September 28, 2013 By Constance Hall Leave a Comment

Workplace diversity is just a PR stunt, claim employees

Workers are rubbishing their employers efforts to promote fairness through diversity as a stunt to grab headlines, alleges new research.

Around half of employees consider workplace diversity strategies as filling a tick box to look good for marketing and PR, says the Adecco Group’s report ‘Unlocking Britain’s Potential.’

The dispiriting results of the survey showed workers have a jaundiced opinion of diversity programmes:

27% felt the campaigns failed to change workplace culture

29% of employers confessed they aim to recruit ‘certain types’ of workers

20% of workers felt their organisation ignored marketing to specific sections of society

22% considered a diverse workforce could not supply the skills needed by the organisation

Despite the disappointing response to the survey, many employers and workers are confident that diversity has an important role in the workplace.

Seven out of 10 employers believe they are more likely to succeed by operating a fairer and more tolerant workplace.

This reflects in the 44% of workers who would rather move to an employer with a diverse workforce.

The report is part of a campaign by consultancy and recruitment group Adecco to look at workplace diversity as a tool for promoting better productivity and improving competition in world markets.

Chris Moore, director of the ‘Unlocking Britain’s Potential’ campaign, said:”The business case for investment in diversity has never been clearer. A diverse workforce will widen Britain’s talent pool, have a direct impact on employee engagement, and strengthen relationships with customers.

“Our research suggests that we are far from achieving the radical change in outlook required to genuinely promote the need for a diverse workforce in UK businesses.

“While it is encouraging that the case for greater female representation in the boardroom is attracting such prominence, this is only a small but important part of the debate around boosting diversity in the workplace.

“Diversity is a question of encouraging and increasing social mobility – finding ways to ensure that potential British talent, from any and every background, is not overlooked.”

September 28, 2013 By Constance Hall Leave a Comment

Council scrap ‘discriminatory’ loyalty pay

A council scrapped long-service pay awards because they are unfair to some workers.

Lawyers have told Crawley Borough Council that rewarding loyal workers who have spent at least 10 years with the authority with extra pay could be construed as discrimination under the Equality Act.

Councillors will vote on the proposal – but as Crawley is one of the few local authorities paying the bonus in the UK, it’s likely they will give the thumbs down.

Instead of earning a pay hike at 10, 15, 20 25 and 30 year terms of service with the council, all workers will have a pay rise of £250, plus an extra £250 will be given to staff earning less than £21,000 a year.

The council has paid the long service bonus since 1980. Amounts range from £188 a year for staff clocking up 10 years with the authority to £1,477 for those with 30 year’s service. The money was paid to entice staff to stay with the council instead of leaving for better pay and conditions elsewhere.

Lawyers suggest the payments could be considered discriminatory. Staff and unions were asked for their opinion and despite just over half of employees voting in favour of keeping long-service pay, the union, Unison, refused to sign an agreement.

“A consultation took place from July to October this year on the removal of the council’s long-service pay scheme and proposed compensation for the staff affected by this,” said a council spokesman.

“Different levels of long-service pay are paid to approximately 300 staff who have been with Crawley Borough Council for 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 years.

“However, we are one of the only local authorities in the country with such a scheme and the legal advice we have received is that the scheme is discriminatory and contravenes the Equality Act.

“This month, a ballot of Unison members opted to agree to the proposed changes. Unison accepts that the scheme contravenes the act. This agreement means that no members of staff will have their contracts terminated.”

September 28, 2013 By Constance Hall Leave a Comment

Do you remember? Pregnant mothers’ moan about Olympic ticket blunder for babies

… And the gold medal for Olympic bureaucracy goes to the blundering organising committee for demanding mums pay for seats for their yet to be born children if they have a ticket for an event and want to take baby as well.

Ticket rules for the Olympic Games say every baby attending an event must have a ticket for a seat somewhere in the venue, even if they are sitting on their mother’s lap.

As the tickets were on sale 15 months before the starting pistol is fired for the first event, it’s difficult to see how many mums could predict they would need the extra seat – and don’t think about mums who have had twins.

Now, the Equality and Human Rights Commission has indicated the ticket policy may be discriminatory against mums, which threatens to throw the whole Olympics ticketing process in to disarray.

Mums don’t know whether to buy a ticket for their babies – who have to go with them if they are being breast-fed – or whether they are allowed in if they share their seat with mum.

Many mums are concerned they will have to miss their chance of a lifetime to attend a blue-riband Olympic event because of the rule, says web site Mumsnet, which has been inundated with posts about the ticket debacle.

A London 2012 spokesman said: “Of course, we understand that some new mums may want to take their babies to events they have tickets to and we will look at what we can do when the remaining tickets go on sale in April.”

The EHRC has challenged the Olympic ticket organisers to prove they can justify the rules for mums and babies.

“A business must not do something which has a worse affect on you and on other people who share a particular protected characteristic, such as gender, than it has on people who do not share that characteristic. Unless the business can show that what they have done is objectively justified, this will be what is called indirect discrimination,” said a spokesman.

Under the rules, pregnant mums do not have to buy additional tickets.

September 28, 2013 By Constance Hall Leave a Comment

A smile and kind words makes work a better place

A smile is all it takes to make the work place better, according to a new study.

Someone just being nice with a smile and a few kind words is enough to improve the way many people feel, says the Feel Good Factor Index published by PruHealth.

Although spending time with family and friends ranks highest, doing a kind deed for some else, job security and being recognised for achievements at work are all important for someone’s wellbeing.

The study reinforces the view that most people are at their happiest when they have the right work-life balance.

The survey asked more than 2,000 people what made them happy – top of the list was spending time with family and loved ones (56%), followed by sharing in their achievements (36%).

Someone being nice or smiling took third place (27%).

The other results were:

Taking a walk on a nice day (24%)

Getting a good night’s sleep (24%)

Doing something for someone else (17%)

Job and financial security (17%)

Time with pets (13%)

Nights out (13%)

Keeping fit (12%)

Finding a money saving deal (11%)

Dr Katie Tryon, health and wellbeing expert at PruHealth, said: “It would be great if everyone could smile at someone today and get the warm glow from knowing you’ve made someone happy.

“It’s really important for our physical and mental wellbeing to feel good, and as our index shows there are many inexpensive ways to get that feeling, including taking time out to go for a walk.”

The over 55s had the best outlook on life – with 62% opting for a ‘glass half full’ approach and only 12% confessing they were pessimists.

Many of the people surveyed admitted they succumbed to guilty pleasures, with one in four disclosing they enjoyed slobbing in front of a movie on the TV while munching a pile of chocolate.

The findings showed the biggest treat was time off work on holiday.

This article is filed under: Gender, Discrimination, Diversity, emotional intelligence, Leadership, Minorities, women, mothers faimly work-life balance

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For more content Diversity Leaders Magazine http://paper.li/diversitylead/1308375628 Key topics : Leadership, Discrimination, Diversity

September 28, 2013 By Constance Hall Leave a Comment

New discrimination help service

Extra help is on the way for people suffering discrimination in the form of a new government advice service.

The Equality Advisory and Support Service will give advice and support focussing on helping the vulnerable and disadvantaged to find early and informal solutions to their problems without recourse to legal action.

The free service will be open to everyone – and will include high accessibility standards especially for those with disabilities and for people who do not speak English.

Initial contact for advice on discrimination will be by the web or telephone.

Independent advocacy support will be offered to consumers who need legal help to issue a claim that cannot be resolved informally or through alternative dispute resolution. The government has also confirmed legal aid will continue for discrimination cases.

The decision by the Home Office’s Government Equality Office to run the support service follows lengthy consultation in 2010.

The consultation asked whether the government should fund a support service for discrimination victims and should the service be run by the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

The responses confirmed the service was needed but the EHRC should not be funded to run it.

“This was because of government’s commitment to ensuring access to justice and, in particular, to helping people to resolve their problems informally before the point a claim is made and even before it is necessary to access formal alternative dispute resolution,” said a spokesman.

“The review also concluded that the government should not fund the EHRC to deliver this service. Therefore, government has decided that it will commission a new service from a private sector or civil society organisation or a combination of both.

The service expects to handle around 40,000 telephone calls and 20,000 emails a year requesting various levels of advice.

No timescales have been announced for the opening of the service.

September 28, 2013 By Constance Hall Leave a Comment

85% of mentally ill complain of discrimination

Mental health issues are still a stigma with people discriminating against sufferers, according to the latest government statistics.

Tolerance of those suffering mental health problems is improving, although significant numbers still have fear and uncertainty over the condition.

The Health and Social Care Information Centre, part of the NHS, has conducted the study each year since 1994.

Significant changes

Some significant changes in that time include:

The percentage of people agreeing that ‘Mental illness is an illness like any other’ increased

from 71% in 1994 to 77% in 2011.

The percentage saying they would be comfortable talking to a friend or family member about

their mental health rose from 66% in 2009 to 70% in 2011.

The percentage saying they would feel uncomfortable talking their employer about their

mental health was 43%, compared to 50% in 2010.

Other highlighted findings for 2011 include:

25% of respondents agreed ‘Most women who were once patients in a mental hospital

can be trusted as babysitters’.

Agreement that one of the main causes of mental illness is a lack of self-discipline and willpower stands at 16%.

The percentage of people saying that locating mental health facilities in a residential area

downgrades the neighbourhood stood at 17%.

Stigma and discrimination

Two new questions about stigma and discrimination were asked in 2010 and repeated this year:

Whether people with mental illness experience stigma and discrimination nowadays, because of their mental health problems;

Whether mental health-related stigma and discrimination has changed in the past year.

“Overall, 85% respondents in 2011 said that people with mental illness experience stigma

and discrimination,” said the report. “ Half (50%) said they experience a lot of discrimination, and a further 35% that they experience a little discrimination. There was no significant change in responses to this question from 2010 to 2011.

“Around a half of respondents (48%) in 2011 said that mental health-related stigma and

discrimination has not changed in the past year. Again there were no significant changes in responses to this question between 2010 and 2011.”

A copy of the report and datasets are available from [LINK: http://www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/attitudestomi11]

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September 28, 2013 By Constance Hall Leave a Comment

Give your views on how equality is working

Equality and diversity managers have their chance to influence government policy as part of David Cameron’s red tape challenge to slimline bureaucracy.

The government is seeking views on how equality legislation is working – and what, if anything, can be changed to improve the law.

The Equality Act 2010 is umbrella legislation that replaced nine major statutes and around 100 sets of regulations aimed at making diversity management easier for business and public sector organisations.

Equalities Minister Lynne Featherstone said: “The Equality Act is here to stay. Fairness and opportunity for all remain at the heart of government. But there is always more we can do to ensure that business is not being strangled by red tape.

Unnecessary rules

“This government is committed to economic prosperity and reducing unnecessary rules and regulations. We want to hear from individuals, businesses, public sector organisations and voluntary and community organisations about how the act is working in practice.

“We want to know whether the act could be simplified, better implemented, or if certain provisions should be dropped or amended, or whether it should be kept exactly as it is.”

For more about the red tape challenge and how to respond, go to http://www.redtapechallenge.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/home/index/

One major change was implemented by Home Secretary Theresa May when she scrapped gender pay reporting measures under section 78 of the act. The government is urging businesses to publish the data voluntarily instead.

Meanwhile, Director of People and Policy at BT, Caroline Waters, has taken up the post as equality champion tasked with mediating the easing of legislation between the government and industry.

Deadline for consultation

The clocking is also ticking on government consultation about reforming the Equality and Human Rights Commission, with the deadline for submissions is June 15, 2011.

The consultation and forms for response are available for download from http://www.equalities.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=1789

EHCR has already published a short response – promising a more detailed document will follow.

The EHRC view is that the government is right to examine the early progress of the commission, but some of the current proposals for change may run counter to equality policy and a broader approach to deregulation and decentralisation.

Do you want more than what Diversity Training can deliver? See Diversity at Work http://www.diversityleaders.org/our-services/training-a-events

September 28, 2013 By Constance Hall Leave a Comment

Finding an accessible home online

A new web site promises to open doors for the disabled looking for a place to live or holiday that suits their needs.

The Accessible Property Register [LINK: http://accessible-property.org.uk/] is a new venture that has around 40,000 visitors a month looking for accommodation with easy access.

Run by Conrad Hodgkinson and Dr Christine Barton, a couple from Sheffield, the site lists homes for rent and sale all over the UK.

As a wheelchair user, Dr Barton can empathise with many browsing the site for a home.

The web site has developed in to a one-stop shop advertising adapted homes and holiday accommodation with adapted or wheelchair access.

Private and social housing properties are listed for sale and rent.

Easy to access homes

“Estate agents sometimes seem to think adaptation will put people off so they suggest, sometimes subtly, sometimes not so subtly, removing them or ask people not to mention them,’’ said Mr Hodgkinson.

“Increasingly we have estate agents coming to us saying there’s a wheelchair-accessible property available and we’d like to advertise it with you.”

Unlike many property web sites, The Accessible Property Register details enhancements for the disabled.

To meet the web sites strict ‘accessible’ property definition, all listings meet the following conditions:

Off-street or unrestricted on-street parking

No steps between the closest parking and property entrance

Level or ramped access to at least one entrance

Level access to all main living rooms

A WC on the same level as the entrance

Wheelchair-friendly

Other factors considered to make a property easier to use for someone in a wheelchair or suffering a physical problem include:

Entrance level bath or shower

Adapted bathroom with features like an electrically-operated seat, walk-in bath or fixed handrails

Adapted kitchen with lowered working services and appliances

Wider-than-standard doorways

Stair\wheelchair lifts to upper floors

Fixed or tracking ceiling hoist

Environment or SMART controls

Intercom and remote door opening

Supported living

Most advertising is free, although some charges are involved if homeowners need help with posting their property details online.

Around 460 properties are advertised for sale or rent in the UK and some overseas locations. property listings include holiday lets as well as permanent homes.

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Do you want more than what Diversity Training can deliver? See Diversity at Work in the workplace http://www.diversityleaders.org/our-services/training-a-events

September 28, 2013 By Constance Hall Leave a Comment

Employers focus on ‘retiring’ older workers

One in four employers is retiring older workers who they would normally let work on because of concerns about keeping staff on after the default retirement age is scrapped.

Among the latest is Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which has written to 203 staff aged over 65 to tell them their contracts would expire in October.

Letters were sent on March 31, a week before the default retirement age of 65 years old was abolished.

The trust said the decision was not taken lightly, particularly in light of the service given to the hospital by some of the employees who are being forced to retire, but added that they were following a policy where if a post was no longer required, the employee would automatically be retired.

450 older workers lose jobs

Meanwhile, a study of 157 organisations by The Age and Employment Network (TAEN) shows that 70% of employers will let retire when they wish.

But the the findings also highlighted a quarter of employers are targetting older employees in the transitional period before the default retirement age is finally abolished on October 1.

Including those losing their jobs in Sheffield, this affects around 450 employees in 42 private and public sector organisations.

Employers review retirement changes

The report also disclosed some other findings:

A third of employers have not decided post-default retirement age policy

Around one in four (38%) of employers are reviewing other policy areas for amendment as a result of retirement law changes

A quarter (23%) have reviewed or changed performance management and reviewed capability procedures, while 17% have reviewed pensions and benefits

12% have reviewed or changed succession planning

At 31% of employers, managers discuss retirement plans with workers and 33% plan to introduce similar discussions.

31% will train managers on how to discuss retirement plans with employees

TAEN is an independent, not-for-profit that monitors and campaigns for older workers’ rights.

September 28, 2013 By Constance Hall Leave a Comment

BBC slammed for diversity failings

The BBC needs to switch on to the real world instead of portraying Christians as ‘derogatory stereotypes’ and marginalising older women.

This indictment of the broadcaster’s diversity policy is even more damning as the main critics are viewers and the BBC’s staff.

Many believe the organisation goes too far in representing minority views, with positive discrimination affecting recruitment and too much time spent concentrating on ‘tokenism’ and diversity ‘box ticking’.

The results of a diversity study carried out by the BBC were leaked by the Daily Mail. The report was compiled form a survey of 4,500 people.

The research repeatedly slammed the BBC over depictions of Christians on TV.

Derogatory stereotypes

Many respondents claimed the BBC was anti-Christian and poorly represented Christianity.

“Christians are specifically mentioned as being badly treated, with a suggestion that more minority religions are better represented despite Christianity being the most widely observed religion within Britain,” said a quote from the report.

Others said:

“As a Christian I find that the BBC’s representation of Christianity is mainly inaccurate, portraying incorrect, often derogatory stereotypes.”

“Seldom do we find a Christian portrayed in drama, and when we do, it is usually a “weak” person or a “bigot”

A recurring criticism was soap storylines lacked pro-Christian themes but often showed the faith in a poor light.

Doomed to fail

In many ways, the BBC is doomed to fail whatever minority group or religion is portrayed in programmes, as the content often generates complaints from other minorities or faiths.

The study also highlighted that many viewers were concerned at the treatment of older women, who were often shown as feeble and unable to lead a normal life.

Others moaned that the organisation is tainted politically as left-wing or too liberal..

A BBC spokesman said: “We have strict editorial guidelines on impartiality, including religious perspectives, and Christian programming forms the majority and the cornerstone of our religion and ethical output.”

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