Post Office announces next steps in embedding diversity as it celebrates Black History Month

• Post Office announces next steps in diversity agenda, embedding principles and recommendations of the McGregor-Smith review
• Celebrating black colleagues now and through Post Office history over the course of Black History Month

As the business joins in celebrations around Black History Month, Post Office is announcing the next steps in making sure its future is an inclusive one as well as reflecting on the history of black colleagues in the business.

In the culmination of months of work from the Post Office Ethnic Minorities group and senior leadership, the business today announces a series of actions it will take to make the Post Office a better place to work for black, ethnic minority and all colleagues:

Gather and monitor data about ethnic diversity at the Post Office and use this data to measure the success of diversity initiatives

Set diversity targets, objectives and KPIs for the senior leadership team

Raise awareness of BAME issues in the business through training, discussions and by celebrating our diverse workforce

Continue to improve recruitment processes by actively identifying and eliminating unconscious bias

Change our processes to encourage diversity through ensuring fairness in reward and recognition and being open about our career pathways

Post Office looks back on its history working with black colleagues including Sam King, former Mayor of Southwark and long-serving Post Office member of staff who highlighted the difficulty of getting a job with the organisation as a black person in the 1950s – lessons which are still important in 2020.

The Black Cultural Archives host a rich selection of material on the history of black colleagues in the Post Office and how the postal service has impacted the lives of black people in the UK, particularly members of the Windrush generation, leaving home, friends and family for a new country but keeping in touch through the mail network.

Nick Read, Chief Executive at the Post Office, said:

“Black and minority ethnic colleagues have always played an important role in the Post Office and I’m determined that they play a bigger role in our future. That’s why I am committing to the five recommendations of our Post Office Ethnic Minorities Network, drawing from the McGregor-Smith report.

“Seventy years ago Post Office worker Sam King highlighted the issues black people were facing in the workplace and in wider society and this year’s Black Lives Matter protests show how the problems he faced are still affecting people today.”

Andrew Lewis, Chair of the Post Office Ethnic Minorities network, said:

“I’m pleased to see Post Office recognise Black History Month and rightly commit to a broad range of actions to recognise the value black colleagues bring to the business and continue our improvements on the diversity agenda.

“Post Office is relied on by people in every community in the UK and the black community is no different. That’s why it’s so important that we celebrate the contribution black people have made to the UK and the contribution we continue to make to Post Office as a business.”