Social

Customers

Gamma’s ethos is to provide a robust product at a fair price. Where we are selling via channel partners we want our partner to make a fair margin for the value that they are adding to our end user. We want to produce products which allow our end users to communicate easily and reliably.

The business has a strong reputation for service and support. We invest time engaging with our customers across a range of topics to ensure our business remains straightforward to deal with. In order to understand overall customer satisfaction levels, we run regular satisfaction surveys from our Sales and Support teams and in 2020 we introduced the ‘Likert Scale’ as our method to measure customer satisfaction.  We are pleased to report a 69% CSAT rating in 2020. We also track an annual Net Promoter Score (NPS) and recorded a positive score of +66 for 2020, a year-on-year increase of 26 points, which is well above the industry average for our sector.

We aim to ensure our pricing is fair and transparent.

Data protection and privacy

We recognise our duty to ensure that any personal data that we may collect is properly protected and that we are transparent and responsible in the way we handle it. Details regarding our privacy policy can be found on our website: https://www.gamma.co.uk/privacy-policy/

Suppliers

Gamma works with carefully chosen suppliers. The main suppliers are those who provide equipment (both for our own network and for onward sale to customers) and other telecoms businesses.

Gamma is in the process of improving and standardising the management of suppliers. Preferred and strategic suppliers have their performance managed, monitored and reviewed to ensure the supply relationship always represents best value to Gamma and to underpin constructive discussion and resolution of any issues that might arise. Employees are asked to ensure that any issues relating to the supplier’s service provision, quality of goods or any other indicator of performance (good or bad) is reported to the appropriate category procurement representative, so accurate performance records can be maintained and supplier performance can be managed and improved.

Regular supplier meetings take place with key suppliers and there is also a fortnightly ‘Supplier Management Meeting’ chaired by procurement, with inputs from Gamma key stakeholders including Commercial, Customer Operations, Network Operations, Product and Regulatory and Compliance which is a forum to discuss key suppliers and raise issues.

Gamma people

Employee engagement

Employee engagement is fundamental to Gamma’s success at retaining highly motivated employees and contributes to the achievement of our strategic objectives.

By engaging with employees, we want to give them a voice to create a culture in which every employee can thrive. We want our people to bring their best selves to the working environment which should be a place where they feel safe, they belong, and they matter.

With the majority of Gamma’s employees working remotely during the pandemic, engaging with staff, understanding how they were feeling and giving them a voice was a high priority.

We implemented a new engagement tool in 2020, the Gamma Pulse, with an Engagement Channel which is a resource tool for managers and employees. The Gamma Pulse ensured we could engage with employees in real time, which gave us quicker insights to enable us to implement actions and communicate results back to the business more efficiently.

In July we ran a COVID-19 survey to find out how our employees were, how they were feeling, whether they had the right equipment to do their role effectively and how we could help support them. We had an 81% participation rate with over 6,000 comments. In August we ran a further survey to gain feedback into new ways of working and again received a high participation rate of 82%. For both surveys we were able to communicate results and turn actions around quickly.

In October our regular surveys became quarterly and our Gamma Pulse enabled us to react to real-time feedback in an effective manner. We had an 80% participation rate with nearly 9,000 comments. Our results were communicated via an employee webinar and email communication.

We have created a senior leaders engagement working group to help drive change and actions in the business and to ensure we have a consistent approach. Engagement remains a key driver of our people agenda.

Culture and values

In January 2020 we launched our new values; aim high; consider others; think differently; and stronger together. The values were co-created with our employees through a number of workshops and feedback sessions to ensure they were authentic and were aligned to our culture.

We held a launch day in tandem with our new brand design and held a celebration in all our offices with senior leaders presenting to employees to raise awareness of our new values. In 2020 we have continued to embed our values through initiatives, inductions, our Gamma Pulse survey and communications, and will continue to build on our good foundations in 2021.

Diversity, belonging and inclusion

Gamma is committed to continually lead with our beliefs that enable our employees to develop their potential, continuously learn and bring their best selves to work. Our people come from a wide variety of backgrounds which makes our Company stronger together.

Our wellbeing programme has helped Gamma to create an awareness of different cultures by celebrating key calendar events, where employees have shared their stories and knowledge, such as Black History Month, LGBTQ+ and National Windrush Day. Our people also share information and their experiences to help educate others about festive celebrations such as Diwali, Eid, Rosh Hashanah, and Yom Kippur.

Wellbeing

We have put an increased focus on employee health and wellbeing in response to the pandemic in 2020 and we launched the Wellbeing Channel on Teams for employees in April 2020. The purpose of the Channel is to engage with and help staff during the pandemic and beyond. Sub-channels have been launched covering themes such as mental health support, tips for working remotely, fitness, health, and support for those shielding and for those isolated. Gamma has hosted events through the channel to help bring staff together such as gaming challenges, baking competitions, giving something back, and social support running to suit our employees’ availability.

Our 17 mental health first aiders have worked on a rota system helping to support colleagues and we offered bite sized training on topics such as managing remotely, dealing with stress, and work-life balance. Our Employee Assistance Programme has provided employees with access to online information and advice and employees have shared their experiences of working from home and helping others. This has enhanced our culture and values and brought them to life as we have considered others and been stronger together.

Financial wellbeing is also important to our employees and we offer a salary sacrifice pension scheme, life assurance and income protection. Gamma offers a benefits package which includes: the government cycle to work scheme, childcare vouchers and additional holiday purchase as well as access to a health cashback plan. Gamma has also partnered with Reward Gateway to offer staff a variety of discounts from retail outlets and access to health and fitness discounts including gym memberships. We also offer enhanced adoption, maternity and paternity pay and shared parental leave.

Wellbeing will continue to be a key focus in 2021 to help support our employees with advice, training, assistance and continue to enhance our Wellbeing channel through our four key pillars of wellbeing: mental health, physical health, financial wellbeing, and community and social.

Health and safety

Gamma’s health and safety initiatives evolved in 2020 with the aim of providing the same level of support from Gamma during the pandemic. Gamma’s Group Operations Director chaired our COVID Committee, unifying Health and Safety with Employee Wellbeing, and with Business Continuity to ensure we are considering the welfare and safety of our employees. We responded rapidly to the outbreak of the pandemic, quickly transitioning our workforce to remote working, removing the need to travel for the vast majority of Gamma employees. For those employees where travel was essential, Gamma focused efforts on providing personal protective equipment (PPE) and introducing safety guidelines. In 2020 we also adjusted our employee health and safety training to support our employees working in a remote environment.

As a service business, Gamma experiences few workplace injuries. Nevertheless, Gamma recorded a reduced number of injuries in 2020, likely due to the office closures, and had no fatalities or major injuries related to work. A process has been established whereby all workplace injuries are reported to the Board.

Our health and safety policy has developed alongside our new working environment and we continue to work with third party specialists to ensure our employees are supported and environments are safe. Our health and safety governance has continued to mature in 2020, with enhancements to our internal reporting to provide better visibility to management of any concerns.

Sharing in the success of our business growth

As well as providing long-term incentive schemes which offer options to key employees, Gamma is keen to ensure that all employees who would like to be shareholders can do so in the most tax-efficient way. In the UK Gamma has an optional Save As You Earn (‘SAYE’) scheme which allows eligible employees to acquire shares and a Share Incentive Plan (‘SIP’) to allow employees to buy shares on a monthly basis. In 2020 43% (2019: 47%) of eligible employees chose to participate in the SAYE scheme, with options being granted over 345,953 (2019: 377,800) shares. Gamma is looking to roll out share schemes in Europe.

Apprenticeships

The Gamma apprenticeship programme has continued during 2020 with 15 apprentices in various functions (2019: 24). The majority of our apprentices are continuing studies from previous years, in some cases up to degree level or existing employees continuing their professional development through the apprenticeship model. We are committed to developing our employees and continuing to support talented people throughout their careers.

Gender pay gap

In 2021 we will continue to assess our gender pay gap and look at ways to continually support closing the gap between male and female employees and working to ensure that all employees are treated fairly.

Our gender pay gap report for the snapshot date of 5 April 2020 shows 1,046 employees within the Gamma Telecoms Holdings Ltd UK workforce: 728 men and 318 women.

Below is the data from our UK Gender Pay Gap analysis.

The median pay gap is the difference between the midpoints in the ranges of hourly earnings of men and women. The mean gender pay gap is the difference between the average hourly earnings of men and women.

Pay and bonus gap

Proportion of Males and Females receiving bonus

Pay Quartiles

Gamma operates in a sector where there is a shortage of technically skilled females who choose to pursue a career in telecommunications and technology. As seen across the sector, male employees continue to make up much of our workforce, however, we are seeing improvements in our mean figures.

Our development team within Gamma have been actively involved with the Hi-Tech Horizons initiative in conjunction with the Education Business Partnership. The initiative aims to engage and inspire the future workforce, raising awareness of the hi-tech sector and the opportunities available.

We have senior leaders within Gamma who continue to work with schools in the Greater Manchester and Newbury areas, supporting with career advice, work experience mornings, as well as promoting graduate and apprenticeship roles.

Group employee numbers at 31 December 2020

Group employee numbers at 31 December 2019

Whistleblowing Scheme

Gamma has recently launched a new Whistleblowing Policy and reporting system via an independent third party available to all employees, workers, suppliers, customers and other relevant third parties.

The enhanced approach provides employees with a confidential channel in which to raise any wrongdoing anonymously. The system is available 24/7 either online or via the telephone with multi-language functionality.

To ensure concerns are treated objectively, wrongdoing reports initially are sent directly from our third-party provider to our Whistleblowing Officers who are Independent Non-Executives on our Board. After an initial assessment, the report will either be sent to the panel which is made up of Gamma’s Senior Leadership Team or the Whistleblowing Officers may deal with it independently.

Reports of wrongdoing concerns will be reported to the Board on a regular basis.

We will proactively communicate the Whistleblowing approach within our induction programme and have provided awareness communication and training to existing staff.

As part of our 2021 social plan within our ESG Strategy, we are committed to supporting the communities in which we are based and enhancing our charitable giving plan.

Giving something back

As part of our 2021 social plan within our ESG Strategy, we are committed to supporting the communities in which we are based and enhancing our charitable giving plan.

At Gamma we have always encouraged charitable initiatives, and often a worthy cause will find people’s time just as valuable as any financial donation. Employees can contribute one day a year to help support their chosen charity or community support project. Whilst in 2020 our employees have been limited to what support they can offer due to the pandemic; they have still been involved with virtual initiatives and as a result we have set up a charities page for employees within our wellbeing channel.

Gamma agreed to match £25 for every donation up to £5,000 for the Ambitious about Autism virtual 10k fundraiser and 29 employees took part. One of our employees has raised £2,600 for the Children’s Heart Surgery Fund and become a Trustee of the Board and the wellbeing channel has helped to raise awareness and get other employees involved. £574 was raised by an employee for the Royal British Legion through a 10k run and £1,089 was raised by another employee for the Stroke Association.

In 2020 we held a virtual Gamma Show which was a fantastic event which attracted widespread participation. For every live participant on the day Gamma gave £10 towards a charitable cause and topped this up to a £10,000 donation. Employees could apply to donate part of this money towards their chosen charity and we had £400 going to 25 different charities.

Giving something back is important to Gamma and our employees, and is aligned to our “consider others” value. We will continue to build on our community and charity plan in 2021 to help make a difference to good causes and our local communities.