Standing together
Following the killing of George Floyd by police during an arrest in Minneapolis, Minnesota, we emphasised how we are committed to placing equality, diversity and respect at the heart of our business.
Chief HR Officer, Sally Ashford, has now reiterated our zero-tolerance stance against racism and discrimination of any kind.
‘I know that I will never fully understand what our black, asian, and minority ethnic (BAME) colleagues have been feeling in the wake of the death of George Floyd, but we have listened to the voices of our colleagues who do,’ said Sally.
‘Since George Floyd’s murder on 25 May under the knee of a Minneapolis policeman, sparking outrage and anti-racism protests around the world, we have thought long and hard about what Royal Mail should do to support our BAME colleagues.
‘We made the decision to highlight the huge benefits of being a diverse company and the huge contribution that is made day in and day out by our BAME colleagues. For all those people who felt that as a result we did not state clearly enough how supportive we are, I would like to offer you my apologies on behalf of our entire leadership team and reassure you that our intention was completely the opposite.
‘We also felt that our zero-tolerance approach to racism, bullying, harassment, or discrimination of any kind, was such a given that we failed to state what seemed obvious to us. We should have been more direct, so let me do so now - there is no place for racism or intolerance of any kind in Royal Mail, we strive to create a culture where we are all safe and treated as equals.
‘When any of our colleagues are going through a difficult time, it is not right to remain silent and hope they know what we are feeling, it is time to say that we are here for you and we will get through this together. When our colleagues are trying to find the courage to write to myself and Stuart to share how they were feeling about something so personal, we want to say how pleased we are that you feel comfortable enough to do that, we want to listen to you and work together to improve things.
‘Where Royal Mail can really make a difference, is in the lives of the people we employ. We know that we are not perfect. We want to listen to what you have to say and harness this strength of feeling to understand the issues and challenges we face. We want you to share your thoughts, feelings, and ideas through the BAME Network and through the Workplace Live session that we are planning.
‘We won’t always get it right but that does not mean that we shouldn’t try, even when it means that we will have to have some difficult and uncomfortable conversations but be in no doubt that we will stand beside you, and together we will continue our journey towards a Royal Mail that is inclusive to all.’
Look out for an interview with Sally in our latest RMtv.
