

Remuneration policy and philosophy
The group’s remuneration policy is based on the “total rewards strategy” which is aimed at driving a high performance culture that consistently delivers above average returns to shareholders through employees who are motivated and fully engaged.
By applying total rewards remuneration practices the group strives to ensure that business objectives are achieved and an organisational culture and environment is created that enables optimal performance. This remuneration policy also supports the attraction, development and retention of employees who contribute to sustained business growth.
Clicks Group applies the following reward principles in all remuneration policies:
The remuneration committee of the board is ultimately responsible for ensuring the group has a competitive remuneration policy which is aligned with the group strategy and performance goals. The functions of the committee include:
The composition of the remuneration committee is included in the corporate governance report.
Annual guaranteed remuneration is determined taking the following factors into account:
External compensation and benefit consultants advise the group on issues relating to best practice, competitive positioning and benchmarking on financial or strategic human capital issues.
Executive directors
The remuneration package of executive directors consists of three
components:
The group’s policy is to align the remuneration structure of senior executives with shareholder interests. In order to encourage practices which will optimise group performance, a significant portion of remuneration is therefore performance related.
Base salaries are set at competitive market rates, taking account of the detailed benchmarking exercise and are subject to annual review. The performance of the chief executive officer is assessed by the chairman and the board, while the performance of the other executive directors is evaluated by the chief executive officer and the board. The annual pay increase of the executive directors is based on the individual performance rating and position in range, as determined by the remuneration committee during the annual review of remuneration.
Executive directors participate in the annual short-term incentive scheme. Financial targets are set for the group by the board and the achievement of these targets is reviewed by the remuneration committee before any incentive payments are made to executive directors.
Targets are based on the group’s return on net assets (RONA) and a bonus of 40% (60% in the case of the chief executive officer) of total cost of employment is paid on the achievement of an on-target performance. Performance exceeding the targeted performance will result in the payment of a higher bonus provided. This is funded by the increase in the operating profit.
The long-term incentive scheme is based on the allocation of share appreciation rights and is detailed later in the report.
In the period under review, the group benchmarked all benefits, including notice periods. The notice period for the chief executive officer is 12 months and six months for the other executive directors.
Management
The remuneration package of senior management consists of an
annual guaranteed package and participation in the short-term
incentive bonus scheme. The remuneration package of all senior
managers across the group has been converted from the current
basic salary plus benefits remuneration structure to the annual
guaranteed package methodology, with the intention to convert the
remainder of the managers by the end of the 2010 financial year.
A limited number of senior employees participate in the long-term
incentive scheme, based on strategic contribution to their business
unit, and their individual performance levels.
An annual salary increase is paid to all staff and the average increase for the financial year was 7.0%. The annual increase date has been moved from 1 July to 1 September to align with the group’s financial year.
Staff
A collective wage increase is negotiated with the representative trade
unions for all employees forming part of the collective bargaining
units.
A one-year wage settlement with an increase of 11.3% was granted to all permanent employees in the Clicks bargaining unit. All staff in the bargaining unit also participate in the group’s short-term incentive scheme.
An annual bonus is paid in mid-December to all qualifying permanent employees. The bonus is calculated on a sliding scale from the first year of employment until it is equivalent to a 13th cheque after five years. While this bonus forms part of the group’s compensation strategy, the focus of remuneration remains performance-based.
All staff receive discounts on purchases at group stores which vary by business unit.
For UPD staff, a one-year wage agreement was concluded with an increase of 10.0%. All UPD staff receive a guaranteed 13th cheque.
Non-executive directors
Non-executive directors receive fees for their services as directors
and for serving on board committees. These fees reward the
directors fairly for the time, service and expertise provided to the
group, based on an annual benchmarking of non-executive directors’
fees. No incentives were awarded to non-executive directors. As at
31 August 2009, a non-executive director held share options which
were allocated and exercised in September 2000 under a previous
incentive scheme and has subsequently taken delivery of these
shares.
Short-term incentive scheme
All permanent employees in the retail businesses participate in the
short-term incentive scheme which rewards the achievement of
predetermined performance targets based on the return on assets
managed (ROAM) on an annual basis. Senior UPD employees
participate in a similar short-term incentive scheme based on return
on net assets (RONA) of the business.
The performance measurement is based on each employee’s area of responsibility and can be determined for a specific store, region, business unit or at the group level.
The scheme is self-funding as the value of an on-target bonus is included in the annual budget. Performance exceeding the targeted performance will result in the payment of a higher bonus provided this is funded by the increase in the operating profit.
A total of R45 million (2008: R42 million) was paid or payable to employees for the 2009 financial year.
Long-term incentive schemes
The group’s long-term incentive scheme detailed below replaced
the staff share option scheme and aligns executive remuneration
with the creation of shareholder value. Share options were last
issued in August 2005.
Share appreciation rights scheme
Under a share appreciation rights scheme introduced in 2005, rights
were allocated to executive directors and senior employees. The
exercise price of the rights is dependent on the performance of
the share price. The first tranche of share appreciation rights was
allocated on 7 April 2005 and a further tranche on 11 May 2006.
The rights vest equally after three years and five years. The three-year rights in the first tranche matured in April 2008 and the second
tranche in May 2009.
As the group’s liability relating to these share appreciation rights is dependent on the future performance of the company’s share price, a derivative hedge was acquired to limit the level of exposure. The group’s maximum exposure in relation to the unhedged portion is R14 million. Further details on the hedging instrument and the cost of the hedge are contained in notes 17 and 22 to the annual financial statements.
The following share appreciation rights allocated to the executive directors under this scheme were outstanding at year-end:
| Number of | ||
|---|---|---|
| five-year | ||
| Director | rights | Total |
| Tranche 1 | ||
| Michael Harvey | 1 000 000 | 1 000 000 |
| David Kneale | 750 000 | 750 000 |
| Keith Warburton | 825 000 | 825 000 |
| Tranche 2 | ||
| Bertina Engelbrecht | 200 000 | 200 000 |
| David Kneale | 75 000 | 75 000 |
The exercise price of the rights varies according to the performance of the share price on the vesting date:
| Tranche 1: April 2005 | Vesting date: April 2010 | Tranche 2: May 2006 | Vesting date: May 2010 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share price on vesting | Exercise price (R) | Share price on vesting | Exercise price (R) | |
| date (R) | date (R) | |||
| Five-year rights | Above 16.81 | 8.36 | Above 21.22 | 10.55 |
| Above 20.80 | 4.18 | Above 26.25 | 5.27 | |
| Above 25.51 | 0.01 | Above 32.20 | 0.01 |
Long-term incentive scheme
The long-term incentive scheme was revised with effect from the
start of the 2007 financial year. In terms of this scheme, cash-settled
share appreciation rights are allocated to participants and these
rights are cash-settled at the end of the three-year performance
period. The value of the rights is linked to the group’s diluted headline
earnings per share multiplied by an internal price earnings ratio of
12, derived from the five-year performance of the Clicks Group.
On the expiry of the three-year period, employees are required to apply 25% of the after-tax cash settlement value to purchase Clicks Group shares in the open market and to retain these shares for a minimum of one year.
A total of 48 employees currently participate in this scheme, collectively holding 17 923 136 rights at year-end. The table below details rights which have been allocated to executive directors under this scheme and the relevant amounts have been expensed through the income statement.
Retirement funds
Membership of a retirement fund is compulsory for all permanent
employees. The group offers a number of retirement fund options.
Employees have the option to join the Clicks Group Retirement
Fund, the Clicks Group Negotiated Pension Fund or the Clicks
Group Negotiated Provident Fund. Employees of UPD can join the
Clicks Group funds, the New UPD Corporate Selection Pension
Fund or the Chemical Industries’ National Provident Fund. The funds
all provide death and disability cover, while the negotiated funds
include a funeral benefit.
Total membership across the funds was 7 405 (2008: 6 911) at year-end. Total assets of the funds (excluding the Chemical Industries’ Provident Fund) amounted to R695.3 million (2008: R759.1 million).
All the funds are defined contribution schemes and the group carries no liability in relation to these funds.
Medical aid
Membership of the Discovery Health Medical Scheme is actively
encouraged. At year-end 1 010 employees had joined the Discovery
scheme.
The existing Clicks Group Medical Aid Scheme is administered by Lethimvula Healthcare. The fund had 704 principal members at year-end (2008: 1 427) and a solvency ratio of 56% (2008: 28.5%). UPD operates a medical scheme administered by Fedhealth and 58 of the permanent employees are members of the fund.
| Allocation | Allocation | Allocation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| at R8.52 | at R12.36 | at R15.83 | |
| per right | per right | per right | |
| 1 Sept 2006 | 1 Sept 2007 | 1 Sept 2008 | |
| Director | number | number | number |
| Bertina Engelbrecht | 528 169 | 396 845 | 335 439 |
| Michael Harvey | 669 014 | 502 670 | 431 333 |
| David Kneale | 1 671 127 | 1 255 617 | 1 072 331 |
| Keith Warburton | 704 225 | 529 126 | 450 284 |
| Total | 3 572 535 | 2 684 258 | 2 289 387 |
| Executive directors' remuneration-2009 | ||||||||
| Director (R000) |
Salary | Bonus | Pension fund |
Other benefits |
Total | Gain on sale of share options |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bertina Engelbrecht | 1 621 | 1 001 | 131 | 49 | 2 802 | | ||
| Michael Harvey | 1 905 | 1 206 | 184 | 212 | 3 507 | 3 761 | ||
| David Kneale | 4 451 | 4 116 | 398 | 86 | 9 051 | | ||
| Keith Warburton | 2 025 | 1 344 | 192 | 182 | 3 743 | | ||
| Total | 10 002 | 7 667 | 905 | 529 | 19 103 | 3 761 | ||
| Executive directors' remuneration-2008 | ||||||||
| Director (R000) |
Salary | Bonus | Pension fund |
Other benefits |
Total | Share appreciation rights |
||
| Bertina Engelbrecht1 | 731 | 663 | 61 | 23 | 1 478 | | ||
| Michael Harvey | 1 607 | 875 | 167 | 194 | 2 843 | 5 742 | ||
| David Kneale | 4 054 | 1 801 | 364 | 86 | 6 305 | 4 207 | ||
| Keith Warburton | 1 894 | 885 | 176 | 131 | 3 086 | 3 506 | ||
| Total | 8 286 | 4 224 | 768 | 434 | 13 712 | 13 455 | ||
|
||||||||
| Non-executive directors remuneration | ||||||||
| Director (R000) |
2009 | 2008 | ||||||
| Directors fees | Consultancy fees |
Total | Directors fees | Consultancy fees |
Total | |||
| David Nurek | 594 | | 594 | 529 | | 529 | ||
| Fatima Abrahams | 225 | | 225 | 91 | | 91 | ||
| John Bester* | 253 | | 253 | n/a | n/a | n/a | ||
| Peter Eagles# | 157 | 300 | 457 | 196 | 600 | 796 | ||
| Fatima Jakoet | 247 | | 247 | 94 | | 94 | ||
| Robert Lumb^ | 63 | | 63 | 299 | | 299 | ||
| Martin Rosen | 144 | | 144 | 169 | | 169 | ||
| Roy Smither+ | n/a | n/a | n/a | 78 | | 78 | ||
| Lucia Swartz+ | n/a | n/a | n/a | 75 | | 75 | ||
| Total | 1 683 | 300 | 1 983 | 1 531 | 600 | 2 131 | ||
| * | Appointed 1 October 2008 |
| # | Resigned 29 June 2009 |
| ^ | Resigned 30 November 2008 |
| + | Resigned in previous financial year |
Prof Peter Eagles consulted to the group on professional pharmacy issues on a contractual basis with the University of the Western Cape (UWC). During the period until his resignation on 29 June 2009, R198 025 was paid directly to Professor Eagles and R101 975 to UWC.
| Total directors remuneration | ||||||
| R000 | 2009 | 2008 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Executive directors | 19 103 | 13 712 | ||||
| Non-executive directors | 1 983 | 2 131 | ||||
| Total directors remuneration | 21 086 | 15 843 | ||||
Directors shareholdings (at 31 August) |
||||||
| Director | 2009 | 2008 | ||||
| Direct beneficial shares |
Indirect beneficial shares |
Total | Direct beneficial shares |
Indirect beneficial shares |
Total | |
| David Nurek | | 129 682 | 129 682 | | 129 682 | 129 682 |
| Fatima Abrahams | | | | | | |
| John Bester* | 10 000 | | 10 000 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Peter Eagles# | n/a | n/a | n/a | | | |
| Bertina Engelbrecht | | | | | | |
| Michael Harvey | 100 000 | | 100 000 | 100 000 | | 100 000 |
| Fatima Jakoet | | | | | | |
| David Kneale | 105 200 | | 105 200 | 105 200 | | 105 200 |
| Robert Lumb^ | n/a | n/a | n/a | | 40 000 | 40 000 |
| Martin Rosen | 2 000 | | 2 000 | 2 000 | | 2 000 |
| Keith Warburton | | 5 000 | 5 000 | | 5 000 | 5 000 |
| Total | 217 200 | 134 682 | 351 882 | 207 200 | 174 682 | 381 882 |
| * | Appointed 1 October 2008 |
| # | Resigned 29 June 2009 |
| ^ | Resigned 30 November 2008 |
Issued shares = 302 841 401. Percentage of issued share capital held by directors is 0.12%.
The fee structure for non-executive directors has been adjusted for the 2010 financial year and is subject to retrospective approval by shareholders at the annual general meeting in January 2010. This fee structure will be reviewed in light of the governance requirements of King lll and any adjustments will be subject to shareholder approval.
The increases are generally in line with the average salary increase for group employees. The fees are also reviewed annually against a defined retail comparator group.
| Board position | Proposed fees for 2010 (R) | Fees paid for 2009 (R) |
|---|---|---|
| Chair of the board | 387 000 | 355 000 |
| Board member | 121 000 | 111 000 |
| Chair: Audit committee | 110 000 | 100 000 |
| Audit committee member | 55 000 | 50 000 |
| Chair: Remuneration committee | 65 000 | 58 000 |
| Remuneration committee member | 32 500 | 29 000 |
| Chair: Risk committee | 98 000 | 90 000 |
| Risk committee member | 49 000 | 45 000 |
| Chair: Nominations committee | 63 000 | 58 000 |
| Nominations committee member | 31 500 | 29 000 |
| Chair: Transformation committee | 63 000 | 58 000 |
| Transformation committee member | 31 500 | 29 000 |