Request
1. Does the National Archives currently issue its new employees with any and or all the following…
(a) A language guide or similar which advises employees on the most appropriate words, phrases, and terms to use when writing to and or communicating with and or referring to their colleagues and or members of the public and or the organisation’s clients/customers/service users and or representatives and employees in the organisation’s stakeholder and partner organisations. Typically, such a guide will outline words, terms, and phrases to avoid for whatever reason while providing more acceptable words, terms, and phrases. Such guidance could be included in a staff handbook (or similar) or it could be issued in the form of specific written advice. Alternatively, it could be included on the organisation’s intranet site and or it could be issued/held digitally and or it could be included in any training/induction video/film.
(b) A guide or similar which helps and encourages staff to promote diversity and inclusivity both in the workplace and or in their dealings with members of the public and or in their dealings with the organisation’s clients/customers/service users and or in their dealings with employees in and or representatives of the organisation’s stakeholders and any partner organisations. The guide will include but will not be limited to advice on best practice when it comes to diversity and or inclusivity and or anti-discrimination policies. It will encourage staff how to avoid discrimination on the grounds of race and or religion and or gender and or sexuality and or age and or disability and or political belief and or social class and or income and or social background. Such guidance could be included in a staff handbook (or similar) or it could be issued in the form of specific written advice. Alternatively, it could include on the organisation’s intranet site and or it could be held / issued digitally and or it could be included in any training/induction film/video.
(c) A guide or similar which advises staff on the importance of respecting and using a person’s preferred gender pronoun. That person could be a colleague and or a member of the public and or one of the organisation’s customers/clients/service users and or an employee and or representative of a stakeholder or partner organisation. Such guidance could be included in a staff handbook (or similar) or it could be issued in the form of specific written advice. Alternatively, it could be included on the organisation’s intranet site and or it could be held /issued digitally and or it could be included in any training/induction film/video.
2. If you have answered yes to any part (or indeed all of question one) can you please provide copies of the guidance irrespective of the form in which it is issued.
3. Since January 1, 2019, has the organisation issued any kind of guidance (as defined in question 1 a to c) to other employees other than new recruits. If the answer is yes, can you, please provide copies of the guidance irrespective of the form in which it is issued.
Outcome
Information provided.
Response
1… Does the National Archives currently issue its new employees with any and or all the following….
(a)…A language guide or similar which advises employees on the most appropriate words, phrases, and terms to use when writing to and or communicating with and or referring to their colleagues and or members of the public and or the organisation’s clients/customers/service users and or representatives and employees in the organisation’s stakeholder and partner organisations. Typically, such a guide will outline words, terms, and phrases to avoid for whatever reason while providing more acceptable words, terms, and phrases. Such guidance could be included in a staff handbook (or similar) or it could be issued in the form of specific written advice. Alternatively, it could be included on the organisation’s intranet site and or it could be issued/held digitally and or it could be included in any training/induction video/film.
The National Archives publish an editorial style guide on our staff intranet (known internally as Narnia) to help our staff write as clearly and concisely as possible. This includes guidance on using a consistent tone of voice and style of writing, no matter who or which part of the organisation is speaking. The guide is based on plain English principles, but does include language specific to our government role and the nature of our services, for example terminology relating to our historical collections and how they are organised. A full review of The National Archives’ internal guidelines is intended for later this financial year as part of our commitment to continually improve what we are doing in this area.
(b)… A guide or similar which helps and encourages staff to promote diversity and inclusivity both in the workplace and or in their dealings with members of the public and or in their dealings with the organisation’s clients/customers/service users and or in their dealings with employees in and or representatives of the organisation’s stakeholders and any partner organisations. The guide will include but will not be limited to advice on best practice when it comes to diversity and or inclusivity and or anti-discrimination policies. It will encourage staff how to avoid discrimination on the grounds of race and or religion and or gender and or sexuality and or age and or disability and or political belief and or social class and or income and or social background. Such guidance could be included in a staff handbook (or similar) or it could be issued in the form of specific written advice. Alternatively, it could include on the organisation’s intranet site and or it could be held / issued digitally and or it could be included in any training/induction film/video.
The National Archives does not publish a specific ‘guide’ on this subject, but our policies and mandatory training set out our approach to equality, diversity and inclusion. The relevant mandatory training for new starters consists of an ‘Inclusion in the Civil Service’ e-learning module on the Government Campus portal, accessible only by Civil Servants. The National Archives recruited a Director of People, Inclusion and Change, who started in November 2021, to lead on many of these areas in collaboration with internal experts.
(c)…. A guide or similar which advises staff on the importance of respecting and using a person’s preferred gender pronoun. That person could be a colleague and or a member of the public and or one of the organisation’s customers/clients/service users and or an employee and or representative of a stakeholder or partner organisation. Such guidance could be included in a staff handbook (or similar) or it could be issued in the form of specific written advice. Alternatively, it could be included on the organisation’s intranet site and or it could be held /issued digitally and or it could be included in any training/induction film/video.
The National Archives updated our corporate email signature template in 2021 to allow staff who want to add their pronouns to do so within our standard email signature format. Some internal guidance was published to explain the importance of this update.
2… If you have answered yes to any part (or indeed all of question one) can you please provide copies of the guidance irrespective of the form in which it is issued.
For your reference, we have attached copies of the guidance as follows:
1a. PDF of the editorial style guide.
1b. PDF of the Equality, Diversity & Inclusion intranet page. Our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Policy is publicly accessible via our website here. The ‘Inclusion in the Civil Service’ e-learning is managed and held by the Cabinet Office. If you would like to request further information about this course, please contact the department directly via foi-team@cabinetoffice.gov.uk.
1c. PDF of TNA’s intranet page on email signatures and pronoun guidance.
Please note that some of the information in the attached PDFs for questions 1a and 1b is covered by the exemption at section 40(2) of the Act. This exempts personal information about a ‘third party’ (someone other than the requester), if revealing it would breach the terms of Data Protection Legislation. This information has consequently been redacted from the attached pdfs. For further information about why this exemption has been applied please see the explanatory annex at the end of this letter.
3… Since January 1, 2019, has the organisation issued any kind of guidance (as defined in question 1 a to c) to other employees other than new recruits. If the answer is yes, can you, please provide copies of the guidance irrespective of the form in which it is issued.
The only guidance The National Archives has issued to all employees since 1st January 2019 is the information which was provided on pronouns in email signatures. This guidance was published on our intranet which is accessible to all employees.