We know that equality and inclusion matter, not only for a fairer workplace but for a better business in every department. We embrace different identities, knowledge, skills, ideas, and experiences to have greater creativity in our decision-making and in turn strengthen our services. In doing so, we aspire for an environment where everyone feels respected, welcomed, and valued – where they can be themselves and contribute fully.
On International Women’s Day we arranged a ‘lunch and learn’ event – in our office and virtually – that celebrated the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. What’s more, we highlighted what still needs to be done to support women around the world.
Thankfully, in the workplace the gender pay gap is getting smaller, rising 2% on average each year towards equal pay. The recent prominence of flexible and remote working has contributed to this gender equality, allowing more mothers the ability to balance their careers and childcare. As well as being an Equal Opportunities Employer, we proudly continue the option of flexible and remote working for those it benefits. Our lunch and learn event for International Women’s Day discussed this topic within the context of equality and equity and how this distinction allows us to meet the needs of our female employees.
In February our DEI Team hosted a series of events that celebrated black excellence to help build a workplace culture with a holistic understanding of history. This included organising screenings of films from acclaimed black directors and producing presentations highlighting the achievements of black icons from the 20th century civil rights movement.
Afterwards, we engaged with our people about this content, asking them to consider which artistic or moral values still had merit in 2023 and how far we still must go to reach true equality. Moreover, we saw Black History Month as an opportunity to learn from our employees too and understand that exploring inclusivity is by nature a collaborative process.
We want to host informative events and raise awareness for the causes that we believe in. However, to ensure our initiatives remain relevant and appealing to our employees, we request regular feedback and hold Town Hall sessions to discuss our past and future DEI initiatives.
These sessions include the ability for anonymous feedback to our senior leadership team, helping to create an equal platform for opinions. The results of our surveys are openly displayed on a dedicated DEI page for our employees, where they can also view our upcoming calendar of events.
We want to do more than simply meet our obligations. We want to acknowledge the challenges our sector has traditionally faced in achieving equality and diversity and make up for lost opportunities. That’s why we have identified three strategic priorities for the business to focus on:
To measure our success in achieving these goals, we promise to frequently consult with our colleagues and industry partners, always remembering that everyone has a role to play in building a better, open, and more transparent travel industry.
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