Performance against workplace and community targets

Performance against 2007 workplace and community targets and actions planned in 2008

Target 2007	Progress	Target 2008
Achieve a further improvement in our score in the BiTC CR Index	The Group participated in the BiTC CR Index for the third time this year. The Group achieved a rating at the top end of the silver ranking, with a score of 88%, an increase of 10% on the previous year.	Achieve a further improvement in our score in the BiTC CR Index as part of our progress towards our target of achieving Platinum status by 2010.
Continue to monitor the rates and causes of employee absenteeism and take actions to achieve reductions	The Group monitors the rates of absenteeism and also the causes. The average rate of employee absenteeism across all the US businesses of 1.63% was lower than the US national rates of 1.87% for same size organisations. Since absenteeism rates keep parity with US national rates, reduction targets are not set in the US. In Europe targets were set for each of the distribution centres and call centres. The absence rates represent hours lost divided by hours available and targets were achieved with the exception of the Maybrook Distribution Centre. Whilst short-term absence has been controlled at Maybrook, there has been a higher than expected long-term absence rate. The management team continue to monitor this and the appropriate actions are taken to reduce this wherever possible for example phased return to work and lighter duties.	Continue to monitor the rates and causes of employee absenteeism and take actions to achieve reductions.