Race Equality Means Business

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Race Equality Means Business!

• Your hosts
• Jane Basham Mollin Madziwa
• Ipswich and Suffolk Council for Racial Equality
• (ISCRE)

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Health Safety
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Aim

• To provide all delegates with a practical insight
  into race equality legislation and how it affects
  them in their roles and in their business

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Objectives

• Understand the different concepts of prejudice
  and discrimination
• Reflect on their own values and beliefs
• Develop knowledge of UK race legislation
• Identify and understand the problems encountered
  by diverse groups in relation to discrimination
  issues both at work and in accessing services
• Deal with possible discrimination cases using the
  appropriate tools such as Grievance and
  Disciplinary procedures
• Apply practical skills to help them in their
  roles, including knowing where to go for relevant
  advice and support
• Understand the need for monitoring

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Health Check, introductions learning
agreement

• What rules do you want set for today?
• What do you want to get out of today?
• What are your concerns

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Prejudice

• Prejudge
• Opinion based on facts or the wrong facts
• Learned from adults or peer groups
• Positive or negative
• Holding onto an opinion despite there being
  alternative evidence available

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Stereotype

• Ideas held about individuals based on membership
  of a particular group
• They are all the same
• Rarely accurate may be based on a kernel of
  truth or complete fabrication
• Dangerous as they are often negative

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Discrimination

• To distinguish between
• Actions based on prejudice
• Results in less favourable treatment
• Legally defined as either Direct, Indirect,
  Victimisation or Harassment

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Legislation

• Race Relations Act 1976
• (race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national
  origins)
• Race Relations Act (Amendment) Regulations 2003
• (race, ethnic or national origins)
• Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000
• (public sector and those delivering public
  services

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Who is responsible

• Employers-
• Discriminatory acts or conduct by workers or
  agents such as contractors
• In the course of their employment, but may extend
  off duty when in a work related situation works
  party for example
• Unless the employer can show they have taken all
  reasonable practical steps to prevent such acts
• Person can be personally liable

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Scenarios
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Barometer Check

• Myth
• This is a complete waste of time
• We don't have a problem here
• Its political correctness gone mad
• Im too busy for this stuff and it doesnt affect
  my business

• Reality
• This is a business issue with a huge impact
• Yes we do all areas
• Its about mutual and respect
• If its not handled now it may become a negative
  norm

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Quiz
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Code of Practice on Racial Equality in Employment

• Devise an Equality Policy
• Put it into practice
• Promote the policy
• Train workers on the policy
• it is pointless for the respondent to go to the
  trouble and expense of creating an elaborate
  selection procedure and policy.. and then follow
  an entirely seperate procedure, directed by
  events and ..the whim of individual officers
  Unerji V Blackburn Borough Council 1994

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Monitoring

• Involves collecting analysing and evaluating
  information
• In order to measure progress, performance and
  change
• Helps the organisation understand who applies,
  the compostion of the workforce, types of people
  in jobs and grades, uncover disparities between
  different racial groups in a range of areas
  including promotion, customers etc
• Helps organisation look at whether direct or
  indirect discrimination is happening - why and
  identifying missed business opportunities and
  maximising on individuals skills

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Positive Action not Positive Discrimination!

• Develop Race Equality Targets
• Know where your under representation issues are
• Review where you advertise
• Review staff leaving information
• Review pay rates
• Intoduce mentoring sheme
• Workers spend the same length of time at a
  particular grade irrespective of racial group
• Review promotion criteria to ensure fair access

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Responsibilities of employers- keep all paperwork
for at least 6 months and.

• Well trained staff in shortlisting/ interviewing
  and appointing techniques versed in diversity
• Recruitment know what skills you want - job
  descriptions/person specification stick to this
• Advertisements - avoid word of mouth when the
  workforce is predominately from one racial group
• Dont restrict job advertisements to particular
  areas and make sure existing staff are aware of
  vacancies
• Make positive statements about equality in
  advertisements
• Remove personal information use monitoring form
• Ask all candidates about eligibiity to work under
  the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996

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Grievance

• Step 1 Letter setting out their grievance
• Step 2 Meeting with employer
• Step 3 Right to appeal

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Listen to Nathans story
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Objectives

• Understand the different concepts of prejudice
  and discrimination
• Reflect on their own values and beliefs
• Develop knowledge of UK race legislation
• Identify and understand the problems encountered
  by diverse groups in relation to discrimination
  issues both at work and in accessing services
• Deal with possible discrimination cases using the
  appropriate tools such as Grievance and
  Disciplinary procedures
• Apply practical skills to help them in their
  roles, including knowing where to go for relevant
  advice and support
• Understand the need for monitoring

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The way forward close