The Christian humanitarian organisation World Vision has said it is “saddened” by allegations made against its workplace culture.
The claims were reported by the Third Sector website, which said it had interviewed 11 current and former staff. The report detailed allegations that the names of non-white employees were mispronounced and their accents imitated, and that female staff had been patronised during meetings.
According to Civil Society, which has seen the complaint, there are calls for the Charity Commission to investigate World Vision’s governance and leadership. The complaint alleges the organisation is “openly hostile to challenge, even when it comes through protected, legitimate channels".
It also alleges that the charity’s equity, diversity, and inclusion group was told that “anti-LGBT staff members need to be allowed to have space too".
World Vision, which has refuted the allegations, told Premier that the claims came from a “small number of former employees who have recently left the organisation.”
“We are so saddened about the allegations as they couldn’t be further from the truth as to the type of organisation we are, as well as that our reason for being is to support and advocate for the most vulnerable children from all around the world from many cultures and faiths,” the charity said.
The organisation added that, while restructuring had led to “painful” job losses, its policies are “robust and fair".
“We don’t believe the allegations made by a small number of former employees who have recently left the organisation are true,” it said.
“Our talented and dedicated staff are hugely important to us. We provide various mechanisms for dealing with any staff complaints and if these are upheld, we act immediately to put things right and take action.”
The Charity Commission told Premier it had made no findings at this stage but confirmed a report had been submitted.
“We can confirm that, in line with our guidance, World Vision UK has submitted a serious incident report relating to media reporting of concerns around the charity’s workplace culture,” a spokesperson said.