Following DPAC’s response and requests addressed to the British Council regarding the treatment of a disabled employee Our response to British Council over their treatment of a disabled employee, the British Council forwarded this response, with an apology to Emily
Request: Emily is given the opportunity to meet with your Internal Disability Working Group and your External Disability Advisory Group for them to hear from her first-hand what she experienced prior to, throughout, and following the grievance process, and what she thinks needs to change;
I understand you requesting to meet with these groups however reviewing cases on an individual basis in this way is not within their remit, their areas of focus are the development of EDI strategy and high-level principles. Therefore, it would not be appropriate for me to ask them to review your individual case. I know that you have shared information with myself and other colleagues, if there are specific learnings or recommendations that you feel you have not already shared I would welcome an overview of these sent directly to myself. The remit of my role requires that I manage much of the overseas Human Resources network as well as supporting our network management teams. Any additional learnings you feel you haven’t shared previously would be useful so that I can ensure they are reviewed and support improvements where possible and necessary.
Request: Emily sees the policy instructions and advice that is issued by the British Council learning from her case.
As a large organisation working across cultures, legal jurisdictions, and activity streams we recognise that it can be challenging to implement policies and processes in a consistent way, however we are always committed to learning from areas that could have been managed better. In your case it was not the policies and advice that necessarily required changing to prevent your experience from happening again. Instead, it was the application of these elements that fell short. As a result, my focus has and continues to be on reinforcing the policies through my role managing much of the of the overseas Human Resources network, and promoting our Disability Inclusion Guide in a range of leadership and other forums that I participate in. Your experiences have highlighted the importance of consistent application of our policies and the role mediation may have played, something we remain committed to promoting and encouraging. I have therefore not issued formal written policy instructions and advice based on learning from your specific case.
I can however reiterate that we continue to learn from our mistakes. The British Council has recently established an approved network of disability facilitators that foster continued learning, raise awareness and offer additional support, expertise and advice to individuals and managers who are working through aspects of working life, such as making reasonable adjustments.
I have also requested that, where an individual declares a disability whilst in employment with us, this is shared with the local Country Director. This will be shared in confidence and in line with any local data and labour law restrictions. Better management awareness of these situations will enable us to ensure the support we provide is aligned with our policies and processes that support individuals who require adjustments to support their working life.
I recognise that this has been an unwanted and difficult experience linked to your employment with the British Council and I hope that my apology for our role in this experience will go some way to helping you feel you are able to put this behind you and move toward more positive employment and life experiences.
