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Spring Event 2022 At Dunelm, one of our core values is 'Stronger Together', where we prioritise connecting and including. Today we had our Dunelm Spring Event, a celebration of our colleagues hosted at our Store Support Centre (SSC) in Leicester. Our event included: - Eid celebrations hosted by our Ethnicity & Race Network Group (traditional sweet treats and henna) - Food Stalls (pizza, hotdogs, Indian street food & ice cream!) - Learning Communities Workshop - our opening group talk around our brand new learning communities for Sustainability, Data, and Early & Future Careers. We are truly a hybrid workplace, and allow our colleagues to work wherever feels at Home. This makes it extra special when we host event days and get to reconnect in person.
How to be an LGBT ally As part of #allyshipapril, our LGBT colleague network has been sharing some information with us on how to be a better ally in the workplace. Every one of us is responsible for making Dunelm a place where everyone feels that they belong, and consider the changes we can make to become a better ally to our LGBTQ+ colleagues. 🏳️🌈Don't make assumptions 🏳️🌈Explore your own biases and assumptions without shame 🏳️🌈Consider your language 🏳️⚧️Don't make assumptions about a transgender person's sexual orientation 🏳️⚧️Don't ask a transgender person what their "real name" is 🏳️⚧️Be careful about confidentiality, disclosure, and "outing." 🏳️⚧️Understand there is no "right" or "wrong" way to transition 🏳️🌈Avoid backhanded compliments and "helpful" tips We thank of all of our colleague networks (Neurodiversity and Disability, Gender Equality, Race and Ethnicity and LGBT) for their continued work in helping us support all of our colleagues and keep learning 💚
Financial Wellbeing At Dunelm, we know finances and ultimately financial wellbeing is on everyone’s mind in one way or another, at the moment. We want to ensure that all of our colleagues have support available to them, and we work with a number of organisations to deliver this. - Our Colleague Support Fund is here for all colleagues and can help with a range of situations and experiences, whether that be financial or practical aid. - We offer Salary Advance in a time of crisis, or when an unexpected bill or payment arises. - For a longer term solution, Salary Finance can help with money insights, affordable loads and advances on earned pay. - We continue to partner with Retail Trust and they offer a range of resources and advice to our colleagues, and we offer the option to apply for Financial Aid through this partnership. There are counselling services available for our colleagues, virtual GP and resources around all types of wellbeing. We aim to keep listening and learning to our colleagues and give as much support as we can in these trying times.
Pregnancy loss policy We know that pregnancy loss can be a devastating experience for everyone impacted. Sadly, pregnancy loss is much more common than you may think with an estimated 1 in 4 pregnancies ending in miscarriage. As a large employer it’s highly likely that we’ll unfortunately have many colleagues who are or have been affected at any one time. That’s why we are committed to giving all affected colleagues the support that they need. This week we announced our new pregnancy loss policy. This policy aims to show that we’re truly committed to supporting our colleagues who need it. Our policy covers paid leave for the parent directly experiencing a loss, as well as partners and parents who experience pregnancy loss through a surrogate, regardless of the colleague’s role or length of service and the nature of the loss. The policy also outlines other ways we can support, such as time off for medical appointments, access to our virtual GP service, free counselling support via Retail Trust and links to external charities and specialist support groups.
World Down's Syndrome Day World Down Syndrome Day is a day aimed at raising awareness about what Down’s Syndrome is, what it means to have Down's Syndrome, and how people who have Down's Syndrome play a vital role in our lives and communities. We are really proud to partner with the Down's Syndrome Association (DSA) and their WorkFit programme, bringing together employers and jobseekers who have Down’s Syndrome. It is a tailored programme dedicated to training employers about the learning profile of people who have Down’s Syndrome so that they can be supported in the workplace. It is focused on finding the right employment opportunities for people who have Down’s Syndrome and ensuring that they have the support they need to be successful in the workplace. So far, we have worked with the DSA to successfully place 18 people with Down's Syndrome into paid work at Dunelm, just like Hettie, our Pausa assistant.
Our Natural History Museum x Dunelm collaboration has landed! Designed alongside the Museum, and born from a shared interest in doing more for the planet, this very special collection is the result of a truly collaborative process that has brought together scientists and designers to create beautiful and thoughtfully crafted products. The new collection, now available to buy from Dunelm stores nationwide and on Dunelm.com, reflects ethical and sustainable standards at its heart, and offers customers the opportunity to enjoy a stunning range of exclusive homewares. We’re very excited to share the story and products behind the collaboration in this video filmed in the Museum itself which features some familiar faces from our design team who were pivotal in bringing this collection to life.
International Women's Day Happy #internationalwomensday to all of our colleagues, customers and followers. We’re celebrated in a big way. We ran sessions on the following; A panel discussion on Breaking The Bias, where some of our colleagues shared stories about when they have faced bias, and how to challenge it and educate yourself. A workshop on the topic of Imposter Syndrome, as we know that 70% of people will experience at least one episode in their lives. A call in partnership with Code First Girls all about women in tech, opportunities for our colleagues as well as what we’re doing externally to support candidates wanting a explore career in tech with us. It’s great to see so many colleagues getting involved in celebrating International Women’s Day, both virtually and in person!
Aldersgate Group partnership We are pleased to announce that we have joined a raft of leading organisations in championing for an environmentally sustainable UK economy, as we become members of the Aldersgate Group. We look forward to working collaboratively with the Aldersgate Group and its member organisations towards our common goal of Net Zero and supporting Dunelm’s ambition of being ‘sustainable in everything we do’.
Dun Your Way TV advert Your home is the one place you get to call the shots. So why do it anyone else’s way? Forget the so-called interior design ‘rules’, or the ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ ways of doing things. Hang what makes you smile on the walls. Scatter your favourite colours across the sofa. Fill your shelves with treasured knick-knacks. Home, after all, should be your own little corner of the world. Made by you, especially for you. Created with your own unique sense of style to bring you comfort and joy. Your home should absolutely be Dun Your Way, and nobody else’s. #DunYourWay
Time To Talk Day - 3rd February On 3rd February, we recognised 'Time To Talk Day', as a key date in the mental health awareness calendar and an event which we are proud to be supporting as part of our charity partnership with Mind, SAMH and Inspire. It is all about creating supportive communities by having conversations with family, friends, or colleagues about mental health. We all have mental health, by talking about it we can support ourselves and others. At Dunelm, we value colleague wellbeing, and we know that we are stronger together - as such, we are encouraging our colleagues to have a brew, a biscuit and a chat about mental health. We are also providing tips for mental health awareness and activities to encourage conversation.
