Communication style defines difference between how men and women work

The commissioner for Public Appointments has highlighted the contrast in leadership and communication styles between men and women.

Speaking at the annual dinner of City Women’s Network Janet Gaymer said: “Men often prosper in hierarchical organisations, women in smaller groups.” Launched in 1978, City Women’s Network is a member group for senior business and professional women.

Gaymer called on women’s networks to put talent retention, the gender pay gap and a new contract at work at the top of their agendas. “Women have seen so many improvements. But there is plenty more to do. It is time to take networking to a new level,” she concluded.

Lesbian and gay trends in the City

On the day the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) regulations come into force new research indicates how far the City has moved to overcome its traditional image as an inhospitable environment for gay and lesbian employees.

London is the unrivalled gay and lesbian capital of Europe and also the continent’s leading financial centre. The government estimates that 6% of the UK population is lesbian or gay. London’s population is nearer 10%, thanks to thriving gay scene.

Research carried out by financial services recruiter Joslin Rowe, surveyed 3,676 candidates for City roles and collated information on sexuality for diversity monitoring purposes over the last two years.

Two years ago, 5.9% of respondents anonymously identified themselves as gay or lesbian, but this had risen to 8.2% in the last twelve months as legislative changes and a diversity drive in the financial services industry encouraged more applicants.

These figures indicate that out of the 900,000 people working in banking, finance, and insurance in London, 73,800 are gay or lesbian.

Tara Ricks, Managing Director of Joslin Rowe Associates said: ‘Traditionally the City was perceived as white, heterosexual and male – which put off many gay and lesbian applicants."

"As a result, the proportion of gay and lesbian workers was far below the national average ten years ago - but it was extremely rare for firms to monitor their own performance in this area so it is difficult to benchmark quite how bad the situation was. Times have changed and diversity is now at the centre of recruitment and human resources policy."

"The City knows it must attract the best talent from all walks of life. Many firms now actively target gay undergraduates, for example, something that was not the case five or ten years ago. The trend has now seen City firms grow the proportion of their staff who are gay – up to 8.2% of the workforce and overtaking the current national average of 5.9%."

‘All the major investment banks now have gay networking groups and large sponsorship deals at gay events across the City . Across the industry, organisations such as Out in the City, the Interbank Gay and Lesbian Network and City Pink (which targets women only) provide opportunities for gay and lesbian employees to meet and mix. None of this existed five years ago. What’s more, investment banks now come top of Stonewall’s Corporate Equality Index as the best place to work for homosexual employees. Indeed, nine of the Top 25 organisations in the country are City firms .’

Although the City has narrowed the gap in the last four years, it still has some way to go.

There are 16,000 fewer gay or lesbian employees in the industry compared to the mix in London’s general population.

Furthermore, the extent to which people are ‘out’ in their firms is far smaller than the number who privately acknowledge that they are homosexual.

Arguably, City workers are more likely to keep their own counsel than those in other industries like the media with a traditionally more open attitude. This is particularly so for women. In Joslin Rowe’s research, women in the City were far less likely to identify themselves (even anonymously) than men as homosexual.

Tara Ricks said: ‘The City has made huge strides in recent years, but is still a challenging and competitive place to work. The reluctance of women to come out as lesbians possibly reflects the fact that women already feel they have to fight hard to maintain equality with men.’

‘Of course there is no reason why people should disclose their sexuality at work - it is irrelevant to their ability to do the job. In an ideal world we wouldn’t be counting anyone. But these are not exercises designed to label people. They have been created as positive tools to measure and encourage progress - rather than relying on mere compliance to drive change.’

This story was first published by Gay.com

Police chiefs have to prove all-white is not all right for applicants

Police chiefs have admitted they face a massive task convincing officers of the merits of plans to push job applications from white males to the bottom of the pile.

The Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) has called for a change in the law so that "priority could be given to minority ethnic and female applicants".
Liz Owsley, national co-ordinator for the British Association for Woman in Policing, said she hoped the government would take steps as soon as the autumn.

She said the official response to the Trevor Phillips-chaired Equalities Review later this year should welcome 'affirmative action' - but conceded that many officers were against it.

"I hope the government is open to some sort of discussion along these lines," she told Personnel Today. "It would be a blow if it was not.

"Acpo is hoping to educate people within the force, because there is a defensiveness there which comes from not understanding what [affirmative action] is all about," she said.

The Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file officers, slammed the proposal, saying it went beyond positive action.

Chairwoman Jan Berry said: "These new proposals could be counter-productive. All officers, including black and female officers, want to be recognised for their skills and abilities rather than receiving preferential treatment."

The Police Service is under pressure to meet a Home Office target of 7% of officers coming from non-white backgrounds by 2009.

This story was first published in Personnel Today

Commission for Equality and Human Rights recruits key posts, including HR director

The Commission for Equality and Human Rights (CEHR) is ramping up its recruitment ahead of the body’s official start date in October this year.

The commission will enforce legislation on age, disability, gender, race, religion and sexual orientation, combining the current work of the commissions for racial equality commissions for racial equality, disability and equal opportunities.

The organisation is setting up a senior management team to work under new chief executive Nicola Brewer.

CEHR is advertising for an HR director and other senior positions, including directors of finance, communications, law and strategy.

According to the advert, the HR director’s initial focus will be more operational. But candidates will need to have the ability to take “a more strategic view” of HR issues and shift to a more strategic focus once line management responsibilities are established.

Chairman of the CEHR Trevor Phillips has repeatedly called for a change in the law to allow employers to take “special measures” in favouring ethnic minority job applicants.

In a speech last year he said: “We have to consider whether, when there is a clear public need, we must allow our institutions - even if temporarily - to take special measures with the aim of integrating their workforces faster than would otherwise be the case.”

This story was first published in Personnel Today

More work needed to deliver age diversity in workplace

Six months on from the introduction of age discrimination legislation, UK employers and workers must work harder to build a truly age diverse workplace and to combat age discrimination according to Manpower.

Manpower believes this is of increasing importance as an ageing workforce, a shrinking labour market and growing talent shortage impact the UK’s ability to compete.

The call for action comes as Manpower releases findings from research of over 1,800 employers that shows that despite being more aware of the need to develop an age diverse workforce, few employers are taking proactive steps to ensure they have the formal processes in place to deliver this: only 24% of employers have developed strategies to retain older workers and only 13% have a strategy to attract such workers.

The research reveals that larger employers are significantly more likely to have developed strategies than smaller organisations: 49% of large employers have developed a retention strategy compared to 19% of micro-sized firms and 29% of small companies.

Manpower research also reveals a disparity between the mindset of employers and workers: 52% of employers increasingly expect their workforce to work beyond the age of 65 whilst just 35% of workers believe they will need to supplement their pension.

Mark Cahill, managing director of Manpower UK, says: “The world of work is changing - increased competition, the need to adapt to new technology, a shortage of skills – and employers and workers must recognise these changes and adapt. Older workers provide a valuable skills resource and one which enlightened employers are embracing. To make the most of an age diverse workforce, employers must ensure they have the right processes in place to encourage and support workers at both ends of the age spectrum – providing specialised training and flexible working opportunities, for example.”

Manpower research conducted at the end of 2006 shows that the introduction of the Government’s Employment Equality (Age) Regulations has had a positive impact on employee awareness with 36% of employers believing this has helped raise awareness of age discrimination in their workplace. Large employers (68%) are the most likely to report an increase in awareness with Utilities companies (48%) demonstrating the most impact on their business. Employers in the South West (48%) noted the greatest change whilst those in the East Midlands the least (24%).

Some employers may not have a formal policy promoting age diversity because they do not yet recognise the extent of the need to make the changes needed to attract older workers and to encourage them to work for longer. Or it may be that they feel this balance will right itself without specific intervention.

Mark Cahill continues: “Some attitudes towards age and diversity have changed, but it is clear there still needs to be increased understanding and awareness of the issues around age diversity from employers and workers alike. These attitudes will not change overnight. But with communication, training and a commitment from all involved, we can effect a serious and lasting change.”

Today’s survey announcement coincides with the publication of a new Manpower White Paper, “The New Agenda for an Older Workforce”. The White Paper explores the increasing reality of the global ageing workforce, resulting gaps in workforce supply, and the demand that this is creating.

It proposes strategies that companies can adopt to circumvent these talent challenges; recommendations on how employers can help older workers extend their careers should they choose to do so; and suggestions for the role that governments can play to help solve the older workers conundrum.

Public bodies slammed over disability equality

The Disability Rights Commission (DRC) has hit out at over 60 public authorities in a new report that warns that many organisations are still failing to produce a disability equality scheme.

Despite a government deadline of December 2006 for public bodies to provide a disability equality scheme covering a range of issues, including employment, many are failing to meet their responsibilities.

The DRC is warning organisations across the public sector, including health trusts, universities, museums, Channel 4, fire departments and local councils, that they could face sanctions and even court action unless they address their disability equality procedures immediately.

A total of 65 organisations that have failed to meet the disability equality scheme deadline have been put on notice by the DRC after warning letters were sent out at the start of March and they failed to provide evidence of meeting the required standards.

Sir Bert Massie, DRC chairman, said: "The disability equality duty is a real opportunity to transform disabled people's experiences of the society we live in. I'm really pleased that the public sector as a whole has done a great job in responding to the requirements of the duty, with more than 96 per cent of organisations producing a scheme."

An Ipsos MORI study for the Office for Disability Issues (ODI) was carried out in December 2006 to ascertain how many disability equality schemes had been published. A total of 3.7 per cent of 1752 organisations have still failed to produce a scheme.

Free event for gays to find out their legal rights

A special free event designed to inform gay, lesbian and bisexual people of their rights has been organised by award-winning solicitors Russell Jones & Walker.

Pink Law - Know Your Rights At Home, At Work & At Play is sponsored by PinkNews.co.uk.

Members of the gay community will be able to get free access to information about the range of new laws affecting their lives.

An introduction from a leading member of the gay community will be followed by a short presentation by leading legal experts.

This free special event is designed to discuss the many questions that gay people have about their rights, such as:

• Are pre-nuptial agreements legally binding?
• Can I adopt my partner's kids?
• How will the goods and services laws work?
• How can I take action against homophobic businesses?
• What kind of discrimination at work will result in compensation?
• How do I complain about being victimised at work without being outed?

Solicitors and partners from Russell Jones & Walker will be on hand before and after the short seminar to discuss any questions you have over an informal drink.

Pink Law - Know Your Rights At Home, At Work & At Play is totally free, but registration is required.

It will be held in the Curzon Soho Cinema, Shaftesbury Avenue, London, on Thursday 31st May.

The presentation will take place at 7pm but Russell Jones & Walker solicitors will be on hand to discuss these issues and answer questions from 6.30pm to 10pm

For more information visit PinkNews.co.uk

Police chiefs deny discussing positive discrimination but admit to talking about talks

Police chiefs have denied discussing the prioritisation of black and female job applicants – insisting they had only met to discuss meeting to discuss the issue.

The Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) was reported to be talking today about plans to use affirmative action to create a more representative workforce.

Acpo is said to have been handed formal proposals to give preference to black, ethnic minority and female applications for police officer posts. It is understood that these plans come from work led by Suzette Davenport, vice-chairman of the British Association for Women in Policing.

But an Acpo spokeswoman told Personnel Today: “We have only been discussing whether to put this on the agenda for a future meeting.”

The Home Office has given the police force a target of ensuring 7% of officers come from ethnic minorities by 2009. The figure currently stands at 3.7%, and radical plans are being investigated to increase diversity.

This story first appeared in Personnel Today

isability Rights Commission names and shames 65 public authorities for failing to produce disability equality scheme

Channel Four Television is among 65 public bodies that have been threatened with legal action for continuing to drag their heels in producing a disability equality scheme.

The Disability Rights Commission (DRC) has named and shamed 65 public authorities that have failed to produce the document - required under the Disability Equality Duty - despite a deadline of December last year and subsequent warning letters.

Local councils, health trusts, colleges, universities, museums and fire services were among those warned by the DRC at the beginning of March. But at the end of last month, 65 bodies had still not provided any evidence that the required schemes were in place.

The duty is meant to ensure that all public bodies pay "due regard" to the promotion of equality for disabled people in every area of their work, including employment.

DRC chairman Bert Massie said: "I'm really pleased that the public sector as a whole has done a great job in responding to the requirements of the duty, with more than 96% of organisations producing a scheme. The question is why have a small minority failed to do so?

"[The DRC] will now be considering issuing compliance notices to offending organisations, which could lead to court action."

The naming and shaming exercise follows an audit carried out by the government's Office for Disability Issues to check whether disability equality schemes had been published. The DRC, which is responsible for enforcing the duty, is currently revising its list of those that do not comply.

This story first appeared in Personnel Today

Survey shows employers believe fat people are 'lazy'

Seven in 10 employers associate obesity with laziness and a lack of self-control, according to research.

Health consultancy Nuffield Proactive Health found that bosses admitted fat people were at a disadvantage in the workplace. It surveyed 497 line managers and directors on obesity at work.

Scientists from Oxford University and the Peninsular Medical School in Exeter last week uncovered evidence of a genetic element contributing to obesity. But the Nuffield research suggests UK employers believe obesity is instead linked to character traits.

Nine in 10 HR professionals told a Personnel Today survey earlier this year that there was a social stigma about obesity.

Pressure has since grown on the government to make "fattism" unlawful.

This story first appeared in Personnel Today

Publishing industry lags behind in recruiting black and ethnic minority staff

UK publishers are failing to recruit enough black or minority ethnic (BME) workers to fully reflect the areas they operate in, a report has found.

The Diversity in Publishing Report reveals that a lack of cultural diversity still exists within the publishing industry.

While the majority of UK publishing houses are based in London, the ethnic origin of workers in publishing does not reflect the cultural balance of the capital's population.

The survey, commissioned by the Diversity in Publishing Network, found that while 28.8% of Londoners are BME, only 7.7% of those working in publishing have a BME background.

Crucially, only 4% of editorial staff are from a BME background and without a culturally diverse set of staff sourcing and mentoring new writers, non-white voices will struggle to be heard, the report concludes.

A spokesman for the network said: "While the moral and commercial reasons for greater ethnic diversity in publishing have never been so evident, this research proves that there is still a long way to go before the industry is truly representative of the culture it serves."

While recent initiatives to improve the diversity of the UK publishing industry are having a positive impact on recruitment, the report found the largest proportion of BME staff surveyed had been in the industry for less than two years.

This story first appeared in Personnel Today

Homophobic attacks can appear in many guises

Allegations of bullying, physical assault and name-calling dominate tribunal claims for discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, research has found.

Complaints of less favourable treatment by managers were also present, including withholding informal benefits or giving menial work, the study by conciliation service Acas revealed.

Between January 2004 and September 2006, 470 individuals brought tribunal claims where the main allegation concerned discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation. Two-thirds of these were from men.
Where bullying or harassment in relation to sexual orientation was alleged, claimants usually said managers had been complicit in the bullying or had failed to act to prevent it.

The private sector was the worst offender in these types of cases, with 70% of claims made against private firms. "Managers may not deal effectively with problems when they occur. This may be due to a lack of training or support from HR departments," the report said.

The application of internal grievance procedures may make problems worse where claimants feel the procedures are used to cover up what has happened, the study found.

n Acas is looking for a successor to its chair Rita Donaghy, who steps down in October. The post has a salary of £63,470 for a three-day week, and will be for an initial term of three years.

This story first appeared in Personnel Today

Read the full ACAS report

Disability Discrimination Act does not make it easier for disabled people to find work

Disabled people do not feel getting a job has become any easier since the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) gave extra responsibilities to employers, a leading MEP has warned.

Part III of the DDA came into force in October 2004, requiring all businesses and service providers to make reasonable changes to ensure they were accessible to the 10 million people in the UK with some form of disability.

But Richard Howitt, Labour MEP for the East of England, and president of the All-Party Disability Rights Group, told Personnel Today that physical changes to the workplace had not led to greater opportunities.

"Many disabled people think life hasn't changed for them since the DDA," he said. "It is easier for laws to be changed than to be implemented fully in spirit. Many companies have put braille in the lifts and installed a disabled toilet, but much of the prejudice is still there."

Howitt said many disabled people were victims of 'second-place syndrome' - being told they did everything right at interview, but an 'outstanding candidate' just beat them to the post.

The Disability Rights Commission said there had been slight improvements in employers' attitudes to disabled people, but there was "no room for complacency".

The commission said only half of disabled people were in work, compared to 86% of able-bodied people.

This story first appeared in Personnel Today

Gender Equality Duty could trigger equal pay claims in outsourced services

The Gender Equality Duty could push up the cost to the public sector of outsourcing services, and could lead to more equal pay claims, experts have warned.

The legislation, which came into force on 6 April, requires contractors to reveal details about internal pay inequalities, and public bodies to actively promote gender equality, including equal pay.

It could mean an increase in wage bills for firms providing services to the public sector, as well as public authorities, said Emma Burrows, partner at law firm Trowers & Hamlins.

"The duty will push up the cost to public sector authorities of outsourcing services to the private sector, thereby undermining any cost savings outsourcing provides," she said.

The requirement for private sector suppliers to publish details of staff pay will increase the risk of exposing inequalities that were previously hidden, Burrows said. "The door would then be open to equal pay claims on a massive scale."

Tony Virdi, board member at trade body the National Outsourcing Association, said the duty might have far-reaching implications for the public and private sectors.

"The new legislation means that suppliers could now be forced to standardise salaries across the board," he said. "It could even potentially drive organisations in both the public and private sectors to use offshoring more widely."

But Norman Rose, director-general of the Business Services Association, which also represents companies providing outsourcing services, insisted that private sector suppliers already followed the public sector's lead.
"The public authority sets the rules and we follow," he said. "We seek indemnity from clients and do not practise discrimination."

Stephen Moir, director of people and policy at Cambridgeshire County Council, and lead on pay and workforce strategy for the Public Sector People Managers' Association, said outsourcing agreements should be about delivering more efficient services.
"If private sector providers are unable to offer this and give due regard to equality considerations, is that really how taxpayers want to see the public purse spent?" Moir asked.

This story first appeared in Personnel Today

Bullying is bad for business performance

April 2007 special viewpoint from Ian Dodds Consulting, the D&I strategy consultants.

IDC’s monthly viewpoints have consistently highlighted situations which result in people feeling excluded by organisations. Bullying is one of these, and it is this month’s subject because to my great dismay IDC’s consultants have experienced this from a member of a diversity team in a public sector client organisation.

Persistent criticism, ignoring or deliberately excluding people, undervaluing effort, changing targets without discussion or notice and setting impossible deadlines are all examples of bullying cited by the HSE and the Andrea Adams Trust.

IDC’s consultants experienced all of these behaviours from one particular individual. Had it not been from a member of a diversity team I might have considered it just part of the range of good and bad experiences that come with providing services to clients. But surely members of a diversity team have a duty to behave inclusively in an exemplary way with all the people they interact with.

This is because bullying leads those on the receiving end to lose self-esteem and ultimately question their own self-worth. Clearly, this is likely to have a negative impact on their performance. They are likely to withdraw and disengage and, in extreme cases, leave their jobs.

It does not matter that the behaviour experienced by IDC’s consultants was probably unintentional. It is ethically and morally wrong for one person to behave in such a way towards another, and even more so if that person works in the field of diversity and should be most aware that diversity is founded upon the concept of respecting and valuing others.

In our work, bullying and harassment are sometimes not considered by clients to be important aspects of the diversity and inclusion agenda. However, they are and should be; because they cause exclusion and distress to those who experience them. Last month we considered micro-inequities, which have a similar impact. Both these and bullying should be mainstream considerations for diversity practitioners, because of the negative impact they have, both on individuals and on business performance.

IDC’s consultants have considerable experience of enabling clients to create a working environment where bullying and harassment are minimised.

Incidentally, in this instance IDC withdrew its consultants from the project and formally raised the issue with the client. I believed it was important for IDC as a diversity consultancy to take a stand on inappropriate behaviour by someone employed by a client in a diversity role.

Read more viewpoints from Ian Dodds Consulting

Ann Summers CEO Jacqueline Gold claims ban on men in work is only way for women to succeed

The chief executive of adult retailer Ann Summers told delegates at the Brighton conference that the only way for women to succeed in business was to do away with men in the workplace.

And that is virtually what Jacqueline Gold has done in transforming the retailer from a turnover of £87,000 in 1987 to £155m this year, with 7,500 (all women) party planners and 141 retail outlets (mostly staffed by women).

Apart from a couple of exceptions, men are only employed at the company's head office. And even there the ratio is 60:40 women to men. But Gold justified this tactic by explaining that banishing men from most aspects of the organisation had created an environment in which women could thrive.

"Women [at other companies] will often say that they've had a fantastic idea, but they feel intimidated," she said. "The fact that we've got a female chief executive and a female managing director means we don't have that problem."

When asked from the floor how the public sector could be made to be more sexy, Gold replied that the way to create a dynamic workplace was to make it fun.

"But that has to come from the top. People at the top need to buy into it. [Your organisation] has got to be a fun place to work," she said.

This story was first created and published by Personnel Today

Public bodies head for sanctions as DRC pursues disability equality duty shirkers

The Disability Rights Commission (DRC) is putting organisations from across the public sector on notice after publishing the names of more than 60 public authorities which have failed to produce a disability equality scheme, despite a deadline of December last year and subsequent warning letters from the Commission.

Local councils, health trusts, colleges, universities, museums, fire departments and Channel 4 Television are among those to whom the Commission wrote to at the beginning of March, but 65 (as of 27 March 2007) still have not provided any evidence that the required scheme is in place.

Sir Bert Massie, chairman of the DRC, said:

“The disability equality duty is a real opportunity to transform disabled people’s experiences of the society we live in. I’m really pleased that the public sector as a whole has done a great job in responding to the requirements of the duty, with more than 96% of organisations producing a scheme. The question is: Why have a small minority failed to do so?”

The naming and shaming exercise follows an audit carried out by Ipsos MORI for the Government’s Office for Disability Issues (ODI) of 1752 organisations in December 2006 to check whether disability equality schemes had been published. The ODI passed on the audit findings to the DRC, which has the responsibility for enforcing the duty. A follow up check by the DRC revealed 66, or 3.7%, still do not have a scheme.

Sir Bert added: “We’ll now be considering issuing compliance notices to offending authorities, which could lead to court action.”

Women’s minister Ruth Kelly spends £500,000 from Quality Part Time Work Fund in bid to reduce gender pay gap

Minister for women, Ruth Kelly, will grant nearly £500,000 to a number of organisations to create more quality part-time jobs at senior level, in an effort to reduce the gender pay gap.

The scheme comes a year after the Women and Work Commission report, which was commissioned by the prime minister to help women reach their full potential.

Royal Mail is one of the first beneficiaries - it was awarded £25,000 in funding from the Quality Part Time Work Fund. The company will need to match the grant to develop job-share and part-time managerial posts in two sorting office sites in London.

It aims to make 10% of management jobs on these sites part-time within 18 months.

Other successful bidders for the fund include Kelloggs, Tesco, three local authorities, Durham constabulary, and four voluntary sector organisations.

Kelly said: “The part-time pay gap is still too wide with women working part-time earning 40% less than men working full-time. Working with a range of employers across business, local government and the voluntary sector, we can kickstart the process of enabling more women to work part-time in senior posts.”

Small businesses under misconception of being fully compliant with age discrimination legislation could face tribunal claim02 April 2007 Small businesses are risking tribunals as they fail to make changes to employment policies following age discrimination laws, research has suggested.

A survey of 750 small businesses by conciliation service Acas revealed that only 17% have introduced changes to their employment and recruitment practices. Respondents said they had not made changes because they believed their organisations already complied, or that the regulations did not apply to their business.

Two-thirds of employers in the survey thought they were fairly or very well informed about the age discrimination regulations. However, fewer than 30% gave a correct response to a question about whether it is still lawful to have a retirement age.

Acas chair Rita Donaghy said: “These results are worrying as they highlight a potential timebomb in smaller companies in terms of tribunal cases. Age discrimination can affect all employees, young and old and to comply can be very simple and quick.”

This story was first created and published by Personnel Today