Jottings added alongside their names at the top of articles .
Readers have branded the policy “ nonsense ,” “ mindless ” and “ stupid ” ( and highlighted the fact that all contributors were labelled “ she / her ”…)
But there is a glimmer of light on the horizon . It has been lit by Jacob Rees- Mogg , Minister for Business , Energy and Industrial Strategy in the British government , who claims that more than 250 courses promoting “ wokery ” have been ditched . He says it is clear that such practises are wasting Civil Servants time at a time when the Passport and Driving Licence offices face a long backlog of work .
Events and meetings now axed include sessions called Find Your Mojo , Give Me Strength , Buddy to Boss , Tricky People , Wood for the Trees and De-biasing Decisionmaking . ( No , we don ’ t understand the jargon either .) Rees-Mogg also has in his sights courses which he believes attempt to indoctrinate Civil Servants with , “ divisive ideological agendas .”
However , such advice is yet to reach the ears of mandarins at the BBC which recently warned its staff to be on the lookout for “ 170 different forms of unconscious bias ” including discrimination against a colleague based on their hobbies . This directly contradicts research commissioned by the Government Equalities Office which found there was no evidence that unconscious bias training improves workplace equality .
Details of the Beeb ’ s equality and diversity training were published by The Mail on Sunday last month following a lengthy freedom of information battle with the Corporation . In it , staff are warned about the risk of inadvertently discriminating against colleagues on the basis of their race , gender , sexual orientation or a disability . They are also told that they are more prone to unconscious bias when rushed , so they need to try and “ take a moment and slow down .”
Frank Furedi , emeritus professor of sociology at Kent University , said that the “ invention ” of 170 different types of biases , “ serves as testimony to the power of fantasy rather than of science .” He added that it was “ particularly insidious ” to attempt to “ regulate and police behaviour because people are condemned , not for their conscious act , but for their unconscious thoughts .”
A spokesman for the BBC said , “ We make no apologies for wanting to be a modern , inclusive organisation .”
Remember Jason Grant ?
Earlier this year , Mr Grant was appointed to the role of the UK ’ s firstever “ Period Dignity Officer ” in the Tay region of Scotland on a salary of £ 36,000 ( over € 41,000 ) with the role of talking to girls and women about periods and the menopause .
The selection of a former tobacco salesman who is now a personal trainer was slammed at the time by many , including Martina Navratilova who Tweeted , “ Have ( women ) ever tried to explain to men how to shave or how to take care of their prostate or whatever ? This is absurd .”
Well , Mr Grant has now gone . Angus Council and Dundee City Council run by the Scottish National Party said Mr Grant ’ s position has been axed after , it alleged , people involved faced “ threats and abuse .”
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