SHARESAVE INVITATION CLOSES AT 6 PM (UK TIME) ON 24 MARCH 2015

Transcription

1 SHARESAVE 2015

2 Welcome to Sharesave I am delighted to invite you to participate in the 2015 invitation under the Hays International Sharesave Scheme. The scheme is straightforward. You can save a fixed amount between HKD 118 and HKD 2,950 from your net pay every pay period for three years and on completion you can either choose to have all your savings back or you can buy Hays shares at an exclusive 10% discount. The scheme is entirely flexible. You can withdraw your savings at any time or suspend your payments for up to six months. If the share price has risen during the savings term you get the chance to buy shares and enjoy any gain between the discounted price you pay for the shares and the current market price. Please read on to discover more about the scheme but don t forget that the deadline to join is Tuesday 24 March Alistair Cox Chief Executive

3 HOW DOES IT WORK? It s simple, 1. You decide how much you want to save between HKD 118 and HKD 2,950 (in whole dollars) every four-week pay period. 2. Hays will open a savings account for you and each pay period will automatically deduct the savings from your pay. HERE IS WHAT YOUR COLLEAGUES THINK Why not join the 1,131 colleagues already in Sharesave? I have participated in the Sharesave scheme for the past eight years and the first one I joined helped me pay for my wedding in Hawaii. It was excellent knowing that every month I was saving towards that goal and after a few months I did not notice it coming out of my pay. I would encourage everyone to join as it s a fantastic way of saving but also the opportunity to purchase shares in the company at a discounted rate means that you have a real interest in the company share price and the direction the company is going. It s a risk-free investment and can be used as a simple savings account that pays you at the end of the three years or you can take part shares and part cash, it is a win-win situation that all employees should join if they can. Zander Kelly Hays Talent Solutions, UK My only regret was that I didn t deposit more; it certainly worked for me and could have been even better. Richard Stone Hays Australia I have found the whole scenario to be excellent. It is easy to use and the website provides you with an at a glance value of all your schemes, whether they are options or shares. More importantly though, it is my experience the easiest way to save money whereby you are likely to gain, but cannot lose. Perfect! I have sold a proportion of my shares to pay for a family holiday to Australia, the cost of which was just about equal to the profit I made on the shares. In effect, a free holiday! Paul Riordan Hays Retail, UK Please note that the views expressed above are personal opinions of Hays colleagues and not the views or advice from Hays plc or Equiniti. 3. At the end of the three years you can choose whether to have all your savings back or use your savings to buy Hays shares at the exclusive 10% discount price.

4 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS SHARESAVE INVITATION CLOSES AT 6 PM (UK TIME) ON 24 MARCH 2015 Am I eligible to join? Any permanent employee, with at least six months continuous service as at 6 March 2015, will be invited to join the scheme. However, you will not be able to join if you have reached your individual savings limit of HKD 2,950 per four-weekly period in a previous scheme. This includes any on-going or cancelled contracts under the 2013 or 2014 invitations. How much can I save? You can save any amount between HKD 118 and HKD 2,950 per four-weekly pay period (in whole dollars) to a total of 36 contributions. The amount you save from your salary is a personal choice and it is important to remember that you should only save an amount that you can afford to have deducted from your salary. If you are not sure how much to save, you may wish to speak to an independent financial adviser. This HKD 2,950 limit includes any existing or cancelled deductions under the 2013 and 2014 invitations and these need to be taken into account when deciding how much to save. How is the discounted price calculated? The price is calculated by taking the market price of a Hays share the day before the invitation opens, less a discount of 10%. How many shares will I be able to buy? The number of shares you will be able to buy is based on the amount you save every four weeks over the three-year savings term. Please note that Hays shares are traded on the London Stock Exchange and the share price is set in GBP. For the purpose of the calculation your savings will be converted into GBP. The Company may, if heavily oversubscribed, set a limit over the total number of shares that can be purchased. In this case, your application may be scaled back to reflect this limit and your four weekly deduction will be reduced accordingly. The maximum number of shares you can purchase will be set and cannot be exceeded. If you make all the contributions under your savings arrangement and on maturity have excess savings because of the Hong Kong dollar/sterling exchange rate, the additional savings will be returned to you. Can I change my payments? No. Once you have chosen the amount that you want to save, it is fixed for the duration of the three-year savings period. You can postpone your payments for up to six months. If you miss more than six months payments, you will lose the right to buy shares. Each missed payment will delay the completion of your savings term and the maturity date. Sharesave is a great way to save from as little as HKD 118 every four weeks don t miss out!

5 Can I stop my payments? You can withdraw your savings at any time, but you will not be eligible to buy shares. Can I cancel my existing savings contract and put my savings into the 2015 invitation? No, you will have to start a new savings contract for the 2015 invitation, but note the HKD 2,950 scheme rule explained above. You may, of course, cancel your existing contract(s) and receive a refund of your savings, but your right to buy shares will lapse. What happens during maternity/paternity leave? You can either make alternative arrangements to make the contributions yourself, or you can postpone them for up to six months. If you miss more than six months payments, you will lose the right to buy shares. Each missed payment will delay completion of your savings term and the maturity date by one month. What happens if I transfer to a job with Hays in another country? You can continue saving under any existing contracts but you will need to make arrangements for your savings to be sent directly to your savings account. Hays will not be able to continue to deduct your contributions your salary. What happens if I leave Hays? It depends on the circumstances. If you are made redundant or retire you may still be able to buy shares using the savings accrued. If you resign or are dismissed you will lose the right to buy shares. Please remember though that you will get all your savings back. What about the tax implications? If you are in any doubt as to the tax position of participating in Sharesave you should seek independent advice from a suitably qualified advisor. I don t know whether to join? If in any doubt, we recommend that you seek independent financial advice in relation to your personal circumstances. Don t forget, you can withdraw your savings at any point!

6 SHARE PRICE Hays (HAS) share price The share price graph below illustrates the performance of the Hays share price for the period from December 2011 to December p 140p 120p 100p 80p 60p 40p Dec-2011 Oct-2012 Aug-2013 Jun-2014 Dec-2014 SHARESAVE SAVINGS EXAMPLE Let s say you decide to save HKD 500 from your pay for three years: Total savings HKD 500 x 36 payments HKD 18,000 Based on an exchange rate of HKD 1 = GBP 0.08 Total savings in GBP GBP 1,440 Discounted price* GBP 1.12 Number of shares you can buy at the end of the savings period GBP 1,440/GBP 1.12 = 1,285 *2011 discount price used for illustrative purposes only. The number of shares you will be able to buy is based on the amount you save every four weeks over the three-year savings term. However, the Company may set a limit over the total number of shares you can purchase. In this case, your application will be scaled back to reflect this limit and the HKD 500 in the above example reduced accordingly. You should make your own decision about whether to buy Hays shares and should be aware that any gains, if you join, will depend on the Hays share price which can go down as well as up.

7 KEY DATES 5 MARCH 2015 The share price is taken from the London Stock Exchange at close of business on 5 March 2015 with a 10% discount applied which will determine the price for the 2015 scheme. 6 MARCH 2015 Invitation to join the Sharesave opens. 24 MARCH 2015 Sharesave invitation closes at 6pm (UK time). Late applications cannot be accepted so make sure you apply in plenty of time. 31 MARCH 2015 Share options granted. This is when the number of shares you can buy in three years is agreed. APRIL 2015 First deduction from salary. 1 MAY 2015 Sharesave contract start date. 1 MAY 2018 You can have all your savings back or choose to buy Hays shares at the exclusive 10% discount. 31 OCTOBER 2018 If you decide to buy Hays shares you must have done so by this date.

8 HOW DO I JOIN? Have you been a permanent employee since 6 September 2014? and If you ve previously joined the Sharesave, have you saved less than HKD 2,950 in each pay period (including any on-going or cancelled contracts under the 2013 and 2014 invitations)? A copy of the Sharesave terms and conditions are included in your invitation pack. Please make time to read these as by applying to join Sharesave 2015 you will be accepting the terms and conditions. If the answer to both these questions is YES, then decide how much you want to save. Remember, your total savings per four-week period (including any on-going or cancelled savings under the 2013 and 2014 schemes) cannot exceed HKD 2,950. The maximum amount you can save this year is shown on your personal invitation letter. To apply online, you will need your employee number found on your payslip. Log on to hayssharesave.com Follow the on screen instructions Check that your personal details are correct Complete the online application with the amount you wish to save Ensure that you save or print the confirmation page in case of a query. If you submit more than one application throughout the invitation period, the most recently-dated application takes precedence. If your personal details are incorrect, notify your payroll department immediately.

9 HAYS INTERNATIONAL SHARESAVE SCHEME 2015 THE SMALL PRINT Citibank NV Hong Kong is the savings carrier. The length of the savings term is three years. You will be required to make 36 contributions in total. Any interest will be calculated at the end of the savings arrangement (on maturity) or if you decide to leave early, at that time. If you have been saving for less than one year, you will not receive any interest. If you have been saving for one year or more, interest may be paid. You will lose the right to buy Hays plc shares if you withdraw your savings before the maturity date. Share prices can fluctuate and it is important to remember that they can go down as well as up. You should also remember that the shares are quoted in GBP and will be affected by the currency exchange rate between HKD and GBP. The Company has prepared this guide to explain the basic provisions and operation of the Scheme. In the event of any discrepancy between this booklet and the Scheme Rules, the Scheme Rules will prevail. Full details are in the rules of the Scheme, which can be provided on request from the Share Schemes Manager, Hays plc, 250 Euston Road, London, NW1 2AF. Nothing contained within this guide confers an award or benefit or should be taken as a recommendation to keep any award or to sell or not to sell shares the choice is yours. No part of this document constitutes investment or financial advice of any kind. If you are in any doubt as to the financial or taxation implications for you of the grant, release or selling of shares you should seek the advice of a qualified independent financial adviser. Copies of the most recent Hays plc Annual Report & Financial Statements and financial results and other information on the Company can be found on the Hays internet site at hays.com/investors. These documents can also be sent to you without charge through your local co-ordinator. If you have any queries, you should contact your local co-ordinator, whose details are shown on the dedicated Sharesave website, Sharesave and Scheme mean The Hays International Sharesave Scheme. Rules means the rules of the Scheme. Copyright Hays plc HAYS, the Corporate and Sector H devices, Recruiting experts worldwide, the HAYS Recruiting experts worldwide logo and Powering the World of Work are trade marks of Hays plc. The Corporate and Sector H devices are original designs protected by registration in many countries. All rights are reserved.