Asda Stores Ltd - Head Office
Source: gov.uk (2025-11-10)

We, the undersigned, commit to honour the Armed Forces Covenant and support the Armed Forces Community. We recognise the value Serving Personnel, both Regular and Reservists, Veterans and military families contribute to our business and our country.

The Armed Forces Covenant

An enduring covenant between the people of the United Kingdom, Her Majesty’s Government and all those who serve or have served in the Armed Forces of the Crown and their families

The first duty of Government is the defence of the realm. Our Armed Forces fulfil that responsibility on behalf of the Government, sacrificing some civilian freedoms, facing danger and, sometimes, suffering serious injury or death as a result of their duty. Families also play a vital role in supporting the operational effectiveness of our Armed Forces. In return, the whole nation has a moral obligation to the members of the Naval Service, the Army and the Royal Air Force, together with their families. They deserve our respect and support, and fair treatment.

Those who serve in the Armed Forces, whether Regular or Reserve, those who have served in the past, and their families, should face no disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public and commercial services. Special consideration is appropriate in some cases, especially for those who have given most such as the injured and the bereaved.

This obligation involves the whole of society: it includes voluntary and charitable bodies, private organisations, and the actions of individuals in supporting the Armed Forces. Recognising those who have performed military duty unites the country and demonstrates the value of their contribution. This has no greater expression than in upholding this Covenant.

Section 1: Principles of the Armed Forces Corporate Covenant

1.1 We Asda Stores Ltd - Head Office will endeavour in our business dealings to uphold the key principles of the Armed Forces Covenant, which are:
- no member of the Armed Forces Community should face disadvantage in the provision of public and commercial services compared to any other citizen;
- and in some circumstances that special treatment may be appropriate especially for the injured or bereaved.
Section 2: Demonstrating our commitment

2.1 Asda Stores Ltd - Head Office recognises the value serving personnel, reservists, veterans and military families bring to our business. We will seek to uphold the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant, by pledging to the following:
- Armed Forces Friendly
- UK Service Veterans And Leavers
- UK Service Spouses And Partners
- UK Reservists
- UK Cadets
- Armed Forces Day
- Reserve Forces Day
- Armed Forces Charities
- UK Wounded, Injured And Sick
We also pledge the following:

Promoting the fact that we are an Armed Forces-friendly organisation through internal communications channels, and whilst recruiting employees Show the AFC and ERS logos on our email footers, company website and other company literature where applicable Supporting the employment of veterans, recognising military skills and qualifications in our recruitment and selection process Offering Insight Days to veterans and services leavers Offering Work Placement opportunities Offering guaranteed interviews for candidates who meet the minimum role criteria Establishing an Asda “Forces Network” to help those new employees direct from the Forces Partnering with Forces Families Jobs Working with charities within this area to offer Work Placements to support “back to work” initiatives Seeking to support the employment of the WIS by working with the Career Transition Partnership (CTP), in order to establish a tailored employment Supporting our employees who are volunteer leaders in military Cadet organisations Granting additional leave where possible to attend annual training camps and courses Actively encouraging members of staff to become volunteer leaders in Cadet organisations supporting local military Cadet units Recognising the benefits of employing Cadets/ex-Cadets within the workforce Engaging with uniformed and non-uniformed Cadet Instructors to establish what support Asda can offer Offering Insight Days for older Cadets looking for either an apprenticeships, degree or further education options

2.2 We will publicise these commitments through our literature and/or on our website, setting out how we will seek to honour them and inviting feedback from the Service community and our customers on how we are doing.