12 April 2010
Mr D Gill
Freedom of Information Unit
2nd Floor
By Email: [FOI #26802 email]
Royal Mail Sheffield
Pond Street
Sheffield
S98 6HR
[Royal Mail Group request email]
www.royalmail.com
Dear Mr Gil
Re: Freedom of Information Request
I am writing in response to your email dated 10th March 2010 concerning your requests for
information about the payment of Christmas Casuals. In your last email you asked us to
provide “the Royal Mail statement of discrimination in the workplace document that you
use”. Royal Mail Group does not have a ‘statement of discrimination in the workplace’ but
is committed to its equal opportunities policy.
Royal Mail Group has a Code of Business Standards which sets out the standards of
behaviour which all of its employees should show in dealings with our customers, clients,
suppliers, agents, competitors and colleagues. The Code covers equal opportunities and I
have enclosed a copy of this section in Annex 1 to this letter. I have also enclosed a copy of
Royal Mail Group’s equal opportunities policy.
You also asked us to clarify, in relation to our earlier response, what was meant by ‘locally’
in terms of the payment of any additional allowances to casuals being determined locally.
You asked if this was by area or whether each individual Mail Centre decides. By ‘locally’
we mean that decisions were made at a regional or location level. In the case of
Manchester Mail Centre the decision was made by the Individual Mail Centre not to pay an
additional allowance.
As stated in our earlier response, if you require any further assistance in relation to your
personal employment and the pay that you received, then please write to Royal Mail HR
Services. Please write, including your pay number, to the following address:
Royal Mail Group Ltd is registered in England and Wales. Registered number 4138203. Registered office: 100 Victoria Embankment, London, EC4Y 0HQ.
© Royal Mail Group Ltd 2010– Page 1 of 5
Cont…
Sheffield Service Centre
HR Services
Royal Mail
Pond Street
Sheffield
S98 6HR
I hope that this reply is helpful. If you are not satisfied with the response to any of your
requests for recorded information, you do have the right to request a review. If you wish to
do so please set out in writing your grounds of appeal and send to the Head of Information
Compliance, Royal Mail Group, Company Secretary's Office, 100 Victoria Embankment,
LONDON, EC4Y 0HQ. An internal panel will then review the decision, and you will be
advised of the outcome.
If, having requested an internal review by Royal Mail, you are still not satisfied with our
response you also have a right of appeal to the Information Commissioner at:
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Telephone: 01625 545 700
www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk
Yours sincerely
Kate Fearn
Freedom of Information Officer
[Royal Mail Group request email]
Royal Mail Group Ltd is registered in England and Wales. Registered number 4138203. Registered office: 100 Victoria Embankment, London, EC4Y 0HQ.
© Royal Mail Group Ltd 2010– Page 2 of 5
Cont…
Annex 1: Code of Business Standards - Equal Opportunities
Equality is about treating other people the way we want to be treated ourselves. The
company is committed to maintaining its equal opportunities policy and to being a just
and caring employer. This means:
• not discriminating on grounds of race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national
origin, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, marital status or disability;
• meeting our legal obligations towards disabled customers and staff;
• meeting our public commitments for treating the Welsh and English languages
equally in services to the public in Wales;
• applying our terms for a compulsory retirement age consistently between men
and women, and ensuring that any applicant for a job who is below our
compulsory retirement age will be considered solely on the merits of their
aptitude for that job;
• honouring the terms of contracts of employment;
• respecting the legal rights of individuals to be members of recognised trades
unions, and honouring agreements made with our recognised trades unions;
• ensuring that appointments, promotions, bonuses or discretionary payments
are governed by our published policies, without favouritism or prejudice;
Everybody in the organisation is expected to share in and support these principles at
work, and failure to do so may open the organisation and individuals to legal action.
Managers are expected to take personal responsibility for ensuring that these
principles are put into practice, and to set an example in the workplace.
Royal Mail Group Ltd is registered in England and Wales. Registered number 4138203. Registered office: 100 Victoria Embankment, London, EC4Y 0HQ.
© Royal Mail Group Ltd 2010– Page 3 of 5
Cont…
Equal Opportunities (P5) - Diversity and inclusion vision
.1. Purpose
This policy sets out Royal Mail Group plc's commitment to compliance with Equal Opportunities
legislation.
.2. Link to Accountabilities
n/a
.3. Policy
Valuing Diversity - Our Vision
At Royal Mail Group we are proud to employ a rich and diverse mix of people who reflect the
communities where we live and work. We are working to ensure that equality of opportunity is
something Royal Mail Group is identified with – this is critical if we are to achieve commercial success
and be an employer of choice.
At Royal Mail Group we are working towards ensuring that equality of opportunity is embedded in our
understanding and reflected in our people:
• We
welcome
diversity
• Our people are entitled to work in an environment without fear of discrimination, harassment,
bullying or prejudice, regardless of their gender, race, ethnic origin, disability, age, marital or
family status, religious belief or sexual orientation
• We need to ensure that all of our employees and customers are treated with dignity and
respect, and feel valued
• Our customers are diverse and expect to be served by people with whom they can identify –
we must meet this expectation
• We strive to attract, develop, promote and retain the best talent because it is our people who
set us apart from the rest and who truly make the difference.
Equality of opportunity is not achieved by simply having a written policy but through communication
and understanding. Although we are already a workforce made up of diverse groups, there is still a
Royal Mail Group Ltd is registered in England and Wales. Registered number 4138203. Registered office: 100 Victoria Embankment, London, EC4Y 0HQ.
© Royal Mail Group Ltd 2010– Page 4 of 5
Cont…
long way to go before we can say, “Royal Mail Group is the best it can be”. Our Diversity policy
therefore sets out a clear approach that covers:
• The elimination of discrimination, including harassment
• The promotion of equality of opportunity
• The principles we have set the business
• The
responsibilities of every person in the organisation.
Each of us has a responsibility to maintain an inclusive organisation. We have to show commitment to
embracing the diversity of our workforce, customers, and the communities in which we live and
operate. In today’s competitive business environment diversity is crucial to our long-term growth and
success.
Allan Leighton
Chairman
.4. Links to other reference material (policies, processes, procedures, etc.) 4.1 G14 Disabled Customers
.5. Document details 5.1 Owner : Group P&OD Director
5.2 Enquiry point : Group Head of Social Policy and Inclusion
5.3 Effective from : Current 5.4 Version : 4.1
Royal Mail Group Ltd is registered in England and Wales. Registered number 4138203. Registered office: 100 Victoria Embankment, London, EC4Y 0HQ.
© Royal Mail Group Ltd 2010– Page 5 of 5
