Diversity and inclusion
Our Diversity team launched a new Diversity and Inclusion Strategy during the year. This has two simple aims. Firstly, to ensure that everyone understands why and how diversity is important to us and, secondly, to ensure that diversity is integrated into every part of the business.
We are committed to creating an inclusive working culture in which all our employees feel valued, respected and motivated.
We try to promote types of behaviour, values and working practices which recognise and support individuals. We want to reflect the wide cultural diversity of our customers so that we can deliver the best products and services to them.
In the first phase of the strategy we used a survey, interviews and focus groups to find out and discuss what harassment and bullying meant, and how awareness about this could be raised. A booklet and film were produced and these have been distributed across the business. Further work on how bullying cases are resolved and on the role mediation might play in tackling harassment are also being explored. This work will continue to be a priority for the coming year and will be measured through the Speak Up! employee survey.
We are working with key members of our major trades unions on a joint Dignity at Work project. As a result, we have delivered joint training for senior trades union representatives across the business and run sessions on harassment and bullying with trades union representatives in the ramp areas at Heathrow.
We focused on religion and belief throughout the year and successfully defended an employment tribunal in November 2007 in this regard. We have become a steering group member of a new organisation called ‘Employers Forum on Belief’ and we have established a new interfaith network group which meets to discuss all aspects of religion in the workplace such as prayer rooms, catering and uniforms.
We also sponsored Gay Pride in London in July 2007. As well as having positive commercial impact, there was also an opportunity for our people to show their solidarity by marching together. We were proud that many of them chose to wear their uniforms for the parade.
As a responsible Company we take disability very seriously. We welcome applications from people with disabilities as we aim to employ the most talented people, and we support individuals with disabilities in reaching their full potential by making reasonable adjustments in the workplace.
We consult with our disabled employee group to identify disability issues and they help us to ensure that we are making all our products, services and training fully inclusive and accessible. All front line employees are trained in disability awareness to increase their knowledge about disabled customers and employees.
We are also constantly looking at how we can improve our journey experience for disabled travellers. We have put into place a disability strategy for the next four years, called ‘Building Ability towards 2012’, which covers many areas and will ensure that we can meet the needs of all our paralympic athletes.