Team,
Yesterday in my video update I alluded to social unrest, but in the time available could not do justice to the issues lying behind that, hence this note.
So many members of our community around the world are feeling hurt, fearful, anxious and angry when they see racial injustice that’s highlighted by events in the U.S and around the world. These feelings are particularly acute amongst our black and other ethnic minority colleagues.
It’s impossible not to feel saddened and challenged by this situation. Over recent days I have thought about how this is affecting our people, what more we can do to help and support, and the stance we can and will take as a renowned global business.
Larger global companies have a certain additional responsibility to the societies in which they operate. We do not take this responsibility lightly. We will always stand together. We will not tolerate racism or discrimination of any kind. We will continually learn and take action to improve for all our people.
I’m grateful to the representatives of our Black Employee Network in the U.S and African & Caribbean Professional Network in the UK, and our wider community who have spoken up. I want you to know that we who speak for the company have heard you, that we care and will support you. We will continue to talk with you to explore ways we can make real change towards racial justice and inclusion, starting with a listening session next week.
Our culture is founded on our Care promise to create an environment where we can all be at our best. Over the past couple of years we’ve taken action to live up to that promise, including:
- being clear on what’s expected of us all to live up to our values and behaviours
- zero tolerance of bullying and harassment and ensuring we treat everyone with dignity and respect
- Diversity & Inclusion is part of Our Code of conduct and the associated training, processes and policies
- support to speak up, get advice and do the right thing with Our Code
- our global and local D&I Councils work in partnership with our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) to help ensure that diverse voices are heard and that we collectively promote equality and inclusion for all.
We also want a more ethnically diverse workforce as part of creating a more inclusive and diverse team:
- Our STEM outreach programmes engage under-represented communities around the world, inspiring children from diverse backgrounds to realise their potential through STEM education and to develop professional ambitions.
- We have goals for ethnic representation in our workforce in the UK and the US. We’re making progress, we still have a way to go but we continue to pursue those goals. We partner with organisations like Invest in Ethnicity in the UK to help us.
- We are proactively ensuring our current reorganisation does not disproportionately affect our ethnically diverse community, whilst of course respecting our legal obligations.
As I said in my video yesterday, I know that this is a very challenging time. Covid-19 has created new levels of anxiety and stress, and the economic impact of the virus has led to the need to reorganise our business significantly. This in itself is causing much worry and uncertainty for many.
Now members of our Rolls-Royce team are also dealing with the impact of social unrest in the US and heightened concern about ongoing racial injustice globally. We must take extra care of each other at this time. To leaders and managers, I ask you to reach out to your team members, show you care and provide support.
Our Employee Assistance Programme is available to you all and you can also find many mental health and wellbeing resources on Engine Room.
And finally, please do continue to communicate your concerns with our leaders. We are here for you, and we are doing our best to guide the business through these difficult times and remain absolutely committed to doing the right thing. Thank you for your support.
Warren