Belong
at B&Q

Why B&Q  >   Belong at B&Q

Whoever you are, whatever your story, you have a place here.

Mel’s journey has been one of change, courage, and identity. But no matter where her story is headed, we have her back. She belongs at B&Q.

Why B&Q  >   Belong at B&Q

Flexible working hours make your time truly your time.

Having time to do the things that matter to you matters to us. Like Bhav. We make sure he has the flexibility to look after his Mum when she needs him.

Why B&Q  >   Belong at B&Q

Whatever your life ambitions, we’ll help you up the ladder.

Since he started at B&Q, Daniel has shown his passion for progressing his career in whatever way he can. So, we give him every opportunity to do just that.

Why B&Q  >   Belong at B&Q

Find support and acceptance right here, waiting for you.

Teejay’s had many life lessons. But most importantly, treating others as he wishes to be treated. So, because he always supports his team, we always make sure we support him.

Why B&Q  >   Belong at B&Q

Find stability in your special place, for your special people.

Stability at work matters to Abi. Especially when having children. At B&Q, she was supported and welcomed back to work with open arms. Three kids later, B&Q is a family affair.

Find us
on Instagram

Feel like you belong

We believe in creating an environment where our people are able to grow, thrive, and truly be themselves. We respect and celebrate differences. That’s what makes us stronger. We believe all our people should feel included and comfortable working here. And we do everything we can to make sure they do. 

Inclusive recruitment

We ensure that everyone is treated equally regardless of age, gender, marital or civil partnership status, colour, ethnic or national origin, culture, religious belief, philosophical belief, political opinion, disability, gender identity, gender expression or sexual orientation. If you require any additional support with your application, please contact

recruitment@b-and-q.co.uk

Wellbeing support

We care for our people and offer a range of tools and programmes to take care of their wellbeing – such as our partnerships with The RetailTRUST and Shelter. Alongside offering support with financial worries and flexible working options, we’ve created Yammer groups, e-learning modules and workshops, and an in-depth online wellness article library to encourage colleagues to understand their own wellness and that of those around them.

Pride

Erin & Hayleigh

 

To us, pride is about standing up for my fundamental right to live and love freely - without reservation. It's about embracing who we are and celebrating the beauty of our differences: rather than using them to divide us.

Joined at the hip

Megan Ellie Mai

11 years together,
Both through thick and thin.
Ellie-Mai and Megan,
Have now found where they fit in.
As apprentices at B&Q,
They’ve seen new ways to grow.
They’re supported and encouraged,
And never just told no.
They can learn from their mistakes,
And have the freedom to have fun.
Not one day is the same,
But their journey’s just begun.

See how effortlessly you can find your place and be yourself at B&Q.
Belong at B&Q.

Golden

Roy

Change.
It comes in many ways.
And here, I’ve seen 50 years of it.
I’ve seen people come and go and stores change their shelves,
I’ve grown my career and grown as a person.
I’ve found friendships new and old.
But one thing has always stayed the same:
I wouldn’t want to work anywhere else.

However long you stay with us, you’ll always be part of the family.
Belong at B&Q.

Inclusive partnerships

Support for ex-forces

The Armed Forces Covenant is a promise by the nation, ensuring that those who serve or who have served in the armed forces are treated fairly. We do all we can to support ex-armed forces individuals in developing their careers and wellbeing in our workplace.

Our partnership with Stonewall

Stonewall are the UK’s leading LGBT rights charity. In 2018, we became a Stonewall Diversity Champion, and the following year we were awarded our first Rainbow Honours Award (runners up) for ‘Start-up LGBTQ Network of the Year’.

B&Q Foundation and LGBT Foundation, Manchester

Through our fundraising and support to the B&Q Foundation, we have been able to support charities like the LGBT Foundation in the purchase of a counselling pod for their new LGBT Centre. This will allow the charity to deliver in-person counselling sessions again, after 2 years of remote delivery.

B&Q Foundation and The Proud Trust ltd

Through B&Q’s fundraising and support to the B&Q Foundation, the Foundation has awarded grants to charities that support the LGBTQ+ community. For example, helping the Proud Trust in Manchester to transform their roof terrace to provide a space for young LGBTQ+ people to come together, meet people, and build support networks.

Employer’s Initiative on Domestic Abuse

We work with EIDA to educate and inform our colleagues about domestic abuse. Once a year we focus on domestic abuse as a wellness topic, raising awareness of the support available to help colleagues and those they love to escape domestic abuse, in all its forms.

Inclusive Leadership workshops

Following our culture review with Green Park in 2020, we deliver an annual programme of Inclusive Leadership workshops to provide our top 500 leaders with a common understanding of inclusive behaviours, evolving their cultural and emotional intelligence, and equipping them with the skills and understanding they need to help make B&Q a place where everyone can feel they belong.

Level 2 disability confident employer

Kingfisher partner with the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) and the Business Disability Forum (BDF). They help us to provide facilities, work environment adjustments and tech solutions to make our business an inclusive place for all.

Learn more about what it means to be a Level 2 Disability Confident Employer on the DWP website.

Our national people's forum

Our people's forum is a group of elected colleagues from across all areas of B&Q. They regularly meet with the Board and senior stakeholders to represent the ideas and opinions of fellow colleagues. 

Unstereotype Alliance

We’ve partnered with The Unstereotype Alliance, a thought and action platform that seeks to eradicate harmful gender-based stereotypes in all media and advertising content. Convened by UN Women, the United Nations entity for Gender Equality, the Unstereotype Alliance brings together partners and seeks to collectively use the advertising industry as a force for good to drive positive change all over the world. 

 

Green Park Culture Review

Throughout 2020 we completed a project to really understand our culture. Working with Green Park, an independent consultancy firm who specialise in Diversity, Inclusion and Culture, we completed hundreds of colleague interviews and listening groups to find out what it’s really like to work at B&Q. Every year since then we’ve launched an evolving D&I strategic plan and continued to partner with Green Park to keep our cultural growth, well, growing!

RetailTRUST workshops and MHFA

We’re partnered with The Retail Trust to deliver a range of wellness support and education initiatives including webinars, workshops, monthly content, and wellness roadshows. We’ve recently launched our own Wellness Warriors in our Store Support Office, and are trialling mental health support workshops for our senior leaders.

BRC D&I pledge

In March 2021 we signed the British Retail Consortium’s Diversity & Inclusion Charter. Alongside the other signatories, we pledged to play our part in driving positive change within the wider retail sector, as well as within our own business.  

The Valuable 500

The Valuable 500 is a global movement which is working to get 500 of the world’s largest businesses to commit to placing disability inclusion on their business leadership agendas. B&Q joined The Valuable 500 in September 2020.

Sunflower Lanyard Scheme

Whether they need a little more time or assistance, a sunflower lanyard is a discreet way our customers can let us know if they have a hidden disability and would like a bit of extra help while shopping.

Our colleagues
remember

Recognising that there are fewer and fewer veterans of the Normandy Landings to keep the importance of D-Day alive and remembered in our communities, our colleagues share the memories of their family and friends who were there on the day. Colleagues within B&Q and also across the channel in France at B&Q’s sister companies - Castorama and Brico Depot - have recorded accounts of those they remember and their involvement in D-Day.

Colleague inclusion networks

Our Colleague Inclusion Networks

We have 5 colleague networks (Gender Equality, Embrace Cultural Diversity, PRIDE, Ability, Armed Forces Community) whose elected reps work together with senior leaders and our Board to share collective feedback and strategic ideas from a specific community viewpoint.

Armed forces

Our Armed Forces Community network aims to support potential and existing colleagues and customers who’ve served, are serving in the volunteer forces, or are part of a forces family. We'll educate, inform and empower our colleagues to navigate civilian life within B&Q and their communities; raising awareness of the skills and values the military can bring to B&Q, and how B&Q can support them as an employer of choice.

We also hold an Armed Forces Covenant Silver award as part of the Ministry of Defence's Employer Recognition Scheme to support our colleagues who currently serve or have served our country.

Pride

Our Pride @B&Q network aims to support all colleagues, customers and allies that are part of the LGBTQ community. We aim to empower colleagues to value, respect and champion each other by listening, educating and raising awareness of LGBTQ issues within B&Q and wider society.

We’ll help to influence positive cultural change together, build acceptance through understanding; and strive to create a safe workplace where everyone can be their true selves making B&Q a great place to work and shop for everyone.

Gender equality network

Our Gender Equality network aims to support colleagues of all genders by helping to raise awareness and breaking down barriers. We'll be allies by empowering colleagues across B&Q through listening and sharing their views.

We'll educate colleagues and leaders about gender in the workplace and gender identities, to promote better equity and ensure anyone can meet their full potential, to ultimately make B&Q an even great place for colleagues to work and customers to shop.

Embrace Cultural Diversity

Our Embrace Cultural Diversity network aims to bring us together by raising awareness of different cultures and influencing positive change in B&Q.

We'll be true allies through listening and we'll work to break down barriers by learning from each other, and celebrating all cultures and beliefs, so that anyone can be educated, involved and feel they can belong. By doing this we'll make B&Q an even greater place for colleagues to work and customers to shop.

Ability

Our network aims to raise awareness of the many aspects of disability, neurodiversity and mental health to increase understanding and break down barriers within B&Q. We’ll be true allies through listening to colleagues and being the voice of collective views.