Partner Article

Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct in Boardroom shakeup with UK's first elected Workers' Representative

Sports Direct, the sportswear retailer headed by Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley, has begun the process of electing a Workers’ Representative who will attend its Board meetings.

The business confirmed it has opened the application process for candidates, which is open to all directly-engaged workers within the group, subject to qualifying conditions regarding duration with the group and other relevant criteria.

An assessment process will be undertaken to select successful candidates who will then be invited to stand in an election, in which circa 23,000 staff will be entitled to vote.

The Workers’ Representative will be invited by the Board to attend and speak at all scheduled meetings of the Board on behalf of the people who work at Sports Direct.

Appointments as Workers’ Representatives will be for 12 month periods, and the election process will be conducted each year. In the first year the Representative will be chosen from the Company’s retail division, and in the following year the Representative will be someone working in the warehouse or head office, before this cycle is then repeated.

The elected post will not involve the Representative becoming a director, as the Company believes this would potentially constrain their ability to fulfill the role (as outlined further in paragraph 2.28 of the Green Paper: Corporate Governance Reform).

A spokesman for Sports Direct said: “Having explored all options we believe this is the best way to ensure the Workers’ Representative is free to champion the interests of all staff. We see this as a major step forward in bringing about positive change.”

In a letter to staff, the Company’s chief executive said: “I have always believed Sports Direct to be a business that was built by the great people who work here.

“I therefore believe it is important that your voice is heard at the highest level in order to continue to make a positive difference. I look forward with immense pride to sitting alongside the UK’s first elected Workers’ Representative at future board meetings of Sports Direct International plc.”

It is anticipated that the first Board meeting to be attended by the Workers’ Representative will take place in Spring 2017.

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