BBC executives praised for ditching £350,000 bonuses after failing to meet diversity targets

Diversity experts have applauded the decision by BBC executives to forgo their bonuses collectively worth £350,000, after the broadcaster failed to meet its diversity targets.

The corporation set itself stringent targets in 2004 of increasing the percentage of black and minority ethnic staff to 12.5% and 7% at senior management level, to be met by 31 December 2007.

It said that while progress had been made, it would not meet some specific commitments on workforce numbers.

Sally Humpage, employee relations and diversity adviser at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, said the BBC directors had taken a "positive step" that other organisations could learn from.

"This bold step sends out a message to the rest of the company that everyone is responsible," she said. "Organisations need to set out objectives on diversity and then measure performance around those objectives. The BBC has taken a strong lead where others can follow."

Atul Shah, chief executive of consultancy Diverse Ethics, and an adviser to the BBC, said the executives' action was laudable.

"Commercial business leaders rarely sacrifice bonuses under any circumstances and their remuneration is much higher than that of the BBC executive directors," he said.

But Luke Crawley, assistant general secretary at broadcast union Bectu, said the BBC should go further.

He said: "This is a positive and strong message it is sending out, but it would do no harm for this action to cascade further down the management board."

Mark Thompson, director-general of the BBC, who set up a diversity leadership council at the corporation in 2005, is still set to receive a bonus as determined by the remuneration committee of the BBC Trust.

This story was first published by Personnel Today

Royal Mail and Remploy pilot scheme for disabled workers set to roll out nationwide

A partnership between Royal Mail and Remploy - the provider of employment services for disabled people - is set for a national roll-out following a successful pilot programme in the South East.

Over the past year, 32 Remploy candidates with disabilities or health conditions have been employed as postal workers. Eleven are based at the Jubilee Mail Centre in Hounslow, while candidates have also been placed into administration, sorting office and delivery roles.

The scheme is now being extended to Essex, Chelmsford, Chiswick and Guildford, prior to a national roll-out in April.

Mike O’Donovan, mail centre manager at the Jubilee Mail Centre, said: “Many people’s perceptions of disability have been turned around by working with Remploy and it’s great to know that the partnership will now be rolled out nationally.”

This year, Remploy aims to find 5,600 jobs for people with disabilities and health conditions in mainstream employment.

This story was first created and published by Personnel Today

Women get to break through glass ceiling to senior management but only to do dirty jobs

Business leaders are more likely to appoint a woman to a senior-level post during times of crisis and poor performance than their male colleagues, according to a report from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).

However, the CIPD-commissioned study by Exeter University found that, as women are more readily appointed to tough roles during times of change, they are at greater risk of suffering from the “set up to fail” syndrome than men.

Dianah Worman, CIPD diversity adviser, said: “Due to the limited opportunities open to female leaders, many are forced to take the more difficult jobs in organisations with a history of poor performance, perpetuating the myth that women are poor performers in senior positions, and covering up the true extent of discrimination for the most desirable senior management positions.

"But the growth in the number of successful small businesses owned by women goes some way to indicate their business and leadership capabilities and highlights the talent other large organisations are missing. So old-fashioned attitudes are not only unfair and discriminatory towards women but they leave organisations shooting themselves in the foot.”

The Change Agenda, Women in the boardroom: the risks of being at the top report included more than 80 employers.

This story was first created and published by Personnel Today