Employees

But what makes us so special? Ultimately, it can only be people who are proud to work for the company and make it their mission to deliver the best possible service.

We have more than 32,200 employees worldwide. Our success depends absolutely on how well we recruit, develop, train and retain them. The way we do this – and work to improve our performance – is outlined below:

• 71% of employees responded
• 79% said they were satisfied working for us
• 83% expected to be working for Thomas Cook in a year's time.

Of course, working for a travel company is exciting. But our unique culture and values also help make Thomas Cook a great place to work. From the start, we've had a tradition of respect for our employees and our customers. It's been the key to our success. We believe people are the heart of our business and we want them to be proud to work for us. Our reward strategy underpins this belief and encourages our employees to perform well.

In the UK, our Investors in People accreditation confirms our commitment to improving performance and managing and developing our people effectively.

All areas of the business offer competitive and rounded benefits packages, including employee discounts on our holidays. Employees also have the flexibility to tailor their benefits package to suit their own personal needs.

Everyone can expect to benefit from a structured training approach for whatever part of the business they work in. We're a diverse business: a retailer, airline, tour operator and direct marketer. So we can offer wide-ranging careers, with opportunities to move horizontally as well as upwards. For example, each year when overseas representatives return to the UK for the winter they have a chance to work and gain experience in our retail stores or head office.

Many companies suggest that there's no limit to how high you can rise. We've proved it: our Chief Executive started out in our print department at 18.

Our UK Retail division offers a Modern Apprenticeship scheme to give young people a real insight into the travel business and help them improve their employability by gaining nationally recognised qualifications. It's seen as an industry benchmark. In 2007, 150 people joined the scheme. This was down from 200 in 2006 as the merger affected employee numbers. In 2008 we hope to recruit a record 300 as we expand the scheme to other areas of the business.

A personal development plan is prepared for every UK employee each year, allowing them to identify their strengths and training needs. In addition, we run a Learning Zone where all employees can access a range of materials to support their development and acquire new skills.

In North America, all senior managers, directors, managers and supervisors received leadership training in 2007. In the UK we're expanding senior management development in 2008 through our new Learning and Development Academy.

We're also developing more flexible ways to work. During 2007 we introduced and expanded optional home working for sales and customer service staff in the both the UK and North America. Home working is now a growing part of the business, allowing us to retain experienced staff who might otherwise have left the company because of their personal circumstances. It also allows flexible working hours, benefiting both company and employee.

We have tried to retain employees across both businesses and limit redundancies. We've maximised redeployment opportunities, with many departments guaranteeing jobs for people who could relocate.

To support employees through this difficult period, we offered:

• Support with relocation, including an enhanced relocation package, house hunting opportunities, site visits and inductions
• Relocation rooms where employees could find out more about the relocation areas, with information on schooling, estate agents etc
• Travel assistance for those who were unable to move home but wanted to stay with the company and commute to their new place of work
• The introduction of home working for some departments
• Additional training, including help with CVs and interviews as well as acquiring new skills
• On site 'job shops' where companies were invited into the business to present external opportunities.

As a globally recognised business we aim to provide a discrimination-free environment for employees, colleagues and customers. We will not tolerate any unlawful discrimination or harassment on grounds of race, colour, nationality, ethnic origin, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender re-assignment status, being married or a civil partner, religion, belief, disability or age.

We work with external government agencies and seek their guidance on promoting equal opportunities. In 2008 we will be reviewing our diversity policies and working with the Equality and Human Rights Commission in the UK to develop employee awareness of the new policy.

UK employees by gender 2007

UK employees by age 2007

2007 health and safety highlights – UK and Ireland

• No prosecutions
• No prohibition notices
• No improvement notices
• No fatalities
• 30 lost time accidents reported under RIDDOR*
• 548 other minor accidents reported

We are merging health and safety management systems across the UK and Ireland – this will be completed in 2008. Formal audit programs are in place to ensure compliance in all areas of the business.

During 2007 we introduced new policies on smoking in response to the no-smoking legislation introduced in England. We also began remediation work required as a result of our programme of fire risk assessments.

We have introduced individual rehabilitation programmes for employees returning to work after illness or accidents.

We have a lead authority partnership with Peterborough City Council's environmental health team for the retail sector, which now includes the MyTravel retail portfolio.

* The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR), place a legal duty on:

• employers;
• self-employed people;
• people in control of premises;

to report work related deaths, major injuries, over 3 day injuries, work related diseases and dangerous occurences.

Catching customers' dreams

Our North American business has given everyone in the organisation a two-hour interactive workshop on customer service. Entitled Catching the Dream, it's based on the idea that we're in the dream-making business – and the better we work together across the organisation, the better we'll create memorable holiday experiences. It uses a traditional Native American dreamcatcher as a symbol of how to treat our clients, and one another, with care and respect. An 11-week email campaign supported the workshop by giving every participant tips and tricks on how to implement each of the key learning points in their own work environment.