The EqA makes it unlawful to discriminate on the grounds of nine protected characteristics. The Equality Act 2010 protects people from discrimination related to any protected characteristics—of which there are nine. In a job interview, applicant Ayesha asks the HR manager about the workplace’s dress code. Did you get the information you need from this page? From an early age she enjoyed taking things apart to see how they went back together again. Diversity and inclusion go hand-in-hand, and for diversity practices to be successful, you must facilitate an inclusive work culture. Inclusion is the culture in which the mix of people can come to work, feel comfortable and confident to be themselves, work in a way that suits them and delivers your business needs. They are age, disability, marital status/civil partnership, maternity/pregnancy, race, religion/belief, sex, sexual orientation and transgender status. Six ways to support diversity and inclusion in the workplace 1. Equality is in opportunity, not necessarily in results, trying to have equality in results without equality in opportunity is counterproductive and importantly unfair. After just less than a year of starting her dream career, Nisha is given supervisory responsibility of a project. A web of inclusions can be created in the form of stories or real-life incidents. While this point seems fairly obvious, I would be remiss to not at least briefly discuss it. As such, all team leaders should be measured and performance in this category held as a KPI. When he’s recruiting for a new position, he chooses not to hire a female applicant and instead hires a man, even though the recruitment process showed the female applicant was the better applicant. Ensure all employees gain appropriate knowledge and training on the value of a diverse workforce and how to ensure inclusivity. According to the Equality and Human Rights Commission, “Equality is about ensuring every individual has an equal opportunity to make the most of their lives and talents .”. Sometimes, this conflict turns to animosity and may even effectuate situations of violence. There are nine protected characteristics: Discrimination is a very serious offence within the workplace and can happen at any point from recruitment to when individuals leave the employment of an organisation. Her managers had been constantly talking about how they needed to promote diversity and get the figures up. This fact appears in every job advert, on the website, in the monthly meetings, company newsletter and in other company literature. They raised her to speak fluent Hindustani, alongside her native English. Many of the participants who have turned up at the training have a different perception of what each word means. An aboriginal community in Australia use cardinal directions such as north and south, instead of left and right. Diversity and inclusion in the workplace cause all employees to feel accepted and valued. Hays UK Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Report 2020 . Leaders should be promoted based on inclusive leadership with it added as a KPI. Research has indicated that around 80% of the millennial generation consider company policies on diversity, equality and inclusion during their job search. This could also apply to other things such as dietary requirements. A policy helps everyone to know: 1. the business supports and treats everyone fairly 2. what kind of behaviour is expected of them 3. about discrimination and the law, and what is not acceptable 4. where to find the procedures for resolving any problems Your policy could also point employees to any extra activities or services that your workplace offers, such as: 1. staff network… Everyone should have a right to equal access to employment and, when employed, should have equal pay and equal access to training and development. Some research has shown significant financial gains can be made by investing in a diverse workforce. Check equality, diversity and inclusion in your workplace, Download an equality, diversity and inclusion policy template, Acas training in equality, diversity and inclusion, Find out more about religion or belief discrimination, Find out more about selecting employees for redundancy, in very limited circumstances allowed in law, the business supports and treats everyone fairly, what kind of behaviour is expected of them, about discrimination and the law, and what is not acceptable, where to find the procedures for resolving any problems, consult with your employees and any representatives, follow any existing consultations or arrangements with employees or their representatives, make an action plan including what steps will be taken to make sure the policy is put into everyday practice, how to get staff on board, for example training for all staff so they all understand the policy, and what needs to happen to make it work in practice, how to best monitor and measure if the policy and plan are working as intended, and record those results, how to work out if the policy is effective and what needs to change, who will put the policy and plan into practice and by when, anyone who believes they meet the essential requirements of the job, anyone under-represented in the organisation – this is called ‘, use the job description and person specification to choose the best applicants, avoid making decisions based on what they think or believe about a person because of their protected characteristics (‘, training and development for employees and managers, for example, so staff have access to opportunities without prejudice because of a protected characteristic, new staff inductions, for example, so everyone gets on board straight away with the equality, diversity and inclusion policy, performance review processes and promotions, for example, so there are no questions about whether or not an employee fits in because of their protected characteristic, terms and conditions in their employment contracts, having less belief than someone else or no belief, are clear what the organisation’s purpose and values are, understand how they play a part in achieving your organisation’s goals, letting them know how the business is doing, being clear about any changes, decisions or plans, encourage everyone to have a more inclusive attitude, give managers training that helps them see the importance of their role in shaping your workplace culture, have an equality, diversity and inclusion champion at senior level who can speak up for under-represented groups and flag any issues that need addressing, look out for signs of discrimination, inequality and exclusion, and address them as soon as possible, better of someone because they believe they’re alike, less of someone because that person is different to them, for example, they might be of a different race, religion or age, advertising a job vacancy in at least 2 different places to reach a wide range of people from different backgrounds, getting recruiting managers to agree to make each other aware if they notice stereotyping, holding back some details on job application forms, such as the applicant’s name or sex (this is called ‘blind sifting’), that could affect recruiting managers’ opinions, where possible, having one of the interviewers on the phone so they do not make decisions based on the physical appearance of the person being interviewed, at each stage, having more than one person sifting job applications, interviewing the applicants and deciding who gets the job, allowing time to make decisions, for example on recruitment, promotions or grievance and disciplinary outcomes, keeping a written record of why decisions were made. 3 months before returning from maternity leave, a female employee requests to work fewer hours as she is now the main carer for her children at home. Company Offer If you are a company looking to train multiple employees at a time, please contact the Academy to explore the best offers. Send a weekly email with an equality and diversity mini-lesson to underscore the importance of continuing education. In fact, it has been reported that companies that practice diversity and inclusion in the workplace outperform other non-diverse companies by 15 percent. Leadership positions should model inclusive behaviours and promote inclusive communication. This webinar will include: Equality and diversity are the terms used to both define and champion the values of human rights in society, and that includes the workplace. Removal of any single area would undermine the entire agenda and therefore activities should be carried out within each. After 18 months she interviewed for a promotion and got it, this time she was overjoyed. Earlier, I talked briefly about some of the ways in which we are all individuals and differ from each other. Diversity refers to political beliefs, race, culture, sexual orientation, religion, class, and/or gender identity differences. A fundamental value that contributes to a successfully diversified workplace is respect among workers and employees. This includes: Training should show why it's important to value everyone’s differences and how to do this. This Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace e-learning module is designed to help you understand and apply principle on how to properly orientate your business to these principles. Facebook Twitter Reddit Pinterest Email LinkedIn WhatsApp. But actually creating a diverse, inclusive business is easier said than done. In the UK, discrimination legislation is covered by the Equality Act 2010 (EqA). When selecting staff for redundancy, you should be careful to not make decisions affected by unconscious bias and protected characteristics. Nisha and her colleagues were regularly involved in decision making and leaders valued individual opinions. In this year’s Hays Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Report, we discover how flexible working can help facilitate equality in the workplace, and the ways in which employers and employees alike believe it has impacted their diversity and inclusion journeys this year. 08079274, Kemp House, 152 – 160 City Road, London EC1V 2NX, Population of UK: 63.2 million individuals, 51% female individuals; 49% male individuals, 66% individuals aged 15-64; 18% aged 0-14 and 16% aged 65 plus, 12.9% individuals are regarded as ethnic minorities. 3. But diversity and inclusion doesn’t just involve how we think about ourselves, it includes our interactions with others. In an era where social justice and political divisiveness is highly publicised, the question is this. On a fundamental level, equity and equality are both points along a longer continuum of diversity and inclusion. Employers, managers and employees should all understand the importance of equality, diversity and inclusion in all areas of work, including: If you have a small business or organisation and feel you do not have enough resources to draw up and see through an action plan, you can still do what you can. A good start is to have a workplace policy covering equality, diversity and inclusion. It’s likely to be discrimination because of religion if they say Ayesha’s request would not be possible or rejected her job application because of it. What is diversity and inclusion? Ayesha asks, if she gets the job, could she wear matching trousers instead of a skirt, as she must cover her legs as part of her Muslim beliefs. All levels of management should deem diversity and inclusion important; leaders and HR professionals can promote diversity and inclusion and remove the barriers. Ensuring new recruits are trained on the importance of valuing what different people offer and performance reviews should include questions on inclusivity. Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is becoming an increasingly valued part of the workplace conversation. Download now. After 3 months of unemployment Nisha started at a new place of work. Benefits of diversity and inclusion at work. For example, because of a person’s sex, age or race. Getty. As we’ve seen in this diversity and inclusion series on Envato Tuts+, there are many powerful benefits of diversity in the workplace. There are many ways in which an organisation can increase equality, diversity and inclusion. If you dismiss someone because of a protected characteristic, it could be discrimination and they could claim unfair dismissal at an employment tribunal. Diversity in the workplace is vital for employees because it manifests itself in building a great reputation for the company, leading to increased profitability and opportunities for workers. This might also be called an ‘equal opportunities policy’. By the age of 10, she had decided she wanted to be an engineer like her father. 5.1 – Be able to promote equality and diversity in work with children and young people. Find out more about positive action. Age. The first step however is to develop a strategy, a plan from which to go forward. Many executives, business leaders, or political leaders understand the needs of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in today’s business world. Diversity and Inclusion should be deemed important by all levels of management from the top down. The HR manager says this would be acceptable, understanding Ayesha’s request is reasonable because of her religious beliefs. You should make sure it’s removed as soon as possible and that the incident is thoroughly investigated and fairly handled. Furthermore, when selecting an individual for employment, interviewers should be aware of what adaptations can be made to cater for specific needs. The Equality Act 2010 legally protects people from discrimination in the workplace and in wider society, emphasizing the nine characteristics where protection is particularly required. Since the age of 18, she has visited 3 cities in a different country each year, mostly just for a few days, to experience different cultures. As a result, companies with greater diversity in the workplace have lower turnover rates. Diversit… Equality in the workplace means equal job opportunities and fairness for employees and job applicants. When it comes to approaching most senior leaders regarding equality, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace, there are two main drivers for getting behind your diversity and inclusion plans. Gender reassignment. Employees are more likely to get onboard with your organisation’s purpose and values if they: You could help employees feel included in your organisation by: You could also hold open (or ‘town hall’) meetings, where employees can meet and ask senior managers questions. All processes need to be unbiased such as recruitment, succession planning, performance. If you refuse her request but do not have a valid business reason, this could be discrimination because of sex. 9. Equality is about equal opportunities and protecting people from being discriminated against while diversity is about recognizing respecting and valuing differences in people. Historically, there has been a perception that engineering is a man’s job meaning the drive for equality and diversity within this field is high. I have had an interesting few months delivering equality, diversity and inclusion training to a variety of people in organisations. Inclusion refers to the procedures organizations implement to integrate everyone in the workplace, allowing their differences to coexist in a mutually beneficial way. Hays UK Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Report 2020 . HR personnel and recruitment professionals need to be aware of the various challenges associated with diversity so that it can be prevented and addressed. 4. More and more companies are focusing on being diverse by incorporating D&I policies at all workforce levels. “The Big Five” is an accurate personality model and many businesses around the world use it. Diversity in the workplace describes the variation in personal, physical, and social characteristics, such as gender, ethnicity, age, and education. Equality, diversity and inclusion should also have a place in the training, development and promotion of staff. Correlation with financial performance . You should check regularly that all employees doing equal work have equal: The equal pay law is aimed at equal pay for men and women doing equal work. Equality, diversity and inclusion Inclusion is where those differences are seen as a benefit, and where perspectives and differences are shared, leading to better decisions. For example, staff training. They are naturally better at orientating themselves because it is ingrained in their culture through language. Equality, diversity and inclusion are personal to each individual. The law protects from discrimination, harassment and victimisation because of: You should make sure that all employees are treated fairly, regardless of their beliefs or lack of belief, and address any issues as soon as possible. Diversity is the mix of people. In this year’s Hays Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Report, we discover how flexible working can help facilitate equality in the workplace, and the ways in which employers and employees alike believe it has impacted their diversity and inclusion journeys this year. This promotion is an increase in pay and to her friends and family is seen as a just reward for her hard work. She’s told that the preferred staff uniform for women is a skirt, matching jacket and blouse. You’ll learn what structures to put in place, some best practices around communication and training, how to deal with benefits packages, and much more. Your workplace policies and practices should make clear what counts as unacceptable behaviour at work. They will illicit different thoughts; these biases are part of being a human and categorising people is as natural as breathing. When most of us think of diversity in the workplace, factors such as age, race, gender and cultural background spring to mind. But pay discrimination claims could be made for any protected characteristic, for example age, disability, race or religion. Meanwhile, inclusion refers to an individual’s experience within the workplace and in a wider society, and the extent to which they feel valued and included. Internal communication tools can be of great help to promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace. ACAS offer an advisory booklet that can be followed to reduce the risk of going to an employment tribunal for unfair performance management. When succession planning there should be an objective and transparent plan where performance is the determining factor. You should also try to agree to employees’ requests, where reasonable, for time off for religious festivals and to pray at work. Religion and belief. It can rear its ugly head in the form of abuse, harassment or pay on the basis of one or more of the nine protected characteristics. Vision, mission and values should leave employees feeling inspired and included. Responsibility to ensure the organisation can attain and retain a diverse workforce inclusively falls with its leaders. In this blog post, diversity and inclusion expert (and 2019 MBE) Joanna Abeyie explores the differences between each element and how they relate to all workplaces. … Managers should support diversity, and not only be trained in legislation, but also on potential biases and how to avoid them. With recruitment, language should be carefully considered and location of adverts whether that is on job sites, social media etc. This is a celebration of the diversity of people and where benefits are actively sought from the differences between people. Line managers and HR business partners have an obligation to actively seek out employees who may be becoming excluded and attempt to correct this. Again, the point would be the vast number of combinations available in the UK. McKinsey and Co. found that businesses in the top quartile for gender diversity was 21% more likely than the 4th quartile to have above average profitability. This celebration of diversity is very positive and why not empower women to work within this predominantly male orientated profession. What can businesses do to ensure equality, diversity and inclusion of its individuals? Innovation drives a business forward – and research shows that disruptive, breakthrough ideas come about when employees have a sense of belonging and diverse teams look at challenges from different angles. For example, you find out there’s religiously offensive graffiti in the staff toilet. Workplace diversity is beneficial for employee retention. During my time in management, I would regularly hear statements such as, “she only got that position because she’s a woman.” This is sadly true in some cases. This idea of fairness and justness underpins equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplace and its importance cannot be understated. Exit interviews could include questions regarding the leavers’ feelings around inclusivity in the organisation. Continuous development is about ensuring that all individuals have the skills and tools to do the job. Pregnancy and maternity. They interviewed all candidates who showed an interest and who scored highly enough on their performance reviews. By: Mary Jones|Published on: Oct 16, 2019|Categories: Featured, HR Consultancy and Projects, HR Strategy| 0 comments. Recognizing respecting and valuing differences in people teach employees about inclusion and cultural competency or religion training on online... When diversity, inclusion, and inclusion being diverse by incorporating D I... World in a different way, and Intersectionality Report UK © Petaurum 2020 company. 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