FAQ's for Diversity
How can I make my workforce more diverse?
There are a number of things that you can do as an employer to achieve a diverse workforce, and there can be real business benefits for doing so:
· Consider your methods of recruiting and advertising
· State clearly in all your job advertisements that you are an equal opportunities employer and that you welcome applications from all members of the community and all groups regardless of difference. As well as advertising in the traditional press consider using more specialist media aimed at attracting under-represented groups or use the web to attract eg. Disabled People
· Advertise more widely and in areas where there is a higher ethnic minority population for example local community centres
· Also if appropriate to the size of your organisation, consider setting up a monitoring system to monitor the diversity of your workforce and applicants for jobs.
What is the best practice position on reviewing a request for flexible working?
· Whilst there is no absolute right for an employee to change from full-time to part-time employment, as an employer, you are under a legal obligation to consider their request because a requirement to work full-time can be harder for women to comply with than for men, as women often have the main childcare and other caring responsibilities. Try to be as flexible as possible, look at job sharing, transferring some tasks elsewhere. This means that you may well be able to keep an experienced and valued staff member who may otherwise have to give up work.
How do I support an employee who has developed a disability whilst working for me?
· If he or she has a disability as defined by the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, and your company employs at least 15 people, then there is best practice that as an employer you should observe. The DDA doesn't yet cover businesses with less than 15 employees, but this will change in the future, so even if your business is very small, it makes sense to consider these issues especially making reasonable adjustments.
· Reasonable adjustments may include changes to job content, hours of work, equipment, movement to a more suitable existing vacancy, more breaks etc.
· Discussion with the employee and agreement to get medical opinion on their capabilities is a positive and important step to take which will help you consider what reasonable adjustments might be necessary.
Where do I go for advice on Diversity?
The three existing commissions EOC, DRC and CRE will be merged into the Commission for Human Rights(CEHR). The Commission will be responsible for the existing three commissions work and dealing with discrimination in the areas of religion and belief, age and sexual orientation and promoting equality of opportunity.
The Commission under the Chairman Sir Trevor Philips will champion the diverse communities in their struggle against discrimination. It will also promote awareness and understanding of human rights and encourage good practice by public authorities in meeting their Human Rights Act obligations and avoiding litigation.
The Commission for Equality and Human Rights
CEHR will be launched in October 2007 will take on all of the powers of the existing commissions as well as new ones to enforce legislation more effectively and promote equality for all in the new areas of religion and belief, age and sexual orientation and promoting equality of opportunity.
The Commission under the Chairman Sir Trevor Philips will champion the diverse communities with their campaigns against discrimination. It will also promote awareness and understanding of human rights and encourage good practice by public authorities in meeting their Human Rights Act obligations and avoiding litigation.
The CEHR will provide sector specific guidance and best practice for employers and is looking for a partnership approach in most areas of its remit. It recognises that the success of addressing many issues in the workplace is to tackle training and development of middle managers to understand these issues. The CEHR very much wants to treat all areas equally rather than have different strands continuing to work off against each other in their silos.
The CEHR will produce a regular ‘equality health check’ for Britain and to work with individuals, communities, businesses and public services to find new, more effective ways to give everyone in society the chance to achieve their full potential.
For further information about the CEHR please consult their website at http://www.cehr.org.uk/