A BT executive said that the company’s diversity goals were partly responsible for its decision to relocate jobs from rural offices into city centres.
Howard Watson, BT’s Chief Networks Officer, told his staff that boosting inclusion and diversity was a “significant factor” in prioritising investments in cities.
BT has announced a cost-cutting program that includes closing or shrinking office locations.
It will eliminate 1,100 positions in rural hubs, such as Adastral Park, in Martlesham in Suffolk. It is giving staff the option to relocate to a city.
Watson said that BT could “improve diversity and inclusion” by hiring “many places”. The comments were made at a summer gathering, but leaked to Mail on Sunday.
He said that diversity and inclusion initiatives played a major role in the decision to invest where the company did.
BT has a workforce of 25,7pc women, 10.8pc ethnic minorities and 6.5pc disabled people. By 2025, it plans to reach 32pc of females, 13pc of ethnic minorities and 10pc of disabled people.
The new chief executive of Allison Kirkby has received a bonus payment of £220,000 tied to diversity and inclusivity targets.
A BT spokesperson said: “We are investing in a modern Adastral Park because we recognise that it is an essential site for BT Group’s success. The need to move some roles is a reflection of UK efforts to concentrate investment in fewer, but more modern buildings.
The BT Group will be able to recruit a workforce that is fully representative of our customers and has the future skills they need.
BT plans to reduce its workforce from 130,000 employees by 55,000 before the end of this decade.
Unions have criticized the company’s plans to reduce staff at Adastral Park – a former RAF facility – saying that the company failed to justify the reductions.
BT said artificial intelligence will replace thousands of jobs.