FOI 25-565 Average Length of Service by Protected Characteristics

Freedom of Information Request

Reference
FOI 25-565 Average Length of Service by Protected Characteristics
Request Date
03 Dec 2025
Response Date
24 Dec 2025
Information Requested
  •        The average length of service of all employees according to the protected characteristic of ethnicity using these 3 sub-groups [BME - Mixed or Multiple Ethnic Group, Asian Pakistani, Asian Indian, Asian Bangladeshi, Asian Chinese, Asian Other, African, African Other, Caribbean, Black, Caribbean or Black Other, Arab and Other Ethnic Group - White Minority - White Irish, White Gypsy/Traveller, White Polish and White Other - All Other White British - White English, White Northern Irish, White Welsh and White Other British], and allocated to 10 year groupings, i.e. up to 10 years, between 10 and 20 years, between 20 and 30 years, between 30 and 40 years, and between 40 and 50 years
  •        The average length of service of all employees according to the protected characteristic of ethnicity at the point they leave employment with the Board, with an average for all employees and average for each of the above three sub-groups
  •        The average length of service of all employees according to the protected characteristic of disability, with an average for all disabled people and another for all other employees not identifying as disabled
  •        The average length of service of all employees according to the protected characteristic of disability, with an average for all disabled people and an average for all employees not identifying as disabled, and allocated to 10 year groupings, i.e. up to 10 years, between 10 and 20 years, between 20 and 30 years, between 30 and 40 years, and between 40 and 50 years
  •        The average length of service of all employees according to the protected characteristic of disability at the point they leave employment with the Board, with an average for all employees, an average for all disabled people and an average for all employees not identifying as disabled.

  

In addition to the above, can you please explain why the Board has not gathered, used and published data sets similar to the above on the workforce in pursuit of the Public Sector Equality Duty ? 

Response

The average length of service of all employees according to the protected characteristic of ethnicity using these 3 sub-groups [BME - Mixed or Multiple Ethnic Group, Asian Pakistani, Asian Indian, Asian Bangladeshi, Asian Chinese, Asian Other, African, African Other, Caribbean, Black, Caribbean or Black Other, Arab and Other Ethnic Group - White Minority - White Irish, White Gypsy/Traveller, White Polish and White Other - All Other White British - White English, White Northern Irish, White Welsh and White Other British], and allocated to 10 year groupings, i.e. up to 10 years, between 10 and 20 years, between 20 and 30 years, between 30 and 40 years, and between 40 and 50 years  

Please see the table below detailing the information requested as held by the Scottish Ambulance Service. 

 

 

Sub Groups 

Grouping 

Avg Years Service 

Headcount 

BME 

up to 10 years 

4 years, 2 months 

63 

WHITE MINORITY 

up to 10 years 

4 years, 2 months 

124 

ALL OTHER WHITE BRITISH 

up to 10 years 

4 years, 7 months 

492 

BME 

between 10 and 20 years 

14 years, 8 months 

9 

WHITE MINORITY 

between 10 and 20 years 

14 years, 1 month 

26 

ALL OTHER WHITE BRITISH 

between 10 and 20 years 

13 years, 11 months 

125 

BME 

between 20 and 30 years 

26 years 

<5 

WHITE MINORITY 

between 20 and 30 years 

24 years 

13 

ALL OTHER WHITE BRITISH 

between 20 and 30 years 

23 years, 11 months 

78 

BME 

between 30 and 40 years 

38 years, 3 months 

<5 

WHITE MINORITY 

between 30 and 40 years 

36 years, 2 months 

<5 

ALL OTHER WHITE BRITISH 

between 30 and 40 years 

32 years, 8 months 

26 

BME 

between 40 and 50 years 

n/a 

0 

WHITE MINORITY 

between 40 and 50 years 

n/a 

0 

ALL OTHER WHITE BRITISH 

between 40 and 50 years 

42 years 

<5 

 

For the given data, you will see that some of the figures are shown as, five or less than five, please note 

that this figure has been suppressed because the statistical value is less than five. The Scottish Ambulance service has a duty, under the Data Protection Act to avoid directly or indirectly revealing any personal details. It is therefore widely understood that provision of statistics on small numbers, five or less are statistically suppressed upon disclosure. 

 

The average length of service of all employees according to the protected characteristic of ethnicity at the point they leave employment with the Board, with an average for all employees and average for each of the above three sub-groups? 

Sub Groups 

Avg Years Service 

Leavers 

  

  

  

BME 

7 years, 9 months 

<5 

WHITE MINORITY 

2 years, 11 months 

11 

ALL OTHER WHITE BRITISH 

9 years, 9 months 

36 

 

For the given data, you will see that some of the figures are shown as, five or less than five, please note 

that this figure has been suppressed because the statistical value is less than five. The Scottish Ambulance service has a duty, under the Data Protection Act to avoid directly or indirectly revealing any personal details. It is therefore widely understood that provision of statistics on small numbers, five or less are statistically suppressed upon disclosure. 

 

The average length of service of all employees according to the protected characteristic of disability, with an average for all disabled people and another for all other employees not identifying as disabled 

 

Disabled (Y/N) 

Avg. Length of service 

Headcount 

  

  

  

Y 

16 years, 2 months 

133 

N 

11 years, 6 months 

6445 

 

 

The average length of service of all employees according to the protected characteristic of disability, with an average for all disabled people and an average for all employees not identifying as disabled, and allocated to 10 year groupings, i.e. up to 10 years, between 10 and 20 years, between 20 and 30 years, between 30 and 40 years, and between 40 and 50 years 

 

10 Year Groupings 

Disabled (Y/N) 

Avg. Length of service 

Headcount 

  

  

  

  

up to 10 years 

Y 

5 years 

50 

up to 10 years 

N 

4 years, 8 months 

3788 

between 10 and 20 years 

Y 

15 years, 6 months 

41 

between 10 and 20 years 

N 

14 years, 7 months 

1345 

between 20 and 30 years 

Y 

24 years, 3 months 

22 

between 20 and 30 years 

N 

24 years, 1 month 

824 

between 30 and 40 years 

Y 

34 years, 9 months 

17 

between 30 and 40 years 

N 

33 years, 7 months 

429 

between 40 and 50 years 

Y 

45 years, 6 months 

<5 

between 40 and 50 years 

N 

43 years, 6 months 

58 

 

The average length of service of all employees according to the protected characteristic of disability at the point they leave employment with the Board, with an average for all employees, an average for all disabled people and an average for all employees not identifying as disabled. 

 

Disabled (Y/N) 

Avg. Length of service 

Leavers 

  

  

  

Y 

12 years, 8 months 

7 

N 

14 years 

302 

 

In addition to the above, can you please explain why the Board has not gathered, used and published data sets similar to the above on the workforce in pursuit of the Public Sector Equality Duty ? 

This is a request for an explanation rather than a request for specific recorded information. We have conducted reasonable checks and do not hold recorded information which explains “why” in the terms of your question. Accordingly, this is a notice under section 17(1) of FOISA (information not held). 

The Scottish Ambulance Service routinely publishes equality and diversity information relevant to the Public Sector Equality Duty on our website:  https://www.scottishambulance.com/equality-and-diversity/ 
To the extent your request seeks information already published there, it is exempt under section 25 (information otherwise accessible) 

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