Request ID: FOI-2926-2122 Date published: 11 April 2022
You asked
I would like to request the following information via the Freedom of Information Act, and I would be grateful if you could forward onto the most appropriate person within the organisation. I would also be grateful if you could acknowledge receipt of the request via xxxxx
1...Does the organisation currently issue new employees who join the organisation with any and or all the following....
(a)...A language guide or similar which advises employees on the most appropriate words, phrases, and terms to use when writing to and or communicating with and or referring to their colleagues and or members of the public and or the organisation's clients/customers/service users and or representatives and employees in the organisation's stakeholder and partner organisations. Typically, such a guide will outline words, terms, and phrases to avoid for whatever reason while providing more acceptable words, terms, and phrases. Such guidance could be included in a staff handbook (or similar) or it could be issued in the form of specific written advice. Alternatively, it could be included on the organisation's intranet site and or it could be issued/held digitally and or it could be included in any training/induction video/film.
(b)...A guide or similar which helps and encourages staff to promote diversity and inclusivity both in the workplace and or in their dealings with members of the public and or in their dealings with the organisation's clients/customers/service users and or in their dealings with employees in and or representatives of the organisation's stakeholders and any partner organisations. The guide will include but will not be limited to advice on best practice when it comes to diversity and or inclusivity and or anti-discrimination policies. It will encourage staff how to avoid discrimination on the grounds of race and or religion and or gender and or sexuality and or age and or disability and or political belief and or social class and or income and or social background. Such guidance could be included in a staff handbook (or similar) or it could be issued in the form of specific written advice. Alternatively, it could include on the organisation's intranet site and or it could be held / issued digitally and or it could be included in any training/induction film/video.
(c)....A guide or similar which advises staff on the importance of respecting and using a person's preferred gender pronoun. That person could be a colleague and or a member of the public and or one of the organisation's customers/clients/service users and or an employee and or representative of a stakeholder or partner organisation. Such guidance could be included in a staff handbook (or similar) or it could be issued in the form of specific written advice. Alternatively, it could be included on the organisation's intranet site and or it could be held /issued digitally and or it could be included in any training/induction film/video.
2...If you have answered yes to any part (or indeed all of question one) can you please provide copies of the guidance irrespective of the form in which it is issued.
3...Since January 1, 2019, has the organisation issued any kind of guidance (as defined in question 1 a to c) to other employees who were not issued with the advice and guidance when they first joined the organisation as new recruits. If the answer is yes, can you, please provide copies of the guidance irrespective of the form in which it is issued.
Thank you for dealing with my request.
We answered
TfL Ref: FOI-2926-2122
Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 17th March 2022 asking for information about guidance issued to TfL staff.
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy.
Specifically you asked:
“I would like to request the following information via the Freedom of Information Act:
1...Does the organisation currently issue new employees who join the organisation with any and or all the following....
(a)...A language guide or similar which advises employees on the most appropriate words, phrases, and terms to use when writing to and or communicating with and or referring to their colleagues and or members of the public and or the organisation's clients/customers/service users and or representatives and employees in the organisation's stakeholder and partner organisations. Typically, such a guide will outline words, terms, and phrases to avoid for whatever reason while providing more acceptable words, terms, and phrases. Such guidance could be included in a staff handbook (or similar) or it could be issued in the form of specific written advice. Alternatively, it could be included on the organisation's intranet site and or it could be issued/held digitally and or it could be included in any training/induction video/film.
(b)...A guide or similar which helps and encourages staff to promote diversity and inclusivity both in the workplace and or in their dealings with members of the public and or in their dealings with the organisation's clients/customers/service users and or in their dealings with employees in and or representatives of the organisation's stakeholders and any partner organisations. The guide will include but will not be limited to advice on best practice when it comes to diversity and or inclusivity and or anti-discrimination policies. It will encourage staff how to avoid discrimination on the grounds of race and or religion and or gender and or sexuality and or age and or disability and or political belief and or social class and or income and or social background. Such guidance could be included in a staff handbook (or similar) or it could be issued in the form of specific written advice. Alternatively, it could include on the organisation's intranet site and or it could be held / issued digitally and or it could be included in any training/induction film/video.
(c)....A guide or similar which advises staff on the importance of respecting and using a person's preferred gender pronoun. That person could be a colleague and or a member of the public and or one of the organisation's customers/clients/service users and or an employee and or representative of a stakeholder or partner organisation. Such guidance could be included in a staff handbook (or similar) or it could be issued in the form of specific written advice. Alternatively, it could be included on the organisation's intranet site and or it could be held /issued digitally and or it could be included in any training/induction film/video.
2...If you have answered yes to any part (or indeed all of question one) can you please provide copies of the guidance irrespective of the form in which it is issued.
3...Since January 1, 2019, has the organisation issued any kind of guidance (as defined in question 1 a to c) to other employees who were not issued with the advice and guidance when they first joined the organisation as new recruits. If the answer is yes, can you, please provide copies of the guidance irrespective of the form in which it is issued.”
All new recruits to TfL are issued with the attached “Welcome to TfL Guide”. Chapter 9 - “Diversity and inclusion at TfL” - is particularly relevant to your request. There is no other guidance issued to all new or existing employees that falls within the scope of your request but all TfL staff have access to a range of online material and training via our intranet. This includes the TfL Editorial Style Guide (which includes, for example, when and how to use terms related to equality and inclusion),and our Staff Code of Conduct (which includes the requirement that “Employees are required to behave with a high standard of integrity in business and commercial relationships and treat colleagues and anyone with whom TfL has dealings fairly, with respect and dignity”). Both of these documents are also published on our external website, accessible via the following links:
Staff may have access to other guidance as part of broader operational handbooks, protocols and localised material, dependent on the nature of their role.
If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for any reason, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal as well as information on copyright and what to do if you would like to re-use any of the information we have disclosed.
Yours sincerely,
David Wells FOI Case Officer FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
