive workplace. In addition we are signed up to the Halo Code and Crown Act - giving our people the freedom and security to wear all afro-hairstyles without restriction or judgment. Our internal inclusivity calendar is steered by CT’s Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging (DIB) Group who are also responsible for our bi-annual DIB survey. Details on our commitment to Gender Pay can also be found in our annual Gender Pay Reports here. We have a range of further initiatives in place to ensure that our Tyrwhitteers’ wellbeing and happiness is embedded in our company and take part in the "Sunday Times Top 100 Best Companies to Work For" on an annual basis in order to help us gather feedback. One of our other values is ‘BE the best’ which is all about people reaching their full potential. As part of our commitment to this, we offer numerous apprenticeship opportunities across the business and we had 30+ colleagues start apprenticeships with us over the last two years.
When it comes to giving something back through charitable means, we’re very proud to support The Prince's Trust. Over the last four years we have donated over £500,000 in an effort to help young people everywhere achieve. Additionally, our pioneering partnership isn’t just about handing over cash - it also sees us offer our time, expertise and support to help create opportunities for disadvantaged young people.
In addition to supporting The Prince's Trust, we give back to those less fortunate than us in a number of other ways. Colleagues based at our distribution centre regularly fundraise and volunteer with Willen Hospice, one of the best loved charities in Milton Keynes and the surrounding area and close to the hearts of many because of the compassionate, personal end of life care provided to some of our colleagues. We have supported the hospice for many years and through various fundraising initiatives have donated over £100,000.
We also donate unsaleable stock regularly to charities, British Heart Foundation and Willen Hospice. Any excess material left over from alterations is also donated to a local childcare nursery who use it for activities with the children. In addition, once they are no longer needed, fabric swatches used by our buying/design team are donated to Project Linus UK, a volunteer organisation which make quilts for sick, disabled or disadvantaged children across the UK.
Starting a career can be a difficult time. We hear countless stories of young people coming out of university with good results only to find that they can’t get a job. These graduates find themselves in a Catch 22 situation where they don’t have experience as they haven’t had a job, yet can’t get a job because they don’t have experience. We believe Charles Tyrwhitt is a great place to learn so we offer opportunities to undergraduates looking to get their foot on the career ladder. We partner with Westminster University and each year offer a paid placement to students in our Buying and Merchandising teams. This experience gives them valuable skills and practical understanding needed for a permanent role when they graduate. Some young people struggle to meet their potential at university - not because they don’t have the skills or ability but because they don’t have the support, guidance and connections that their peers may have. We also partner with the charity Into University which aims to empower and inspire young people with university aspirations. Our founder Nick regularly gives seminars about entrepreneurship and as a business we offer both an annual work placement and career guidance sessions to help students advance their careers.
Our ethical operation extends beyond our own company and runs through our whole supply chain. We have a zero-tolerance approach to exploitation of any kind and work closely with our suppliers to drive improvements in working conditions around the world. As part of that commitment, we’re already conducting audits for all of our fabric and yarn suppliers, which includes the way they treat their people. The next step is to extend that to audits for all our component suppliers such as labels, buttons, packaging and more, to ensure that every person who makes up the extended Charles Tyrwhitt family is treated right.
