BT 2001 Annual Report Download - page 19

BT Annual report and Form 20-F 19
There is a similar savings-related scheme
for employees based outside the UK, and
an employee stock purchase plan for
employees in the USA. Appropriate
adjustments will be made to the
allocation of shares under these plans to
take account of the rights issue.
The BT New Ideas scheme, under
which BT people are encouraged to put
forward suggestions for improvements in
the company’s activities, generated more
than 8,000 suggestions in the year,
contributing to savings of around
»85 million.
We run CARE, an annual employee
attitude survey, and encourage managers
and their teams to put in place action
plans to address the issues that it
highlights.
Most BT employees are members of
the BT Pension Scheme, which is
controlled by trustees who are company
or union nominees. On 1 April 2001, we
introduced a de¢ned contribution scheme
for new employees after closing the BT
Pension Scheme to new entrants. The
de¢ned contribution scheme has been
established under a separate trust from
the existing BT Pension Scheme, but also
has company and union-nominated
trustees.
An estimated 75% of the company’s
UK employees belong to one of two main
trade unions recognised by the company.
We have a good record of industrial
relations and continue to have
constructive relations with both unions,
built on partnership and mutual respect.
BT is an equal opportunities
employer and is committed to developing
a working culture that enables all
employees to make their own distinctive
contribution. BT seeks to realise the
potential of disabled people to contribute
to our business performance. During the
year, BT supported the launch of
AbilityNet’s London Centre. AbilityNet is
a charity that brings the bene¢ts of
computer technology to adults and
children with disabilities, both in BT and
in the communities in which it operates.
New BT people should bene¢t from pre-
recruitment assessments designed to
ensure that they have the most
productive and comfortable equipment
available as soon as they join the
company. Existing BT people should also
bene¢t from easier access to expert
assessment and advice, and earlier
provision of appropriate reasonable
adjustments to their working
environment.
BT prides itself on being a learning
organisation. We spend around
»200 million a year on the training and
development of our people. They have
access to a comprehensive portfolio of
development and training options,
including technical and commercial
training, personal skills and management
development. Increasingly, we are using
the internet to deliver training and
development programmes. The BT
Academy is a web-based corporate
learning portal that delivers world-class
e-learning to BT people via the
company’s intranet.
During the year, BT became the
largest company to achieve re-
accreditation as a Corporate Investor in
People; a further demonstration of BT’s
commitment to the development and
growth of all our people.
Property
At 31 March 2001, the group had a
property portfolio of approximately 8,000
buildings, with a total £oor space of six
million square metres, located principally
throughout the UK.
Specialised operational buildings
account for the majority of properties,
both in number and book value. They
house mainly exchange equipment and
are needed as part of the group’s
continuing activities. They do not readily
adapt to other uses.
General purpose properties consist
chie£y of o⁄ces, depots, computer
centres and shops.
In January 2001, we announced that
we were in negotiations to realise the
value of our UK property portfolio. This,
we believe, should enable us to take a
more £exible approach to our o⁄ce
arrangements and building requirements.
However, we intend to retain the freehold
and right to occupy our operational
buildings. In April 2001, Telereal Group,
a 50/50 joint venture between Land
Securities Trillium and William Pears
Group, was selected as the preferred
bidder for the proposed acquisition of the
BT property portfolio and the subsequent
provision of certain buildings and
management services to BT.
On 1 May 2001, we announced that,
in view of the reduced number of people
requiring accommodation in the group
centre at the end of the restructuring
process, and consistent with a less
centralised group, we have decided to
vacate and sell our BT Centre
headquarters building in London.
The principal categories of BT’s
plant and equipment are exchanges and
transmission equipment. Transmission
equipment comprises copper, ¢bre and
radio access; underground ducts for
copper and ¢bre access; equipment for
the trunk network; and cellular and other
transmission equipment.
Regulation, competition and prices
The commercial environment in the
United Kingdom and in the countries in
which BT operates or wishes to operate
is increasingly competitive and dynamic.
However, we remain subject to extensive
regulation, particularly in the UK, which
can materially a¡ect the way in which
the company carries out its business.