how to promote equality and diversity in the workplace uk

Not only does this make good business sense—helping your company to better understand colleagues, clients, and customers around the world—it also makes the workplace a more interesting and personally enriching environment for everyone. The group should be diverse in nature and be made up of volunteers. A workplace where senior management are committed to ensuring that every single employee is valued for who they are and what they do and ensuring that everyone has the same development opportunities regardless of, for instance, their age, disability, ethnicity, gender, geographic location, political persuasion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, race or religion. Although employers must pave the way for a culture of equality, everyone in the company must also play their part. 1. When it’s clear that those higher up demand equality and justice, it spreads throughout the company. Discrimination in the workplace can be shown in many forms. Not only will this inclusive culture create loyal employees with lower turnover rates, by creating this kind of culture, you become an attractive employer to a wider range of employees too. Disability 3. There are many approaches an organisation can take including: 1. producing and circulating an Equality and Diversity policy to everyone 2. creating an Equal Opportunity policy, setting targets and devising an action plan 3. running training courses for employees and managers in equality and diversity 4. ensuring all the workforce understand the possible consequences of discrimination and that any complaints or grievances concerning equality or diversity matters are handled correctly 5. offering flexible working, ti… Employees should also feel safe in the knowledge that they will never face retaliation for a complaint or raising a concern. Without the basic knowledge of equality and diversity, it can be difficult to get people to promote and support it. You must not treat people unfairly because of reasons protected by discrimination law (‘protected characteristics’). Workplace leaders should communicate the company’s position and work hard to create a culture which encompasses this. In the UK, it is against the law to discriminate against anyone due to: You are protected against these in many circumstances, including at work. Set definite goals, and develop strategies to meet the goals. A brand reputation precedes your company. When you encourage meetings which allow employees to share their stories and unique experiences, employees learn from each other. Marriage and civil partnership. In order to achieve equality, diversity and inclusion in your workplace, you first need to assess the current organisational behaviours, the behaviours you would like to encourage, and act - identify what needs to be done to achieve them. All employees within the company should know that if they have an issue, they are able to go to a HR team member and air any concerns, discuss any problems or ask any questions that they might have, without judgement. The Terms What is equality? Support members facing unfair treatment at work, in education or other aspects of their lives Seek equal access, treatment and outcomes for all patients Ensure strategic decisions are informed by the full diversity of our members Set an example of good practice in equality, diversity … 9. Regularly communicate and promote equality and diversity to employees Distribute and provide access to educational resources to promote learning The role of employees: Act in a way that never discriminates against any of their colleagues due to any protected characteristics There are many differences and these differences can create connections with one another and they can also put certain groups at a disadvantage. Encourage equality and diversity in the workplace Monitor all policies and procedures for their equality impact Create a working environment free from bullying, harassment, victimisation and unlawful discrimination, promoting dignity and respect for all, and where individual differences and the contributions of all staff are recognised and valued Promoting inclusiveness and diversity within your workplace is one of the best ways to foster an open-minded, global company culture. Allowing your employees to work flexibly can have a huge impact on equality. A client in the creative sector asked for a review of … The diversity and inclusion strategy sets out our ambitions for equality and diversity between 2018 and 2025, both in relation to staff and in providing services to the public. To truly embrace equality in the workplace, you should start with the hiring process. The Equality Act 2010 is a set of laws implemented by the UK government to protect the rights of individuals in society, and advance equal opportunities for everyone. Another helpful method to reduce unintentional bias can be for HR to remove the potential candidates' names from CVs, before they pass them on to the hiring manager. It is the fair treatment of people regardless of any protected characteristics, such as race, gender, disability, religion, nationality, sexual orientation, or age. Diversity is generally defined as acknowledging, understanding, accepting, valuing, and celebrating differences among people with respect to age, class, ethnicity, gender, physical and mental ability, race, sexual orientation, spiritual practice, and public assistance status (Esty, et al., 1995). With employees from different backgrounds, nationalities and who speak different languages, you can take your business to new places and competently serve different customers. Put equality policies in place. In fact, it’s almost impossible to say it’s ever ‘done’. It’s Not Just ‘HR Processes’ That Can Exclude. Register now. To understand how you can promote equality and diversity we need to understand the terms.. This provides an opportunity to boost performance sales on a global scale but also boosts your brand identity. Find resources and educational material that include examples of different types of discrimination – whether this is indirect discrimination, unconscious biases or offensive language. Equality and diversity can be defined as “promoting equality of opportunity for all, through diversity, giving each individual the chance to achieve their potential, free from prejudice and discrimination.”. It also makes your business more relatable to different audiences. Pregnancy and maternity. Potential candidates now have access to a wealth of information about your company before they even consider applying to a role, the same goes for customers before they make a purchase. This act brings together and replaces numerous anti-discrimination laws passed since 1970, covering equal pay, gender, sexual orientation, race, and much more. Equality, diversity and inclusion need to be measured and analysed in all aspects of the organisation such as performance and processes. Educational resources also help to learn of the experiences of others, which helps to bring unity in the workplace. Employers, managers and employees should all understand the importance of equality, diversity and inclusion in all areas of work, including: 1. recruiting new staff 2. training and promoting existing staff 3. equal pay 4. religious beliefs and practice 5. dress code 6. unacceptable behaviour 7. the dismissal of staff 8. redundancy 9. different types of leave for parents 10. flexible working Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful. This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. While this may not be directly related to your business, it’s important that employees feel that they can speak openly about anything affecting them and know that support is provided to those in need. This helps to make employees aware of issues they may not have recognised as discrimination before. In a workplace which focuses on equality, people feel valued and appreciated for their contributions and also feel that they will be listened to if they ever have an issue or idea to raise. We have a wide range of handy hints and tips for managing stress, developing resilience. Join our latest webinar to hear experts discuss what the pivotal HR movements will be in 2021 and how people leaders can make this year a success. Employees drive a company’s culture. Today, the market is global. This website uses the following additional cookies: Facebook Pixel - for helping to understand the traffic from facebook users. The workplace is forever changing. This also helps to bring people together. More information about our Privacy Policy, Developing Resilience: Training for Managers, Customised training in Developing Resilience, Developing a Growth Mindset in the Workplace, Team Working – Action Planning for Virtual Teams, Training to manage covid fatigue and coronanxiety, Practical Approaches to Handling Pressure, Tired all the time? Employees should be able to balance their work and their life in a way that suits them. Use phrases such as ‘they’, rather than ‘he’ or ‘she’ and think about whether you are excluding potential applicants by asking for requirements that may not really be necessary (such as requiring a masters degree, when experience might be just as valuable). To discuss ideas to increase diversity and equality in the workplace ’ isn t. Staff, sell your products/services and build customer loyalty take the time to hold important conversations between employees in company... A wider audience nature and be made up of a wide range thinking. 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how to promote equality and diversity in the workplace uk 2021