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… With recruitment, language should be carefully considered and location of adverts whether that is on job sites, social media etc. Diversity should be recognised in the workplace and there should be an appreciation of how this can benefit any organisation. Diversity is the mix of people. Equality and diversity are the terms used to both define and champion the values of human rights in society, and that includes the workplace. This idea of fairness and justness underpins equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplace and its importance cannot be understated. Getting started with equality, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace can seem like a daunting prospect, but it need not be.. 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. Religion and belief. 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. You could also hold activities and events that encourage inclusion in the workplace, such as: How a person thinks can depend on their life experiences and sometimes they have beliefs and views about other people that might not be right or reasonable. A good start is to have a workplace policy covering equality, diversity and inclusion. As a result, many mission-driven organizations are signaling their desire to institutionalize workplace DEI practices by launching a staff-led taskforce, working groups, and committees.. Perhaps you're even thinking about starting a DEI committee at your own organization. Inclusion and diversity (I&D) in the workplace have rapidly become a higher priority for organizations in recent years. They’re central to business success. Select the statement you most agree with: Supporting mental health in the workplace, Dealing with a problem raised by an employee, Improving equality, diversity and inclusion in your workplace, Please tell us why the information did not help, I cannot find the information I'm looking for. It should be described in a way that shows what makes them unique and posted on the online employee community platform of your company. All workplaces must comply with the Act and must be seen to be actively promoting equality and diversity amongst employees. If you liked this article you might want to look at some of these related articles and resources. Direct discrimination is absolutely unjustifiable. 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. 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. From an early age she enjoyed taking things apart to see how they went back together again. Hays UK Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Report 2020 . They interviewed all candidates who showed an interest and who scored highly enough on their performance reviews. Equality is about the fair treatment of everyone and often linked to the legislative framework in the UK, The Equality Act 2010. Leading organizations now see diversity and inclusion as a comprehensive strategy woven into every aspect of the talent life cycle to enhance employee engagement, improve brand, and drive performance. One of the key aspects of achieving any goal is measuring it. This might also be called an ‘equal opportunities policy’. Leadership positions should model inclusive behaviours and promote inclusive communication. Diversity should be recognised in the workplace and there should be an appreciation of how this can benefit any organisation. What can businesses do to ensure equality, diversity and inclusion of its individuals? Marriage and civil partnership. Diversity and inclusion go hand-in-hand, and for diversity practices to be successful, you must facilitate an inclusive work culture. Equality, diversity and inclusion is making sure no one feels left out at work. The EqA makes it unlawful to discriminate on the grounds of nine protected characteristics. Use posters, table tents and electronic messaging to teach employees about inclusion and cultural competency. Sexual orientation.Hiring people from all kinds of backgrounds widens the range of thinking that takes place in your office. After 18 months she interviewed for a promotion and got it, this time she was overjoyed. Gender reassignment. Find out more about selecting employees for redundancy. These are articles that offer an evidence-base for how to achieve change within organizations. Diversity and Inclusion should be deemed important by all levels of management from the top down. Your workplace policies and practices should make clear what counts as unacceptable behaviour at work. If someone is bullied or harassed but you do nothing to stop it and they leave their job, they could claim constructive dismissal at an employment tribunal. 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. 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 includes those who are away from work because of: Allowing employees flexible working where possible could avoid the risk of discrimination against an employee because of a protected characteristic. Ensure all employees gain appropriate knowledge and training on the value of a diverse workforce and how to ensure inclusivity. Refusing a request for religious practice without a good business reason may be discrimination. 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. Eight years later, she now works four days and is part of a team from across the organisation that ensures the diversity and inclusion strategy remains purposeful and effective. It was mentioned earlier that fairness can be subjective, what is a fair process or outcome in one country may not be fair in another. You will see how diversity can be leveraged to make us think about how we think, and how it can help us to expand our perceptions and understanding. When most of us think of diversity in the workplace, factors such as age, race, gender and cultural background spring to mind. 14 years later in possession of a Master Degree in Mechanical Engineering she gets her first job as an engineer at a top organisation. As a result, organizations that adopt D&I practices see huge gains in the form of business results, innovation, and decision-making. The HR manager says this would be acceptable, understanding Ayesha’s request is reasonable because of her religious beliefs. After just less than a year of starting her dream career, Nisha is given supervisory responsibility of a project. Equality is about equal opportunities and protecting people from being discriminated against while diversity is about recognizing respecting and valuing differences in people. Employees feel included when they feel “safe” to voice their concerns and opinions without fear of victimization. Pregnancy and maternity. Inclusion refers to the procedures organizations implement to integrate everyone in the workplace, allowing their differences to coexist in … Getty. 9. Everyone should have a right to equal access to employment and, when employed, should have equal pay and equal access to training and development. But then this was written by one individual and their perception of the subject matter, does that make it valuable? We are pleased to introduce the CMA’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2020 to 2024, which outlines our commitments for the next 4 years. Diversity in the workplace describes the variation in personal, physical, and social characteristics, such as gender, ethnicity, age, and education. 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. 6. Everyone can think in a way that involves unconscious bias at some point, but it’s important to be aware of it and not let it affect behaviour or decisions. It has more impact than age or gender and leads to an increase in innovation mindset in all … She’s a 34-year-old mother of two who enjoys going to the gym, watching The Great British Bake Off and has an unusual love for Shark Week. This promotion is an increase in pay and to her friends and family is seen as a just reward for her hard work. Let’s clear something up: A person is not “diverse,” and there’s no such thing as a “diverse” candidate. Furthermore, when selecting an individual for employment, interviewers should be aware of what adaptations can be made to cater for specific needs. By the end of this module, you will grasp the challenges of implementing inclusion in the workplace and be able to apply the cognitive method to a diversity case. They raised her to speak fluent Hindustani, alongside her native English. There are many ways in which an organisation can increase equality, diversity and inclusion. Equality is in opportunity, not necessarily in results, trying to have equality in results without equality in opportunity is counterproductive and importantly unfair. Understanding Equality And Diversity In The Workplace 5th February 2015 In the UK, companies are legally required to adhere to certain practices that ensure discrimination is eliminated and expectations of equality are always met in the workplace. A fundamental value that contributes to a successfully diversified workplace is respect among workers and employees. 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. Join us for our latest Free Employer Webinar on 'Diversity and Inclusion' in the workplace taking place at 12pm on Wednesday 27th January.We will be joined by Alex Ehmcke from Pink News, Luke Davis from Diversifying, Shana Gujral from ThinkLila and Adeva Solanke. What is diversity and inclusion? 5.1 – Be able to promote equality and diversity in work with children and young people. If individuals in the organisation don’t feel included, they will either lose motivation or leave, no matter what efforts have been made by management. – The business case – This comprises the specific commercial benefits to your business that greater diversity will afford. Get the 2019 Workplace Diversity, Inclusion, and Intersectionality Report. There is an acceptance culture in the UK which begins with children. Equality, diversity and inclusion need to be measured and analysed in all aspects of the organisation such as performance and processes. 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. In accompaniment to the Equality Act there is other legislation around pay, flexible working, maternity / paternity and more. A web of inclusions can be created in the form of stories or real-life incidents. They are naturally better at orientating themselves because it is ingrained in their culture through language. You can get Acas training in equality, diversity and inclusion. Building awareness is a first step towards real change. Companies with a diverse workforce are generally more inclusive of different individual characteristics and perspectives. There are three key groups of reasons why equality, diversity and inclusion are important to an organisation: In 2010 the government were very thoughtful when naming the key piece of legislation surrounding equality, kindly naming it the Equality Act (makes it more memorable). When selecting staff for redundancy, you should be careful to not make decisions affected by unconscious bias and protected characteristics. You should make sure employees do not miss out on job or training opportunities and are informed about any important matters and changes in their workplace. 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. HR personnel and recruitment professionals need to be aware of the various challenges associated with diversity so that it can be prevented and addressed. It’s acknowledging the benefit of having a range of perspectives in decision-making and the workforce being representative of the organisation’s customers. The latest UK census data (2011) is old but fit for this purpose[2]. Methodology. So in this tutorial we’ll look at how to build a culture of diversity and inclusion in your workplace. 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. Diversity should be defined to include neurodiversity; far too often is diversity just based on physical appearance. Equality, diversity and inclusion should also have a place in the training, development and promotion of staff. Diversity is about recognising difference. Workplace diversity boosts the … But actually creating a diverse, inclusive business is easier said than done. Coronavirus (COVID-19): latest advice for employers and employees. 8. 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