Environment

Sirius continues to seek ways in which it can reduce its environmental impact and actively encourages sustainability initiatives. We carefully manage our impact on the environment and work hard to ensure that space is maximised to its full potential. A fundamental part of our business model involves reconfiguring former industrial buildings and in doing so we extend the life and use of these ageing structures. We endeavour to ensure tenants are better equipped to monitor and manage their energy consumption and have made substantial progress in installing meters across many of our sites thereby facilitating the measurement and improvement of efficiencies in terms of the delivery and consumption of utilities throughout our portfolio of properties.

Diversity

Sirius has a diverse workforce and in 2014, the German Charter of Diversity was signed, making Sirius an official member. We are committed to equal opportunities and our diversity policy aims to ensure that no employee receives less favourable treatment because of gender, marital status, race, age, sexual preference, religion, belief or disability. As part of the Group‘s obligations under the German Charter of Diversity all employees undertake basic training relating to equal rights in the workplace (Allgemeines Gleichstellungsgesetz) and we take steps to ensure this culture transcends our employees, as well as the providers of services to our business parks. As Sirius benefits from a diverse workforce and uses both the English and German language the Company continues to support staff in their language development by making language courses available to all employees.

Community

Sirius has enthusiastic and passionate employees who are keen to support their community by participating in worthwhile events. Sirius focuses attention on community causes in which employees have a personal interest and wish to be actively involved. We believe this ensures a deep commitment to the cause and enables us to see the direct impact of our support. Sirius continues to support many charities across Germany, both regionally and nationally, with a particular focus on the young, health and education.

Sirius employees actively helped Deutsche Krebshilfe, McDonalds Kinderhilfe and Tierheim which were voted internally and as an incentive, the company directors donated twice as much money as the employees did to the organizations. Other employee led initiatives include sponsoring Handballverein TSV Marienfelde and FSV Spandauer Kickers 1975 e.V. We value inclusion and enriching lives so around the Christmas period Sirius set out to prepare and deliver various gifts in shoe box sizes which were donated people in need.

We are proud to have been a main partner and sponsor of the EBsprenuership forum, Europe’s largest student led entrepreneurship congress with over 400 participants. Sirius supported a group of the  aspiring young entrepreneurs by offering them complimentary work space at their First Choice Business Parks to assist them to plan the 2019 forum.

Sirius also helped various South African education organisations by sending over computers and other IT equipment.

People

Sirius recognises the importance of professional development for all employees within the Group. The Sirius Akademie internal training programme offers training for key employees across a range of topics including communication, finance and facility management. The Akademie has been running since 2009 and in the year to 31 March 2018 there were 13 training courses held with a total of 163 employees attending. In March 2017 the Leadership Development Initiative was introduced. This is a quarterly development programme for all team leaders providing participants with a specific framework within which to lead and manage their individual teams as the Company expands. One outcome of this development initiative has been the adoption of regular inter-departmental training sessions hosted by our team leaders. These training sessions ensure staff at all levels benefit from function-specific development. In order to encourage and monitor the provision of training, documentation and reporting have been introduced. In the year to 31 March 2018 every employee in the Company received training and a total of 2,018 training reports were completed.

Employee health and wellbeing awareness is actively promoted by Sirius with sports activities supported on a regular basis including team sports events conducted throughout the year. Events that took place during the year under review include running, football and yoga. In addition, working with local businesses, the Company was able to subsidise the membership cost of health and fitness clubs for its staff based in its Berlin headquarters.