Transgender workplace diversity

A new blog has launched for anyone interested in transgender workplace diversity. The blog is for HR and Diversity professionals who are faced with employees transitioning from one gender to another in the workplace.

Although it is new, I’m sure it will grow into a useful resource for news, information and links. Regards, IDC

Diversity the key to unlocking 300m procurement bonanza

Companies looking to tender for contracts when the government's New Deal programme comes up for renewal in July will have to prove their commitment to workplace diversity.

The contracts, worth £300m, are to deliver training schemes and advice to the unemployed and the service is offered through Jobcentre Plus. Companies can offer training in language and basic skills as well as work placement schemes.

Employment minister, Margaret Hodge, warned all companies would have to prove that they take diversity practices seriously.

"Contracts will be awarded to those [companies] that monitor who they employ and offer appropriate opportunities to people from black and minority ethnic communities," she said.

More information

U.S police accused of homophobic abuse by Amnesty International

Amnesty International today launched a campaign to end the ill-treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people across the U.S against U.S police forces.

Research from the human rights organisation found that LGBT people are frequently subject to police abuse which goes largely unchecked and unpunished. The research also found that transgender people, members of ethnic or racial minorities, young people and immigrants are particular targets of police abuse.

The new campaign is accompanied by an updated version of a report Amnesty published in 2005 based on interviews with victims of police abuse, activists, lawyers and law enforcement officials across the US.

Amnesty has sent the report to the US ambassador in the UK and requested a meeting with him, and will be highlighting individuals’ cases at the UK Pride festival this Summer and at the London lesbian and gay film festival later this month.

More information from Amnesty International

Rise in women in work

Women's employment has increased from a rate of 56 percent in 1971 to 70 percent in 2005. This equates to 4 million more women in work over the last 35 or so years. Some of this increase has been driven by the rise in working mothers. These are among the figures highlighted in Labour Market Review 2006, a new report from the Office for National Statistics.

Over the ten years to spring 2005, the employment rate for married or cohabiting mothers increased by 6 percentage points and the employment rate for lone mothers by 14 percentage points, reflecting increases in both full-time and part-time employment.

The pay gap has narrowed. Women's hourly pay is now 87 per cent of men's, compared with 80 per cent in 1998. There are differences in the types of job held by men and women. Women are four times more likely than men to work in personal service occupations, such as hairdressing and childminding, and over twice as likely to work in sales and customer service.

Among the other facts highlighted by the report are:

UK employment levels have been rising generally over the last three decades, increasing from 24.6 million in 1971 to 28.8 million in 2005.

In the 12 months to November 2005, the lowest unemployment rates were for people of White or Indian ethnic origin (4.4 per cent and 6.8 per cent respectively). Unemployment rates were highest for those of Pakistani or Bangladeshi origin (15.0 per cent).

More information: Labour Market Review 2006

Huge support for increasing diversity amongst police and teachers, new survey finds

An ICM survey of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Londoners has revealed strong support for policies to tackle race inequality in the capital and increase diversity within the public services, including the police and teaching professions.

London Mayor Ken Livingstone, said: '40 percent of London's total population is from a minority ethnic group, with 29 per cent from Black or Asian communities. London has always been a city that welcomes people from different cultures encouraging them to live and prosper in the city. But only 18 per cent of public sector managers and senior officials are from Black, Asian and minority ethnic Londoners, who are still concentrated in low-grade jobs and menial roles. This is unacceptable. Combating racism and racial inequalities is an issue for all sections of society.'

Eight out of ten people said they agree that London's police force should reflect the communities that it serves, according to the new research, which was undertaken on behalf the Greater London Authority to coincide with this weekend's State of Race Equality in London conference.

Even though 58 per cent think that London primary schools are doing a good job at educating minority ethnic children – falling to 48 per cent in agreement for secondary schools – 68 per cent think school staff should reflect the diversity of the pupils they teach.

Of those who have experienced discrimination in the workplace, 83 per cent think that discrimination is far more likely to be linked to skin colour than as a result of gender, name or accent.
In spite of this, three quarters of people say that there are good relations between different racial and religious groups, whilst nine out of ten say they like London's cultural diversity, reinforcing previous studies. Three quarters of respondents also believe that equal rights and opportunities for ethnic minorities are better than they were 10 years ago.

However, the findings also show clear support for a specific national organisation promoting equal rights for ethnic minorities. 89 per cent think that it is important there is a specific national organisation promoting equal rights for ethnic minorities.

The ICM Research survey is due to be published on Saturday, to coincide with the State of Race Equality in London conference, which is being hosted by the Mayor, in partnership with London Development Agency, Transport for London, Metropolitan Police Authority and the Home Office.

Speakers include: Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London; Margaret Hodge MP, Minister of State for Employment and Welfare Reform; Warqar Azmi, Chief Diversity Adviser, Civil Service; Rose Fitzpatrick, Deputy Assistant Police Commissioner; Lee Jasper, Director of Equalities and Policing for Mayor of London; Ken Knight, Commissioner, London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority; Dru Sharpling, Chief Crown Prosecutor London; Peter Hendy, Commissioner, Transport for London

Remploy services to be reviewed

A review of Remploy Ltd will look at how to open up more employment opportunities for disabled people, announced Minister for Disabled People Anne McGuire.

The review will look at how Remploy operates and suggest ways to both improve the opportunities for the 9,000 disabled people it presently supports and provide better value for money. It follows the publication of a report by the National Audit Office (NAO) last autumn which recognised that some of Remploy’s factory businesses were not financially sustainable.

Launching the review Anne McGuire said: “Since its creation in 1945 Remploy has made a major contribution to improving employment opportunities for disabled people – but 60 years on it needs to change. As we break down the barriers to equal employment opportunities for disabled people, we need to give people the chance to be integrated into mainstream workplaces wherever possible.

“Last autumn the National Audit Office spelt this out very clearly – pointing out that the Remploy factory business cost £18,000 per person where as other areas such as the Interwork programme cost just £3,400. Progressions to unsupported employment from Remploy factories in 2004/5 were 10. Progressions to unsupported employment from Remploy Interwork in 2004/5 were 1,673.

“The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has continued to increase funding for Remploy year on year but, as the NAO point out, this is just not sustainable. It makes no sense for costs to go on spiralling without producing the best results for disabled people.

“We are looking for independent expert advice on the options to enable Remploy to help more disabled people get into work. To ensure that proposals meet the employment needs of disabled people I am pleased to announce that Stephen Duckworth of 'Disability Matters' is to be part of the review team.”

The review will be put out to tender to independent expert advice and will be seeking the views of key stakeholders.
Visit the Remploy website

Workplace diversity a glorified PR stunt

Despite the proliferation of formal initiatives and policies to promote diversity in the workplace, only a minority of Britain’s accountants are convinced that they are anything more than what one described as a “glorified PR stunt.”

According to a survey carried out for the financial recruitment specialist, Hewitson Walker, only 35% of those questioned thought that formal diversity programmes were having a real effect on the companies they worked for.

“We’ve got a programme, which is supposed to ensure that we’re recruiting people from all different types of backgrounds and ethnic groups,” says one chartered accountant, working for a major investment bank, “yet practically everyone at senior level is still white, middle class and male. Where’s the diversity in that?”

A female part-qualified management accountant in another bank had a similar jaundiced view.

“There’s supposed to be a level playing field here, but the only women who really get on are those who are willing to forego a family and commit completely to the bank,” she says. “There are a few at senior level with children but if they ever get to see them it must be a minor miracle.”

When asked why employers set up diversity programmes, 54% believed that it was to generate good PR and 73% thought that it was because they feared prosecution under discrimination laws. Only 29% believed that companies had a genuine commitment to creating a diverse workforce at all levels.

However, despite their apparent cynicism about progress towards it, the majority (85%) of the 170 accountants questioned thought it was a highly desirable aim.

“There’s obviously a degree of cynicism about how committed large companies are to diversity because power in these institutions often still resides in the hands of a markedly un-diverse group,” says Hewitson Walker’s Phillip Attenborough.

“However anyone who thinks that they are not committed to changing this in the medium to long-term is kidding themselves. Organisations of this size and scope aren’t doing this for any fluffy, altruistic reasons. They know that there is a compelling business case for mirroring an increasingly varied customer-base. And they also know that if they want to recruit and retain the best people in the market they need to be fishing from the widest possible pool of talent.”

More information about Hewitson Walker

Age laws prompt fear of tribunals 'oldrush'

UK employers fear that new age discrimination laws will have a greater impact on their business than any other form of anti-discrimination legislation.

With less than seven months to go until the new laws come into force, an Employers Forum on Age (EFA) poll of 100 major UK employers found that the majority think age legislation will have a bigger impact than gender, race, disability, sexual orientation and religious discrimination laws.

The poll was conducted to coincide with last week's long-awaited publication of the final age regulations, which have been heralded as the biggest development in UK employment law in a generation.

Sam Mercer, EFA director, said the regulations contained "no surprises" for employers. "Overall, the regulations are what we expected and pretty sensible," she said. "But the devil is in the detail. There is no excuse now for employers not to start planning for October."

The poll also revealed that 40% of employers believe the majority of tribunal cases will contain some element of age discrimination after 1 October. The experience of other countries shows that this is fertile ground for litigation, according to James Davies, partner at City law firm Lewis Silkin.

The introduction of age discrimination legislation in the US resulted in a 40% increase in tribunal claims. In Ireland, age is now the basis of 19% of tribunals.

"HR professionals need to think logically about what their organisation does," said Davies. "Clear, consistent and well-documented employment practices are vital to avoiding claims."

In a glimpse of things to come, 44% of businesses polled by the EFA think employment lawyers, rather than older or younger workers, will be the big winners after the introduction of the new age laws.

The CBI said the government must recognise that the new law will take time to bed down as employers get used to the new requirements.

What to watch out for

• Failure to follow specific retirement procedures will mean an unfair dismissal.
• Compensation will be uncapped.
• Though law will not be retrospective, existing arrangements will be allowed as evidence of ageist practices.
• Performance management practices must be watertight to prevent claims.
  Words and images must be appropriate in recruitment campaigns.
  

Taken from Personnel Today

Anti gay groups urge Ford boycott

US conservatives groups are enforcing a boycott of car manufacturer Ford because of the company’s support for gays and lesbians.

The American Family Association, is encouraging car buyers to avoid buying Ford vehicles for a year because they believe the carmakers have not "remained neutral in the cultural battles."

Protesters are voicing disapproval at Ford advertisements in gay publications of their Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles as well as other designs. A spokeswoman for Ford said: "Ford is proud of its tradition of treating all with respect and we remain focused on what we do best, building and selling the most innovative cars and trucks worldwide."

However, the AFA claim the company backtracked on an agreement that it would not advertise in alternative publications. In a statement on their website, chairman Donald Wildmon said: “Ford has the right to financially support homosexual groups promoting homosexual marriage, but at the same time consumers have a right not to purchase automobiles made by Ford."

Gay groups reacted angrily to the plans, Sean Kofosky, director of policy at the Triangle Foundation, told the Associated Press, “There's a risk anytime a mainstream company strays too far left or right."
He labelled the AFA as "an extremist hate group that does nothing that promotes families. All they do is bully people into supporting discrimination. They want to attack American automakers who market to every niche and support free enterprise."

Ford has previously faced protest from the AFA but avoided a boycott after removing the adverts in question, although the company insisted the move was not due to the AFA threats. Last year Joe Laymon, Ford's head of human resources, told gay and lesbian groups that the decision to drop adverts in gay and lesbian publications had been misinterpreted.

He added, "As a result, we have decided to run corporate ads in these targeted publications that will include not only Jaguar/Land Rover but all eight of Ford's vehicle brands."

"It is my hope that this will remove any ambiguity about Ford's desire to advertise to all important audiences and put this particular issue behind us."
Taken from Pink News

Glass ceiling still prevents women reaching top jobs

Despite significant gains in the past 10 years, women executives around the world still face an uphill battle to achieve workplace equality, a study by consultancy Accenture shows.

The Anatomy of the Glass Ceiling: Barriers to Women’s Professional Advancement, is based on a survey of 1,200 male and female executives in eight countries in North America, Europe and Asia.

The results show that only 30% of female executives and 43% of male executives believe that women have the same opportunities as men in the workplace today. Respondents were asked to score factors they felt influenced their career success across three “dimensions”: individual, company and society.

The differences between male and female respondents’ answers were used to calculate the “thickness” of the glass ceiling.

However, the study found that overall the women executives were about as personally satisfied with their own career opportunities and positions as men were with theirs.

The same percentage of men and women respondents (58%) said they are fairly compensated or that their salary reflects their personal achievements. In addition, about the same number of women as men said they feel secure in their jobs.

Kedrick Adkins, Accenture’s chief diversity officer, said: “The study reminds us that while there has been progress in shattering the glass ceiling over the past 20 years, organisations – and societies – need to realise how important it is to capitalise and build upon the skills of women.

“Creating a business culture that supports innovation, growth and prosperity requires people with diverse talents, and organisations need to ensure that they value all styles of leadership and work.”

Taken from Personnel Today

Prison service looking for gay recruits

The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) is looking to shed its “straight man” image by appealing to more gays and lesbians. The service wants to increase its share of homosexual staff to at least six out of every 100 prison officers.

They have launched an advertising blitz in gay publications to recruit the gay community in Glasgow, Barlinnie and Edinburgh jails.

Officials are consulting with gay groups to attract workers whose sexuality makes them wary of the image prisons portray. A partnership has been set up with Diversity Champions, a campaign for greater opportunity for homosexuals, and there are plans for a help line for any wardens who want to come out.

The SPS will be the first uniformed service to commit to a campaign to create workplace equality for gay people.

Calum Irving, of gay rights organisation Stonewall Scotland, told the Mirror, "Six per cent of the population is gay, lesbian or bisexual and the ratio should be the same for prison officers. Many inmates can only benefit.”

"The SPS is setting an example to employers that sexuality must not be an issue at work. The stereotype of uniformed services is straight, institutional, tough, white and masculine, but the SPS involvement will go a long way towards giving other organisations the impetus to commit."

SPS spokesman Jim Dawson said: "We are seen as a macho service ... and one difficulty in shedding that image is that people may be frightened to come forward in case they are perceived as weak. The more we break down barriers the better.”

"We live in a diverse society. It is only right that we recruit without discrimination."

Taken from Pink News

Elderly Londoners have the worst prospects as capital shuns oldies

Employers in London have been urged to address age diversity after a survey revealed that the capital is the worst place in England for jobseekers over 50 years of age.

The report by the London Assembly's Economic Development, Culture, Sport and Tourism Committee said inner London had the highest rate of unemployment among people over 50 in the whole of the country - twice the national average.

While employment levels among the over-50s have increased over the last decade, real concerns remain about access to the labour market for this age group, the report said.

The London Development Agency (LDA) - the capital's agency for business and jobs - estimates that there are about 107,000 over-50s not in employment but wanting work. But the charity Age Concern said the figure was probably nearer 250,000.

The committee said that while it welcomed government plans to outlaw age discrimination later this year, more must be done to support older Londoners. It expressed concern that adult education policies were overly focused on young people.

The report called on public sector bodies in London to lead the way in promoting access to the labour market for older workers. But it was critical of the performance of the LDA. Official figures for 2005 show that only 8% of the 350 staff employed by the LDA were in the 50-59 age range. The committee called on the Greater London Authority (GLA) to review the LDA's recruitment and retention practices to ensure it complies with its policy on age discrimination.

An LDA spokesman said: "We are working closely with the GLA in support of the mayor's draft older people's strategy. We are also continuing to invest in projects to overcome barriers to employment for minority groups, including older people."

Static redundancy pay
The Employers Forum on Age (EFA) has criticised the government for failing to change the statutory redundancy pay scheme, which gives people over the age of 40 higher rates of compensation.
After last week's DTI announcement that the age banding would remain, Sam Mercer, director of the EFA, said: "Is it right that two people, with 15 years' service each, should get different rates because one is 39 and the other 42?

"When the government first signalled its intention to remove age-based compensation in 2002, employers were ready to redesign their redundancy schemes to remove the built-in age bias. An opportunity has been missed. Schemes will now be challenged as 'ageist'."

The age regulations are due to be laid before Parliament this week.

Taken from Personnel Today

Advisory group set up to give disabled people a voice in government

The government has set up a disability advisory group to represent the rights of disabled people in discussions about policies and public services.

A group of 12 will advise on the issues facing disabled people and help to establish a national forum for disability over the next six months.

The group will be chaired by Bruce Calderwood, director of the office for disability issues and Alun Davies, adult care planning manager at North Somerset District Council. Calderwood said the priority was to ensure the panel gave a voice to disabled people, who may not otherwise be heard.

"The government is committed to ensuring real equality for disabled people. This can only happen if there's genuine engagement and dialogue with disabled people," he said.

The forum was recommended by the prime minister's strategy unit report, Improving the Life Chances of Disabled People, in January 2005. The report set out the government's vision for disabled people.
“By 2020, disabled people in Britain should have full opportunities and choices to improve their quality of life and will be respected and included as equal member of society”, it said.

Law chiefs press for diversity policies but stop short of demanding hard facts

Law firms pitching to Britain’s top companies will increasingly be asked to disclose policies on equal opportunities, but research by Legal Week indicates that top general counsel are still rarely asking for hard data from advisers.

A group of bluechip general counsel contacted by Legal Week found that many are ready to ask law firms to disclose non-legal information such as diversity policies when putting together panels.
However, few in-house teams are ready to follow in the footsteps of Barclays, which last year asked its advisers to provide statistics on the ethnic and gender make-up of their staff during its panel review.

Barclays general counsel Mark Harding commented: "We wanted to make sure that [our advisers] had thought about the issue, had procedures in place and were doing something to track the progress."
Reuters also last year asked its advisers for information on diversity during its panel review but stopped short of requesting hard data on firms’ staff make-up.

However, some UK corporate counsel contacted by Legal Week argued that bolstering diversity in their own teams needed to be addressed before pressing the matter with outside counsel.
"Clients’ expectations are becoming stronger but both sides find it difficult to meet their [diversity] targets," commented one senior in-house lawyer at a FTSE 100 company.

However, Harding said that one reason he decided to take a stronger line with his panel firms was out of a need to improve his own depart-ment’s showing on diversity.

"As we are looking to try to broaden our representation of some minority groups, we realised that unless the law firms are doing their stuff, the pool from which we fish is going to be restricted," he said.

Link to original story

What do you do when the answer is always no?

A large number of talented graduates from ethnic minorities are struggling to find jobs, finds Richard Brass.

When Conrad Anozia finished his IT studies at Richmond College, with another IT qualification from the Open University in his pocket, plus a degree in mechanical engineering from Westminster University, he thought he was well equipped to find a good job.

Two years later, despite sending up to 30 applications a day for IT jobs, he has had only a handful of interviews and no job offers. Even his attempts to do voluntary work to gain experience have been turned down. The only work he has been able to find has been in security.

Among people from ethnic minorities his experience is a common one. Figures from the Ethnic Minority Employment Task Force show that, while the overall employment rate is 74.5 per cent, for ethnic minorities it is only 59 per cent.

Collecting qualifications fails to close the gap. Although members of ethnic minorities are two per cent more likely than the population as a whole to have a degree, for those with qualifications the employment rate is still five per cent below the equivalent overall figure.

The figures underline how far the Government has to go in its efforts to combat social inequality, an area the Prime Minister highlighted last month by creating a new Cabinet post for social exclusion.
Anozia was one of a group of job-seekers brought together last month to illustrate this gap, as part of the promotion for a conference in London next week on the business case for diversity in recruitment organised by the Centre for Economic and Social Inclusion. All the job-seekers described fruitless attempts to get past even the initial stage of the recruitment process despite good qualifications and persistence.

Ikechukwu Onyemaobi, 23, from Nottingham, has been looking for work since earning a degree in mechanical engineering three years ago, but despite making well over 100 applications and applying for more than 20 graduate trainee schemes, he has so far not had a single interview.

"I always get knocked out at the beginning," he said. "I've never had a chance to show them what I have. I'd also like to get some kind of feedback, but I've never had any.

"I'm looking forward to meeting someone who will tell me 'Ike, this is the problem. It's because of this or that'." He is currently finishing an occupational health and safety qualification, which he hopes will boost his chances of getting an interview. "I'm optimistic about having that plus my degree, and I'm just going to be pushing harder."

Nina Provencal, 27, has been looking for work in the property industry for six months. However, she said, the recruitment agencies with which she is registered have only been putting her up for jobs in other industries. "I feel like I'm not really being taken seriously," she said.

"I realise organisations want you to have an understanding of their work ethic and the company and so forth, and I'm prepared to build up to a position that I'd like to be in, but the agencies are not giving me the opportunity to do that.

"I have skills in that area and I have a degree, so I've tried to think of reasons why they're not looking in the right area, but I get no feedback so I'm just not sure."

The fruitlessness of the employment chase has driven some of the job-seekers into developing other enterprises as a way of avoiding the barriers of the labour market.

After 18 months of looking unsuccessfully for work in the housing industry, Jainabu Bah has succeeded in interesting the Prince's Trust in sponsoring an idea connected to the problem she's facing. She's aiming to set up a careers event at which people from ethnic minorities who have succeeded in areas other than music and sport can share their experiences with young people.

"Rather than look on this experience as a downer, I've decided to try to turn it into an opportunity for myself," she said. "I want to give people positive role models to look at."

One such role model is Chuka Umunna, a City employment lawyer, who said encountering another member of an ethnic minority in his work was very rare. "I've been in the City for coming up to four years, and I'll go to a meeting with directors or clients, other law firms, management consultants or corporate finance institutions, and I'm generally the only face of colour in the room," he said.

"The argument from employers is 'We're looking for people who can do the job, regardless of the colour of their skin.' Fair enough, but are they saying that in 2006 they haven't come across sufficient numbers of ethnic minority candidates for various positions who have the requisite skills set and can do a good job? I just don't accept that."

Figures from Cranfield School of Management show that, while ethnic minorities make up eight per cent of the population, they provide only 2.5 per cent of the total membership of boards of FTSE 100 companies.

Afsana Shukur, the former head of the Ethnic Minority Employment Task Force, said research showed that racial stereotyping and prejudice were widespread enough to have an impact on recruitment practices.

She pointed to data from the British Social Attitudes survey showing that 30 per cent of white employers and managers described themselves as either prejudiced or very prejudiced.

"If people have those ingrained prejudices, that translates into why they are not recruiting people who don't have the right face," she said. "There's an economic imperative to do something about that. By 2010, half the growth in the working-age population will be from ethnic minorities. So the business case for recruiting those people is very strong."

Having an explicit policy on equality and diversity is a first step employers can take to ensure that they don't accentuate the disparity in the employment figures - and miss out on getting hold of skilled, committed employees, according to Janet Lakhani, chief executive of Committed 2Equality, a not-for-profit organisation offering businesses advice on how to adapt to questions of equality.
She said that less than a quarter of large employers and just one in 40 small and medium-sized enterprises have equality and diversity policies. She argues that, until more companies address this issue, the employment gap is likely to remain.

Meanwhile, Anozia keeps at it, making his way every day to a recruitment agency in Manor House, north London, where he settles at a computer screen and starts sending off the next round of CVs.
"They must be tired of seeing my face in there, because I'm there all the time," he said. "I don't know what else to do. Now I'm just waiting for God to answer my prayers."

Taken from The Daily Telegraph