Our Human Resources Director is responsible for employment issues including pay and benefits, equal opportunities, business conduct and training and development. We have 9,500 employees, and have created over 500 new jobs in the past three years. In 2000 to 2001 the rate of employee turnover was higher than we would have wished at 11.5%, reflecting the buoyant employment market in our business sectors. There is ongoing management focus on employee retention and we expect this rate will fall. Many of our employees are highly skilled and we provide a wide variety of training programmes for them. A high proportion of employees are graduates and 11% are in managerial positions.

Our human resources policies cover our global operations, and as a minimum reflect local laws and conditions though many of our sites go well beyond the statutory minimum requirements. We review our human resources policies for compliance with international employment standards. In the UK we operate a confidential employee reporting service through which employees can raise any concerns they may have with any aspect of our business or behaviour.

We go to great lengths to avoid compulsory redundancy through re-deployment and retraining of affected employees. In 2000 there were 41 compulsory redundancies – 0.4% of our employees. Many of our employees are represented by trades unions or in Europe through our Works Council. There is also an employee non executive director on the Board of Amersham plc.

Human rights
We do not have a separate human rights policy, but we are confident that the requirements of the UK's Human Rights Act are embraced within our various human resources policies and procedures.

China is the only country we are based in where human rights have been identified as an area of concern by Amnesty International. Our plant in Shanghai, an 80% owned joint venture, supplies pharmaceutical products to this growing economy. It employs over 170 well trained, skilled workers, over 44% of whom are graduates. All have a welfare package including pension, medical insurance, unemployment and housing fund. The company has quarterly staff meetings and has a collective bargaining agreement with the Shanghai Labour Union and Shanghai Labour Administration Bureau.

Equal opportunities
We aim to promote equal opportunities for all employees and ensure there is no discrimination in the workplace. Our policies on equal opportunity and non-discrimination cover race, religion, creed, gender, sexual orientation and disability. Over 40% of our employees and 25% of our managers are women.

Corporate governance
Amersham’s Board is committed to the highest standards of corporate governance throughout the group. Our Annual Report and Accounts contain a full description of how the Board fulfils its statutuory requirements and implements other relevant codes and guidance. A new corporate governance statement to provide shareholders with more information on how the Board operates, is currently being produced and will be published on our website. (NB this statement has been delayed as Amersham considers the implications of the Sarbanes - Oxley Act and will now be incorporated into our next Annual Report and Accounts.)

Amersham has also recently adopted a new Code of Business Conduct, replacing earlier guidance on business ethics. The Code, provides guidance and instruction to our staff on the standards of business behaviour that the company expects of its people.