Jobs for disabled workers up 70%

There has been a 70 per cent increase in the number of disabled workers recruited into mainstream jobs during the first three months of the year, representing a record high and indicative of changing attitudes towards disabled works in the UK.

The increase shows that more disabled workers are finding work alongside able-bodied colleagues, suggesting that employers may be doing more to accommodate disabled workers and exploit the talent that is available.

Bob Warner of Remploy, the company that published the statistics, asserted that positive change is being put into effect in the area of disability in the workplace."

These new figures show that investing in preparing and training disabled people for mainstream employment works," he said.

Mr Warner continued to state that on the whole, disabled workers prefer to work in a mainstream environment where they can make the most of their skills and assets."

Disabled people tell us that they would prefer to work in open employment with non-disabled colleagues and employers are now more aware of the skills and abilities disabled people bring to their business," he explained.

Visit the Remploy website

CRE launches 'Mixedness and Mixing: New Perspectives on Mixed-Race Britons'

The CRE has today launched a website, 'Mixedness and Mixing: New Perspectives on Mixed-Race Britons'.

On the site, the CRE will be running an eConference from 4-6 September 2007 and is calling for written submissions from the public, academics and third sector organisations.

The website will mark the first in a series of events aimed at taking a closer look at issues relating to mixed-race and mixed families. Over half of mixed-race people are under 16 years of age, with 79% being born in the UK. This is the fastest growing, youngest and most diverse ethnic group in Britain today.

Kay Hampton, Chair of the CRE, said: "Britain is changing and our understanding of ethnicity must develop accordingly. This on-line event provides a valuable opportunity to explore the current issues faced by one of the least understood groups in the UK, mixed-race Britons."

It is through the personal accounts of individuals today that we learn to how to shape the future of racial equality tomorrow.

Submissions may cover anything from research summaries and case studies to personal accounts and fiction. To take part, please submit 1,000 words by 13 August on the subject of mixed-race or mixed families in Britain.

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Employers plan positive diversity recruitment

Employers in Britain are planning to more aggressively recruit gay, disabled, female and Asian workers in 2007 and 2008, a new poll reveals.

More than 215 hiring managers and 500 workers were surveyed for job site CareerBuilder.co.uk by Harris Interactive and 21 per cent said that they planned to enhance their recruitment process for women, 16 per cent for disabled workers, 13 per cent for Asian workers and gay/lesbian workers (eight per cent).

A quarter of employers polled (26 per cent) said that they planned to increase their staff numbers by more in the last six months of 2007 than the first, with nearly 49 per cent of bosses hiring more workers in the first half of the year.

Entitled 2007 UK Job Forecast, the study predicts that job growth in Britain will remain stable until the end of this year and employers will "remain committed to expanding the demographics of their staffs".

Dave Smith, Managing Director of CareerBuilder.co.uk. "UK employers will continue to struggle with a shrinking skilled labour force as Baby Boomers move closer to retirement and the smaller generations of replacement workers falls under quota."

The UK workforce can also expect to see employers become more creative in their recruitment and retention efforts, evident in higher salaries, increased training and more flexible work cultures."

A raft of new legislation protecting workers from age, racial, religious, gender and other forms of discrimination in Britain has highlighted the importance of workplace diversity in Britain.

This story was first published by Adfero

'Ginger' taunts about red hair could be next big form of workplace discrimination

A tribunal decision has prompted new fears that 'gingerism' could be the next big form of workplace discrimination.

Last week, a waitress was awarded £17,618 compensation for unfair dismissal over taunts about her red hair.

Sarah Primmer suffered a series of lewd and embarrassing comments and was eventually sacked from her job.

Personnel Today research earlier this year revealed 81% of readers thought it was acceptable to tease people about ginger hair.

A culture of 'lookism' is now emerging in the workplace, with gingers often the butt of office jokes, the survey said.

This story was first published on Personnel Today

BBC executives praised for ditching £350,000 bonuses after failing to meet diversity targets

Diversity experts have applauded the decision by BBC executives to forgo their bonuses collectively worth £350,000, after the broadcaster failed to meet its diversity targets.

The corporation set itself stringent targets in 2004 of increasing the percentage of black and minority ethnic staff to 12.5% and 7% at senior management level, to be met by 31 December 2007.

It said that while progress had been made, it would not meet some specific commitments on workforce numbers.

Sally Humpage, employee relations and diversity adviser at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, said the BBC directors had taken a "positive step" that other organisations could learn from.

"This bold step sends out a message to the rest of the company that everyone is responsible," she said. "Organisations need to set out objectives on diversity and then measure performance around those objectives. The BBC has taken a strong lead where others can follow."

Atul Shah, chief executive of consultancy Diverse Ethics, and an adviser to the BBC, said the executives' action was laudable.

"Commercial business leaders rarely sacrifice bonuses under any circumstances and their remuneration is much higher than that of the BBC executive directors," he said.

But Luke Crawley, assistant general secretary at broadcast union Bectu, said the BBC should go further.

He said: "This is a positive and strong message it is sending out, but it would do no harm for this action to cascade further down the management board."

Mark Thompson, director-general of the BBC, who set up a diversity leadership council at the corporation in 2005, is still set to receive a bonus as determined by the remuneration committee of the BBC Trust.

This story was first published by Personnel Today