equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplace

Equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplace

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Unit 6: Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the

Workplace


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Contents

Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 3

Equality, diversity and inclusion ......................................................................................................... 4

Equality .............................................................................................................................................. 4

Diversity ............................................................................................................................................. 5

The value of diversity ....................................................................................................................... 6

Inclusion ............................................................................................................................................. 6

Key terms .............................................................................................................................................. 7

Equal opportunities legislation ........................................................................................................... 8

The Equality Act 2010 ..................................................................................................................... 8

Disabilities ......................................................................................................................................... 9

Consequences of equality breaches ............................................................................................... 10

Nominated responsibilities regarding equality, diversity and inclusion ...................................... 12

Forms of discrimination and harassment ........................................................................................ 12

Direct discrimination ....................................................................................................................... 13

Indirect discrimination .................................................................................................................... 14

Harassment ..................................................................................................................................... 15

Victimisation .................................................................................................................................... 15

Characteristics that support equality and diversity ........................................................................ 16

Supporting equality ........................................................................................................................ 17

Supporting diversity ....................................................................................................................... 18

Supporting inclusion....................................................................................................................... 19

The importance of displaying behaviour that supports equality, diversity and inclusion ......... 20

Unit summary ...................................................................................................................................... 21


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Introduction

All businesses require a group of people to work together harmoniously in order to

be successful. This means that a collection of individuals, all with different

backgrounds, ages and beliefs, must be able to work in a way that highlights their

strengths. In order for this to work each person in the business environment must

have a strong understanding of equality, diversity and inclusion and how to respect

others that they work with. In this unit we will look at equality, diversity and inclusion

in depth and discuss the benefits of having a diversified workforce.


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Equality, diversity and inclusion

To be able to treat everyone fairly in the workplace, each person must be given the

opportunity to work to the same standards and must not be discriminated against it

any way. This relies on each individual having a strong understanding of equality,

diversity and inclusion. To start this unit, we will look at the differences between

these aspects.

Equality

Equality is about treating each person the same as everyone else. Members of the

workforce deserve to have the same opportunities regardless of their age, race,

gender, class, religion or disability. This means that individuals should not be

overlooked when allowing new opportunities in a job role.

It was not always the case that each person is granted the same opportunity as their

co- workers. In the past, workers from different races, religions or backgrounds have

been granted special license to access higher paid jobs and certain opportunities.

Today this is not the case and in the UK there are many laws in place to ensure

each person is treated fairly. This being said, it is still possible that equality

standards may fall short in certain areas which can include:

●Training opportunities- it may be more difficult for certain workers to access training

because of the hours that they work or the area of business that they are involved in.


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● Part-time or temporary workers- people who work less hours for an organisation

may find it harder to access the same opportunities as those that are full-time.

● Workers who use English as a second language- it can be more difficult for

organisations to provide fair opportunities in this case as it can be harder to source

translations.

● Older workers- people that are coming up to retirement age may find that they have

few opportunities in their role.

All opportunities within the workplace should be made as accessible as possible.

Every person that wishes to improve upon their skills and developing their career

should be allowed to do so. Ensuring that each employee is treated fairly and the

same as others, regardless of any personal factors, is the true meaning of equality in

the workplace.

Diversity

The value of diversity is found in all walks of life. A team, which is very diverse, will

have a much broader skill set than one that is made of people who know all the

same things. Think about your job at the moment- there will be things that you can

do very well and things that you are not as confident with. If you were to create a

clone of you then you may be able to work faster and get more done but this clone

would still have the same weaknesses as you. Now think about finding a person who

has skills in other areas- this person is great at things you find most challenging but

struggles with your favourite tasks. This type of person will be much more valuable

to a team as they will compliment your own skills and together you can tackle a

wider range of tasks to a very high level. People not only differ in skills but can have

a range of differences including:

●Age

●Gender

●Background

●Beliefs, faith and customs

●Sexual orientation

●Skills and abilities


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Each of these differences should be valued and appreciated. It is these differences

which can help to progress groups as each person will bring a different perspective,

skill or preference to the table and improve the team performance as a whole.

The value of diversity

Diversity is a fantastic thing for any group or organisation. The differences that

people bring to the table will help the team as a whole have a wider range of skills

and perspectives that can come in use at any time.

This diversity can have many important outcomes for an organisation such as:

●A much wider talent pool and skill set for a group of people.

●Different opinions, perspectives and values to give another viewpoint on the

company’s activities.

●A group with diverse backgrounds will contain people who know the customs of

other countries or people- opening the door to new markets.

●A culture that celebrates diversity and sparks innovation

●A dynamic work environment where people are able to celebrate their originality

and be proud of their differences.

All of these factors will have a huge impact on a business. They will make the

company better to work with for customers, open to more opportunity and a nicer

area to work

in- leading to high levels of loyalty and a reduced staff turnover.

Inclusion


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Inclusion ties in very closely with both equality and diversity- it ensures that each

person feels valued and part of the group dynamic within a business. Every person

working in an organisation should feel included in the way that the business

operates. This will make each employee feel supported in their role by all of those

around them. By doing this each person will feel valued and recognised for the role

that they play in the organisation.

Key terms

Equality- Is about giving each person the same access to opportunities and treating

them fairly

Diversity- Is about recognising that each person is unique and valuing their

differences

Inclusion- Is ensuring that each person is valued and taken account of within an

organisation

Impacts on organisational policy

Equality, diversity and inclusion should be incorporated into all companies and will

be covered clearly in policies and procedures. This makes it clear how employees

are handled in relation to equality and diversity and ensures each person works to

the same standards.

All other policies that are made should be checked against equality, diversity and

inclusion laws so that they do not violate what is in place. Doing so would run the

risk of the company not meeting standards of equality that are universally accepted.

This can impact policies in an organisation such as:

●Recruitment policies- new recruits must be given the same chance at

employment regardless of their ethnicity, religion or background.

●Training- everyone must have the same access to training methods and

opportunities and should not be discriminated against.

●Health and safety- every person in the organisation should meet the standards of

the company with regards to safety and must not be given any special license

because of their background.

●Fire and evacuation- procedures relating to fires and evacuation should not

benefit certain individuals and each employee must be kept safe on the premises.


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Any other policy used in a company must be in line with equality and diversity. This

will not only integrate into almost every other policy but should also be remembered

when organising office space, fire procedures and safety. This is especially

important when people with disabilities are working in an organisation as special

measures should be taken to ensure evacuation is possible. This means that fire

procedures must be well- thought-out to ensure wider doorways are used and no

stairs are necessary. Without these special measures it would be impossible for

wheelchair users to evacuate the premises.

Equal opportunities legislation

Treating all people linked with a company fairly is essential to being able to work in a

harmonious manner with colleagues. This relates to who people are, where they live,

any disabilities people could have and for them to be treated fairly regardless of

whether you like them or not. This is true when working with other employees,

managers, customers or anybody else that you come across in your role within the

business.

The Equality Act 2010

In 2010 the Equality Act was put in place by the UK government to protect people

who access goods and services from being discriminated against on the grounds of

their:

●Age

●Pregnancy or maternity

●Gender

●Marriage or civil partnership

●Race

●Religion


●Disability


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This act aims to protect all people, not just those that may be vulnerable from being

discriminated against and is in place to stop any people from unfairly judging or

treating people differently.

Disabilities

The term disability has a very broad meaning. It can relate to lots of different things

including physical disabilities or mental capabilities that may be short or long term.

The adverse effects of these disabilities will hinder a person’s ability to carry out

everyday tasks that most take for granted.

All disabled people should be treated fairly and in the same manner as an able-

bodied person. Some organisations use ramps or special equipment to assist

physically disabled people and ensure that they are able to carry out tasks just the

same as able- bodied employees. People with other disabilities will have the right to

work in the same manner as staff without a disability and so special measures may

be taken to support this. The Equality Act requires companies to put in place:

●Reasonable changes to the way that things are done. This includes things like

adaptations to policies and procedures, changing practices to include everyone and

changing a ‘No Dogs’ policy to incorporate guide dogs.

●Reasonable changes to premises. This will include disabled ramps, handrails or

wider doors to allow access.

●Providing auxiliary aids and services. Having the option of large print, braille or

audio that assists clients is included here.


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Adequate protection needs to be given to people who have a disability, but this does

not necessarily need to be at huge lengths for the company. All staff in a business

will have a hand in implementing any changes as they will be dealing with

colleagues and clients directly and able to spot any potential issues that could arise.

Consequences of equality breaches

Companies that do not meet equality and diversity policies run the risk of severe

consequences. This can either be legal issues or problems that are encountered

internally as staff will not be happy if someone is discriminated against.

‘Consequences’ are the effects of breaking equality laws that are explained in the

Equality Act 2010. Discriminating against people in the workplace means that they

are treated less favourably for a reason to do with one or more of the characteristics

explained in the Equality Act which could include:

●Age

●Pregnancy or maternity

●Gender

●Marriage or civil partnership

●Race

●Religion


●Disability


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Indirect discrimination can also occur in the workplace when an employer places

conditions or requirements on a job that prevents certain members of staff from

doing these duties. This could include, for example, not putting in place enough help

and protection for people with additional needs so that they can complete tasks.

Breaching equality and diversity laws can have a large impact on the workforce and

even results in legal prosecution. An employee who is discriminated against will

have reduced motivation, sense of inclusion and morale in their job.

This will often affect a persons productivity, loyalty to a company and may even

affect their health. Should this be the case, employees have the right to gather legal

advice in case they are entitled to compensation. This can be in the case of disabled

employees who may feel that their rights have been breached due to negligence by

an employer. A disabled employee may require access ramps or wider doorways

simply for them to be able to access the building and carry out their duties. Another

example is if an employee is discriminated against due to their sex or sexual

orientation when working for a company. This can happen in certain industries that

are historically dominated by one particular demographic such as women being

discriminated against on building sites or men being unfairly judged for working in

certain industries such as childcare.


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Nominated responsibilities regarding equality, diversity and

inclusion

Certain people that work within the company can be nominated to monitor employee

relations regarding equality, diversity and inclusion. This will ensure that employees

have someone that they can discuss their concerns with should they feel they are

being unfairly treated. It is good work practice to have a designated human

resources manager in any company who can provide help and advice to both

employees and employers.

Employers have many responsibilities for their workforce. These can include offering

both part and full-time work as well as flexible working arrangements. By doing this

employees are safeguarded against any negligence and can be safe in the

knowledge that they are being treated fair at all times. For a company to operate

ethically they should adhere to all legislation that is in place by UK law.

One of the main responsibilities set out in the Equality Act requires employees to

make ‘reasonable adjustments’ to working practice in order to accommodate

disabled employees or people from backgrounds different to those that they already

employ.

This can include the use of access ramps for disabled employees, allowing job

applicants to feel in forms using a computer, rather than handwritten, or any other

reasonable changes that can be made to help employees.

Forms of discrimination and harassment

In equality, diversity and inclusion law, discrimination is defined as treating one

person less favourably than another who has similar skills and qualifications. Should

two employees have the same work background, work ethic and experience their

personal backgrounds should not affect their chances of success. Four different

types of discrimination are recognised by the law: direct discrimination, indirect

discrimination, harassment and victimisation.


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Direct discrimination

Direct discrimination occurs when a person is treated less favourably because of

one of the characteristics listed in the law. Equality legislation also explains that a

person should not be discriminated against because they associate with someone

who has protected characteristics.

This form of discrimination is usually very obvious in the workplace. To share direct

discrimination, one persons treatments must be compared to that of someone else.

The Equality Act calls this person a comparator.

Example- A couple who are planning their wedding visit a venue and fill out a form

stating that they are Irish Travellers. Within the Equality Act, Irish Travellers are

defined as an ethnic group and therefore should not be treated differently because of

this fact. The manager of the hotel tells the couple that they are fully booked on the

day that they require. On the way out of the hotel, the couple overhear the deputy

manager offer the same date to another couple who are not Irish Travellers. This is

direct discrimination because the couple have been unfairly treated purely because

of their ethnicity.


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Indirect discrimination

Indirect discrimination is usually unintentional. It occurs when a policy or procedure

is in place that affects each person in the same way but this policy has a worse

effect on some people than others. The policy must still refer to one of the protected

characteristics and will often put each person with this characteristic at the same

disadvantage. An employer is only guilty of indirect discrimination if they do not have

good enough reason for the policy. Indirect discrimination is usually associated with

an entire group that share the same protected characteristic rather than individuals

who are discriminated against in one specific scenario.

Example- In your employment contracts there is a clause which states that you must

travel the country at short notice. You find this difficult to do as you are a woman and

the sole carer for two young children. This is indirect discrimination against women,

who are most likely to be primary carers children, and even against anyone with a

family.


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Harassment

Harassment takes place when a person behaves in a way that causes others to feel

distressed, threatened or humiliated. When this behaviour relates to one of the

protected characteristics, it is seen as harassment under Equality Law. This could

take the form of offensive language, physical violence, humiliation, racist or

homophobic comments, spreading rumours or unwelcomed sexual advance.

Harassment not only treats two sets of people differently because of a protected

characteristic, but actively has a negative effect on certain individuals.

Victimisation

Victimisation occurs when a person is treated differently because they have made a

complaint about discrimination. Once a complaint is made referring to either direct

discrimination, indirect discrimination or harassment, the person making the

complaint should be treated in the same way as everybody else.

Example- A woman makes a complaint about unwanted sexual advances from her

line manager. As a result she is denied promotion, which is seen to be a direct result

of her making a complaint. This is seen as victimisation and action could be taken

against the employer under the Equality Act.


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Characteristics that support equality and diversity

In order to support equality in the workplace, employees can take certain actions

that will be observed by others and become part of the company's characteristics.

Personality traits that respect and aide equality should be applauded in the

workplace. Behaviour in the workplace to support equality and diversity can include:

●Tolerance

●Understanding

●Fair treatment

●Awareness of people’s differences

●Supportive behaviour

There are many different ways for employees to show their support for others and

meet equality, diversity and inclusive practices. The most obvious of which being to

treat those around you in the same manner regardless of their personal

characteristics.


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Supporting equality

Your behaviour can support equality in the workplace in many ways. First and

foremost, you should never discriminate against anyone who is different from

yourself or others in the workplace. By gaining access to company policies and

procedures regarding equality you will be able to find out how you should act when

carrying out your duties so that your behaviour is in line with legislation.

Ensuring that you speak out about any discrimination that you witness whilst at work

is one of the best ways to support equality. Should you feel that yourself or anyone

else is being treated unfairly you must tell the appropriate authority within the

company. By acting when you witness discrimination it will be made clear that you,

and those around you, do not tolerate this kind of behaviour. Doing this will give

others around you the confidence to speak up whenever they witness discrimination

and encourage best practice within the entire organisation.


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Supporting diversity

Despite all of the benefits which diversity brings there are also some drawbacks.

Working with a very diverse group of people will require each person to be more

considerate of the needs of others so that the team can work together harmoniously.

Empathising with others and being able to tailor your approach when working with

people in the team is the best way to achieve this to make sure you are able to work

closely with others and not come into conflict. To do this you must consider:

●Your tone of voice and what you are saying

●Your temperament and demeanour

●Eye contact

●Your facial expressions and posture

●The background and customs of other people

With diversity there will always be the chance of offence, even if this is not intended.

Some cultures will differ massively from your own and it is very important to respect

other people in the world of business, as you need to be able to work with a huge

variety of different people.


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You can learn from others and gain information about their beliefs and backgrounds

through conversation. It goes without saying, but under no circumstances should

anyone comment on the age, gender, sexual orientation or race of a person in a

derogatory way which is intended to cause offence.

Supporting inclusion

In order to support inclusion within the workplace you must be able to actively

encourage each person to contribute to a team. Respecting other people’s opinions

and values, regardless of their personal characteristics, is the best way to support

inclusion and ensure each person is valued in their position.

When working in a team, you must allow each person an equal amount of time to put

across their views. You should always take other people’s opinions into

consideration and judge then on their value, not on the persons background or your

own attitude towards the individual. This will ensure that each person feels included

in the team dynamic and valued in their job role.


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The importance of displaying behaviour that supports equality,

diversity and inclusion

Organisations have very high standards for their workforce. Each person is

representing the business as a whole and must work in a way that is supportive of

those and benefits the entire company. Employees should be aware of how their

behaviour affects others they work with, customers and group dynamics within the

workplace.

Any employees that do not respect those around them will run the risk of creating a

poor atmosphere within the company which will affect colleagues and the way that

they work. Discriminatory behaviour in any business is never acceptable and

employees who do not respect equality and diversity can face legal prosecution or

internal investigations.

It is very important to display behaviour that supports equality and diversity so that

each person in the business feels comfortable in their role and will therefore perform

to the best of their abilities. Failing to do this will result in a workforce that is less

likely to work harmoniously and as a team. By supporting equality and diversity you

will feel the benefits of having a diverse workforce which is able to give insights and

new ideas that individuals may not anticipate. A team relies on each person playing

to their strengths so it is important for colleagues to communicate effectively and

respect each other so that they can work together on projects. This teamwork will

result in tests being completed to a much higher standard as each person can play

to their strengths and gain support and advice to improve any weaknesses they may

have.


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Unit summary

Throughout this unit we explored the need for equality, diversity and inclusive

practices within the workplace. This legislation filters into all of the policies that a

company uses and into everyday work practices of each person. We explored the

drawbacks of not supporting inclusion and equality as well as any consequences

that can occur through malpractice.

You should now have a much deeper knowledge of equality, diversity and inclusion

laws and what they include. This is a basic requirement of many different job roles

and is essential to working effectively within a team.

equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplace

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