Request
1. Since 1 March 2022 has the National Archives issued new employees and or existing employees with written advice and or guidance about microaggressions and or unconscious bias in the workplace. This advice will include but will not be limited to definitions and explanations of microaggressions and unconscious bias. It will also include but not be limited to examples of the kind of microaggressions and unconscious bias which can occur in the workplace. It will include but not be limited to an explanation of the negative impact microaggressions and unconscious bias can have in the workplace. It will include but not be limited to information about what can be done to highlight, challenge and tackle microaggressions and unconscious bias in the workplace. If the answer to this question is yes, can you, please provide copies of any written advice and guidance issued to staff. Please note I am interested in all relevant information issued to staff between 1 January 2022 and the present day even if that information and guidance was created before 2022.
2. Between 1 March 2022 and the present day did the National Archives post any information on its intranet for employees which was designed to help new employees and or existing employees identify and or better understand and or deal with the challenges posed by microaggressions and or unconscious bias in the workplace. If the answer is yes, can you, please provide copies of the information posted on the intranet. Please note I am interested in all relevant information which was on the intranet during the aforementioned period even if the information was created prior to that date.
3. Since 1 March 2022 has the National Archives run any online or in person workshops and or training courses and or seminars for new and or existing employees. Please note I am only interested in those online and or in person workshops and training courses and seminars which are about and or which include information about microaggressions and unconscious bias. I am interested irrespective of whether these online courses and or workshops and or seminars were organised inhouse and or whether they were run or provided by a third-party external training organisation. In the case of each online and or in person training course and or workshop or seminar can you provide the relevant title and theme. In the case of each online training course and or in person workshop and or seminar can you state when it took place. In the case of each online and or in person training course and or workshop and or seminar can you say how many new and or existing employees have taken part. In the case of each in person and or online training course and or workshop and or seminar can you provide copies of any information distributed to employees who took part. Do not provide any information where the copyright for that information is held by an external training provider.
Outcome
Information provided
Response
1. Since 1 March 2022 has the National Archives issued new employees and or existing employees with written advice and or guidance about microaggressions and or unconscious bias in the workplace.
The National Archives has not issued new or existing employees with written advice and or guidance about microaggressions or unconscious bias in the workplace since 1 March 2022.
2. Between 1 March 2022 and the present day did the National Archives post any information on its intranet for employees which was designed to help new employees and or existing employees identify and or better understand and or deal with the challenges posed by microaggressions and or unconscious bias in the workplace.
We linked to the Employers Network for Equality and Inclusion quick guide to microaggressions on a blog post to highlight the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on 21 March 2023.
See link to guidance provided: https://www.enei.org.uk/resource/quick-guides/microaggressions/
3. Since 1 March 2022 has the National Archives run any online or in person workshops and or training courses and or seminars for new and or existing employees.
It is mandatory for all new employees to attend a course on “Civil Service Expectations” which is provided by Civil Service Learning. This replaced the previous training titled “Inclusion in the Civil Service” and “Unconscious Bias” that were also provided by Civil Service Learning and have now both been withdrawn.
The National Archives does not hold details of these withdrawn courses or the training materials. Between 1 March 2022 and 13 September 2023, 149 employees completed the mandatory course “Inclusion in the Civil Service” and its replacement “Civil Service Expectations”. As the current product is owned by Civil Service Learning, The National Archives does not have access to the design content.
We signposted employees to a learning and development workshop “Building a Positive Culture in the Workplace” that was open to Civil Servants and run by Government Communication Service on 28 September 2023 as a part of National Inclusion Week 2023. The hands-on workshop included content on understanding microaggressions and how we can recognise them in our day-to-day work and what we can do to combat them. As it was externally organised, we do not have details of whether or not employees from our organisation attended this workshop.