Request ID: FOI-4529-2324 Date published: 12 April 2024
You asked
This is an information request relating to staff networks.
Please include the following information for the following years, 2019/20, 2020/21, 2021/22 and 2022/23:
• A list of all the staff networks at the organisation
• Whether each network receives internal funding and, if so, how much (please express annually for the last four financial years)
• How much FTE equivalent staff time each network is entitled to. For example, a staff network may have a chair who’s entitled to spend 10% of their working hours devoted to the network (please express annually for the last three financial years)
• A list of events that each network has held in this financial year so far (April to the present day), including the title of the event, information on any guest speakers and the time of the event
If it is not possible to provide the information
We answered
Our Ref: FOI-4529-2324
Thank you for your request received on 13 March 2024 asking for information about Staff Network Groups.
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act and our information access policy. I can confirm that we do hold the information you require.
Please include the following information for the following years, 2019/20, 2020/21, 2021/22 and 2022/23:
• A list of all the staff networks at the organisation
These are the known Colleague Network Groups (CNGs) at TfL. Their aim is to: • Help improve working life • Identify common workplace issues for the organisation to address • Provide a forum to share ideas and best practices • Provide information about opportunities for personal development • Hold meetings which provide a safe, supportive environment where colleagues views help to shape the equality agenda for the business
Everyone in the organisation is welcome to join any group and attend events.
These groups all existed during the years requested, but some names have changed as indicated. TfL currently has six Colleague Network Groups, as follows:
• Carers, Parents and Guardians (previously Carers) (CPG) • Disability • Faith • OUTbound (previously LGBT) • Raising Awareness of Culture and Ethnicity (RACE) • Women (WCNG)
• Whether each network receives internal funding and, if so, how much (please express annually for the last four financial years)
Each CNG is allocated an annual budget of £5,000 to support their activities, 10% of which is allocated specifically to leadership development. This budget applies to all of the last four financial years, with the caveat that the 10% for leadership development was introduced in 2023.
• How much FTE equivalent staff time each network is entitled to. For example, a staff network may have a chair who’s entitled to spend 10% of their working hours devoted to the network (please express annually for the last three financial years)
• Chairs and Vice Chairs are permitted up to 20% time off from their substantive role’s working week to allocate to CNG activity. • CNG committee members are permitted up to 10% time off from their substantive role’s working week to allocate to CNG activity.
CNGs have the following numbers of committee members: 2 for CPG, 4 for Disability, 15 for Faith, 0 for OUTbound, 7 for RACE, and 6 for WCNG. The difference in the number of committee members is reflective of different ways of working and organising activity within the CNGs. This information applies to each of the last three financial years.
All Chairs, Vice Chairs and Committee Members take part in CNGs voluntarily and receive no additional salary for their position.
• A list of events that each network has held in this financial year so far (April to the present day), including the title of the event, information on any guest speakers and the time of the event
Please see the CNG events for the financial year 2023/24 in the attached spreadsheet. The majority of these events are run at lunchtimes or after work by TfL staff at no cost to the CNG.
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. Yours sincerely
Gemma Jacob Senior FOI Case Officer FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
