Title: Managing Workplace Diversity
1Chapter 3
- Managing Workplace Diversity
2Objectives
- Appreciate the diversity of the Australian
workforce - Explain the nature of discrimination and
disadvantage in the workforce - List those groups that are regarded as being
disadvantaged in the Australian workforce - Explain the nature of institutionalised
disadvantage - Outline the trends and developments in the gender
pay gap in Australia - Explain the principle of equal pay for work of
equal value - List the elements of anti-discrimination
legislation in Australia - Explain how anti-discrimination claims are lodged
and assessed
3Objectives (contd)
- Explain the reasons behind, and operation of,
equal employment opportunity (EEO) legislation in
Australia - List what information is required when an
organisation lodges an EEO report - Explain what is meant by family-friendly
workplace policies - List some policies regarded as family friendly
- Explain the nature of, and rationale behind,
workplace diversity management programs - Critically discuss the business case for
family-friendly and workforce diversity
management policies - Discuss the extent to which anti-discrimination,
equal opportunity and diversity management
programs have been incorporated into the
industrial relations agenda.
4The Diversity of the Australian Workforce
- Diversity in terms of personal characteristics
such as - gender
- age
- ethnicity
- sexuality
- religion
- disability
5Longer Term Developments in the Profile of the
Australian Workforce
- Growing female employment share
- Shifting composition of immigrants from Europe to
Asia and the Pacific - Shift away from Christian religious affiliation
- Ageing of the workforce and population
6Why is Workforce Diversity Important?
- Fundamental human rights need to be protected
- Access to paid work and careers differs across
different groups - Workplaces need to accommodate diversity
- Legislative requirements anti-discrimination
7Discrimination and Disadvantage in the Workforce
- Discrimination
- systematic acts of depriving a particular group
equal treatment (e.g. hiring pay rates
promotion access) - direct and indirect forms of discrimination
- Disadvantage
- the poorer labour market outcomes and conditions
assigned to particular groups as compared to
other groups
8Disadvantaged Groups in the Australian Workforce
- Women
- Migrants from non-English-speaking background
- Indigenous Australians
- The disabled
- Youth
9Forms of Workforce Disadvantage Relative to the
Average
- Higher rates of unemployment
- Lower rates of labour force participation
- High workforce turnover
- Low paying jobs
- Limited access to careers and training
- High rates of insecure employment e.g. casual jobs
10Institutionalised Discrimination in Australia
- A history of legally mandated differences in pay
rates by - Age
- Gender
- Race
11Gender Pay Equity
- Institutionalised gender pay discrimination prior
to 1969 - Equal pay principle 1969
- Equal pay for work of equal value 1972
- Persistence of gender pay gap
- Occupational gender segregation
- Limitations of enterprise bargaining in closing
the gender pay gap
12Anti Discrimination Legislation
- Forms of discrimination that are prohibited
- Role of Human Rights and Equal Opportunity
Commission - Vicarious liability for discrimination
- Limitations of the legislation
- Links between anti discrimination provisions and
awards/agreements
13Elements of an Anti Discrimination Program at the
Workplace
- Developing a written anti discrimination policy
- Removing offensive materials
- Prohibiting inappropriate use of the Internet
- Providing training for all managers
- Including anti-discrimination in the induction
programs for all new employees - Ensuring that anti-discrimination and harassment
procedures are in place, understood and operable
14Equal Opportunity Legislation
- The premise of the legislation
- The targeted group
- Application of legislation
- Aims of the legislation
- Differences between anti discrimination and
affirmative action legislation
15Elements of a Workplace EEO Program
- Preparing a workplace profile
- Analysing the challenges facing women in the
workplace - Identifying priority issues to be addressed
within the organisation - Developing a plan to tackle these issues
- Evaluating the effectiveness of the identified
programs
16What Has Been Included in Workplace EEO Programs
- Included
- promotion opportunities are available to all
employment categories - interview panels trained in EEO awareness
- permanent part-time work
- Not included
- reducing the remuneration gap between men and
women - child care assistance
- paid maternity leave
17Limitations to EEO
- It only applies to large organisations
effectively, the majority of female employees
(around 60) are not covered by the legislation. - It is a voluntarist regime that is not
enforceable - The reports are not audited there is no process
of independent verification. - It is a management-centred program, assuming
delivery through human resource programs - Many women employees, especially casuals and part
time workers, are usually excluded from training
and development programs, career progression and
leave arrangements.
18Work and Family Programs
- These terms cover arrangements that assist
workers combine work and domestic care activities
and other family responsibilities. The focus is
on organising employment arrangements and
conditions that support caring responsibilities
within the family. - This includes childcare, the care of elderly
relatives and other domestic duties including
shopping, sporting activities and home
maintenance. The responsibilities may be planned
and regular (for example, taking children to and
from school) through to the unexpected
(supporting an ill member of the family). - Family-friendly arrangements provide workers with
the opportunity to meet expected and unexpected
family duties. (Burgess and Strachan, 2005)
19Work and Family Policies
- Why have them?
- Examples - leave part-time work job share
maternity leave - explain - Access and take-up the position of casuals
- Limited inclusion in agreements
20Extent of Work and Family Programs in Australia
- Campbell and Charlesworth (2004) made a number of
conclusions - Family-friendly benefits are provided through a
framework of different methods. - Most family-friendly benefits provided at the
level of the organisation are available only to a
minority of employees. It is generally higher
paid and skilled employees who can access
conditions such as paid maternity leave and
flexi-time arrangements. - Casual employment represents a significant gap in
the eligibility of family-friendly benefits.
Casuals are excluded from most employment rights
and benefits, and as such have no access to paid
leave entitlements. - There are substantial difficulties in benefit
take-up. There may be problems with accessing
benefits due to ignorance about entitlement,
managerial opposition or pressure from managers
and co-workers to stay on the job.
21Work and Family Test Case 2005
- The right to request up to 24 months unpaid
parental leave after the birth of a child - The right of employees to request part-time work
on their return to work from parental leave and
before their children attend school - A personal leave entitlement of up to 10 days per
year for the purposes of caring - A right to take up to 2 days unpaid leave for
dealing with family emergencies
22Workplace Agreements and Family Friendly
Arrangements
- Limitations on individual agreement making
evidence from Australian Workplace Agreements - Legislated minimum conditions 2009
- maximum weekly hours at 38 hours per week
- employees have a right to request flexible
working arrangements if they have a child who is
below school age - up to 12 months unpaid parental leave
- four weeks paid annual leave
- 10 days of personal/carers leave
- a right of absence from work on declared public
holidays - prescribed community service leave
23Managing Diversity (MD) at the Workplace
- What is managing diversity?
- What is the relationship between MD, EEO and
affirmative action? - The business case for MD?
- MD in practice
- Limitations of a MD approach
24Industrial Relations, Anti Discrimination, EEO,
Family Friendly Arrangements MD
- Anti-discrimination legislation underpins awards
and agreements - EEO only applies to organisations with over 100
employees - MD is embodied in organisation HRM policies
- Work and family policies recognise diversity and
contribute to EEO objectives - Minimum conditions included in 2009 IR
legislation - Limited evidence that industrial agreements are
family friendly or codify EEO programs