Women
Supporting our female colleagues to reach their full potential
Diversity and inclusion is about ensuring we create a positive working environment, where all of us feel comfortable bringing our whole selves to work. It’s about having representation from a wide variety of groups but, more importantly, it’s about giving all of those groups a voice and an opportunity to contribute.
Royal Mail has long been a part of the fabric of the UK, delivering to every address regardless of the race, gender, sexuality, disability or religious beliefs of those who live there. As a company, we are committed to placing equality, diversity and respect at the heart of our business. As such, we employ a workforce that reflects this commitment to diversity; where all of our differences are valued.
To support this work and ensure we have a balance of men and women across the organisation we have established our Women's steering group.
The UK has very balanced rates of employment, with 71% of working age women and 79% of working age men in employment, and we strive to ensure all of our people are able to reach their full potential, providing targeted support to drive this. Our current focus is on increasing women across all levels of the business, and of course, our male colleagues have a vital part to play.
For the sixth consecutive year we are one of The Times Top 50 employers for women. Royal Mail has also been ranked with the highest combined gender diversity and social impact score within our industry by FTSE Russell, the global index provider.
In 2017 we were listed as a Top 20 company for senior leader gender diversity in the Hampton-Alexander Review - an independent, Government-supported review of diversity in FTSE 100 companies, while in 2016, we won the Talent Pipeline Award – (which recognises programmes that create, increase or maintain female talent) - at the Business in the Community Workplace Gender Equality Awards, the UK’s most prestigious awards for recognising gender equality, diversity, and inclusion.
Our commitment
We recognise that we still have a long way to go in relation to gender diversity but we are working to build the infrastructure we need. We are working on:
- Recruiting and retaining female employees in our wide range of operational, engineering and technical roles
- By utilising senior sponsorship, coaching and mentoring as well as regional learning and networking activities to create an environment in which our female colleagues can flourish and prosper.
Our initiatives
Our Springboard development programme for female non-managers encourages women to establish their goals and values, supporting their career aspirations.
We have also introduced Connect, an online mentoring programme designed to support career development by helping female colleagues connect with each other and build effective mentoring relationships.
In collaboration with the Parents & Carers steering group, we are committed to supporting new parents in our workplace, and as a proud member of Working Forward, sharing best practice to ensure employees have the most positive experience around maternity and paternity.
Everywoman
Royal Mail has signed up to the Everywoman Network – an online personal development tool which includes webinars, workshops, articles, videos and webcasts covering everything from how to get the most out of your 1-2-1s and building leadership skills, to guides about promoting yourself and developing your personal brand. The platform is open to all colleagues, and can be accessed both via a web browser or by downloading the Everywoman Network app.
Click here for more details on how to become a member.
Everywoman is a professional membership organisation which champions the advancement of women in business at all levels. Established in 1999, Everywoman has a presence in more than 100 countries and a successful active network of over 20,000 members.
W-mag
W-mag, the Royal Mail women’s magazine provides a platform for us to share with you the work we are doing, as well as provide you with a voice to share your experiences.
Get in touch
To contact the Women's steering group, please email: gender.diversity@royalmail.com.
As a group, we recognise the importance of interconnectivity, support and engagement with the other Royal Mail diversity steering groups (BAME, LGBT & Friends, Parents & Carers, Disability and Youth) as obviously, many of us may fall into more than one group.