Press release -
Post Office scoops Diversity and Inclusion award at Employee Engagement Awards
26 January 2018
Post Office was delighted to be announced as the winner of the Diversity and Inclusion at last night’s (25th January) Employee Engagement Awards.
The awards, in association with People Insight, are the first and only global awards dedicated to employee engagement. They span 18 categories, covering areas such as unsung heroes to reward and recognition.
In 2017, Post Office was recognised as a Disability Confident Leader and a Times Top 50 Employer for Women – and this latest award meansthe business is also formally acknowledged as an organisation that puts diversity and inclusion at the heart of its business, demonstrating an all-round strategy for support and help for all – whether that’s women, people from BAME backgrounds, the LGBT+ community, those with a disability or other minorities.
It is fitting recognition, given the Post Office has done much over the last year to ensure that inclusivity is part of the very DNA of the organisation, in turn fostering and promoting a truly supportive culture. This has been achieved by:
continuing to grow the number and breadth of our employee-driven diversity networks. These currently include Women in Leadership, BAME, Be You (to support disability, mental health and wellbeing in the workplace), Prism (an LGBT+ network) and Return to Work, for those coming back to the workplace after a period of absence, be that following maternity leave or due to sickness.;
introducing a business wide diversity and inclusion network to bring all of these together;
reviewing policies and procedures to ensure they are inclusive;
constantly communicating with the business with regards to Diversity and Inclusion, sharing stories and promoting our values and behaviours and, crucially;
obtaining authentic sponsorship from the top of the organisation.
Other initiatives across the organisation include the Mental Health First Aid Training Programme, which is providing training for colleagues who would like to provide support in the workplace as Mental Health First Aiders. Mental Health First Aid is the immediate help given to someone experiencing mental distress; it is not about individuals learning to be therapists but about enabling them to identify, recognise and assist colleagues who are suffering from mental health problems and guide them towards appropriate help.
Amber Kelly, Engagement, Talent and Learning Director at Post Office said:
"Diversity and Inclusion is at the very heart of our business. We are committed to promoting a working environment where everyone feels comfortable to bring their true selves to work and it’s wonderful that this commitment has been recognised through this award!
"2017 was a wonderful year for Diversity and Inclusion at the Post Office – we were recognised as a Disability Confident Leader and a Times Top 50 Employer for Women. And this award is a great start to what promises to be another exciting year for Diversity and Inclusion at the Post Office.”
Issued by:
Post Office Press Office
20 Finsbury Street
LONDON, EC2Y 9AQ
Tel: 07436 038445 or 020 7012 3456 (24 hours),
Email: pressoffice@postoffice.co.uk www.postoffice.co.uk
Notes to editors:
With over 11,500 branches, the Post Office network is the biggest retail network in the UK, with more branches than all the banks and building societies combined.
97% of Post Office branches are run with retail partners on an agency or franchise basis.
- The Post Office provides services central to peoples’ everyday lives; 99.7% of the population lives within 3 miles of a Post Office.
We offer the UK’s largest fee free cash withdrawal network through our 11,500 branches and an additional 2,500 cash machines and 99 per cent of UK bank customers can access their accounts at the Post Office.
We sell 170 different products and services spanning financial services including savings, insurance, loans, mortgages and credit cards; Government services; telephony; foreign currency; travel insurance and mail services.
Post Offices branches remain highly valued and trusted, and are the focal point of many communities. For more information; visit www.postoffice.co.uk and to find out about a Post Office business opportunities; visit www.runapostoffice.co.uk
About the Post Office
Post Office Limited has an unrivalled national network of over 11,600 branches across the UK, more than all the high street banks combined, and sits at the heart of many communities across the country.
It provides around 170 different services and products spanning financial services including savings, insurance, loans, mortgages and credit cards. Post Office also offers Government services, telephony, foreign currency, travel insurance and mail services.
99.7% of people live within three miles of their nearest Post Office outlet. For many rural communities the Post Office is the only retail outlet. Post Offices remain highly valued and trusted and are the focal point for many communities. For more information, visit www.postoffice.co.uk.
