Equality and Diversity

1
Equality and Diversity

• What are they?What is the difference?What does
  the law say?

2
Equality Definitions (Dictionary)

• The state or quality of being equal
• The quality of being alike
• The quality of being interchangeable
• Equal in value
• Social and political equality levelling of
  society
• Equal treatment for different groups

3
Equality Quotations

• We hold these truths to be self-evident, that
  all men are created equal, that they are endowed
  by their Creator with certain unalienable rights,
  that among these are life, liberty, and the
  pursuit of happiness. Thomas Jefferson.
• Liberté Egalité Fraternité. French Revolution
  National Motto of France
• I have a dream that my four little children will
  one day live in a nation where they will not be
  judged by the colour of their skin, but by the
  content of their character. Martin Luther King
  Jr.
• Alle Menschen werden Brüder wo dein sanfte
  Flügel weilt All people shall be brothers
  where your gentle wings tarry. Friedrich
  Schiller Ode to Joy. Set to music by Ludwig
  van Beethoven (Symphony no 9) EU Anthem sung
  at fall of Berlin Wall.

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Equality Quotations (continued)

• The defect of equality is that we only desire it
  with our superiors. Henry Becque
• All animals are equal, but some animals are more
  equal than others. George Orwell
• Even the president of the United States must
  sometimes have to stand naked. Bob Dylan
• Called to the throne by the voice of the people,
  my maxim has always been A career open to talent
  without distinction of birth. It is this system
  of equality for which the European oligarchy
  detests me. Napoleon Bonaparte
• I believe in equality for everyone except
  reporters and photographers. Mahatma Gandhi
• With these preachers of equality will I not be
  mixed up and confounded? Friedrich Nietzsche

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Diversity Definitions (Dictionary)

• The quality of being different
• The quality of being varied
• A point or respect in which people differ
• The relation between two entities when and only
  when they are not identical, the property of
  being distinct.
• The condition or result of being changeable

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Diversity Quotations

• It takes all sorts to make a world. Proverb.
• We all live with the objective of being happy
  our lives are all different and yet the same.
  Anne Frank.
• The notion of a universality of human experience
  is a confidence trick, and the notion of a
  universality of female experience is a clever
  confidence trick. Angela Carter
• There is nowhere you can go and only be with
  people like you. Give it up! Bernice Johnson
  Reagon
• Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but
  not their own facts. Daniel Patrick Moynihan
• Human salvation lies in the hands of the
  creatively maladjusted. Dr. Martin Luther King
  Jr.
• We must learn to live together as brothers, or
  perish together as fools. Dr. Martin Luther King
  Jr.

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Diversity Quotations (continued)

• I am large. I contain multitudes. Walt
  Whitman
• I am what I am, and what I am needs no excuses.
  Jerry Herman
• People may be said to resemble not the bricks of
  which a house is built, but the pieces of a
  picture puzzle, each differing in shape, but
  matching the rest, and thus bringing out the
  picture. Felix Adler
• We have become, not a melting pot, but a
  beautiful mosaic. Different people, different
  beliefs, different yearnings, different hopes,
  different dreams. Jimmy Carter
• I know the human being and fish can co-exist
  peacefully. George W. Bush

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ED Definitions from RAISE

• Diversity is the acknowledgement and respect of
  differences within and between groups of people.
• Equality is the framework that enables
  opportunity, access, participation and
  contribution that is fair and inclusive.
• (Regional Action and Involvement South East
  RAISE)

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ED Definitions from Taunton Deane Borough
Council (TDBC)

• Diversity is the concept of valuing difference
  with a focus on the individual. It is proactive
  and respects the unique perspectives and
  experience that individual people from different
  backgrounds contribute.
• Equal Opportunities this is mainly driven by
  legislation, so tends to be reactive and
  primarily concerned with groups who are
  under-represented due to discrimination.
• .

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Discrimination Stereotyping and Prejudice
Definitions from TDBC

• Discrimination happens when stereotyping and
  prejudice leads people to distinguish unfairly
  against or in favour of certain sections of
  society or individuals. This can be on the
  grounds of age, colour, disability,
  ethnicity/race, nationality, faith/religion/belief
  /disbelief, gender, sexual orientation or social
  background.
• Stereotyping is an oversimplified, false or
  generalised assumption about a particular group
  or person and believing the assumption to be
  true.
• Prejudice is an inflexible mental attitude
  towards a specific group of people or individual
  based on a lack of knowledge or false
  stereotyping.

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Bullying and Harassment

• Harassment occurs where, on the grounds of sex,
  gender reassignment, race, religion or belief,
  sexual orientation, disability or age, one person
  engages in unwanted conduct that violates another
  persons dignity or creates an intimidating,
  hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive
  environment for that person. (Statutory
  definition NB the legislation was subsequently
  extended specifically to include harassment of a
  sexual nature.)
• Bullying is offensive, intimidating, malicious
  or insulting behaviour, an abuse or misuse of
  power through means intended to undermine,
  humiliate, denigrate or injure the recipient.
  (ACAS definition no statutory definition as
  yet.)

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Victimisation

• Victimisation occurs when an individual is
  treated detrimentally because
• They have made or intend to make a complaint
  about being discriminated against/harassed
• They have acted or intend to act as a witness or
  give evidence in support of others relating to a
  complaint about discrimination or harassment.
• Detrimental treatment may be e.g. refusal of
  requests for time off, denial of promotion or
  training, being ignored by manager or colleagues,
  criticised continually, messed around with
  regarding work/shift allocations etc.
• If this happens and the organisation does not
  take reasonable steps to prevent it, the
  organisation will be liable to pay compensation.
• Individuals who victimise may also be liable to
  pay compensation.

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Positive Action v Positive Discrimination

• Positive Action is allowed under UK and European
  discrimination legislation
• Positive Action is good practice. Examples might
  include
• Advertising in different publications which reach
  particular minority groups
• Adapting working practices to enable certain
  individuals/groups to carry out jobs flexible
  working
• Extra training to support people to be more
  effective
• Support networks for certain groups within the
  organisation

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Positive Discrimination

• Positive Discrimination is illegal in UK and
  European discrimination legislation. Examples
  include
• Appointing someone to a post because of their
  minority status (e.g. race, gender) even though
  they are less suitable than another candidate
• Preferential treatment to someone because they
  belong to a minority group with regard to
  training, promotion etc.
• NB The new Equality Bill proposes that it will be
  legal, if two people are absolutely equally
  qualified and experienced etc for a post, to
  appoint the person from a minority group which is
  under-represented in the workforce. THIS IS NOT
  LEGAL YET!

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UK ED Legislation 1970-2006

• Civil Partnerships Act 2004
• Disability Discrimination Act 1995
• Disability Discrimination Amendment Act 2005
• Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006
• Employment Equality (Religion or Belief)
  Regulations 2003
• Employment Equality (Sex Discrimination)
  Regulations 2005
• Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation)
  Regulations 2003
• Equal Pay Act 1970 (Amended)
• Equality Act 2006
• Gender Recognition Act 2004
• Human Rights Act 1998
• Protection from Harassment Act 1997
• Race Relations Act 1976
• Race Relations Amendment Act 2000 and further
  amendment 2003
• Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006
• Sex Discrimination Act 2005
• Sex Discrimination (Gender Reassignment)
  Regulations 1999

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Equality Bill Key Provisions

• This bill, in the Governments own words, aims to
  strengthen equality law by
• 1. Introducing a new public sector duty to
  consider reducing socioeconomic inequalities
• 2. Putting a new Equality Duty on public bodies
• 3. Using public procurement to improve equality
• 4. Banning age discrimination outside the
  workplace
• 5. Introducing gender pay and equality reports
• 6. Extending the scope to use positive action
• 7. Strengthening the powers of employment
  tribunals
• 8. Protecting carers from discrimination
• 9. Protecting breastfeeding mothers
• 10. Banning discrimination in private members
  clubs and
• 11. Strengthening protection from discrimination
  for disabled people.

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Equality Checklist

• Are you sure you are not breaking the law?
• Are you committed to fairness?
• Are you satisfied that you are recruiting the
  best person for the job?
• Have you made a written commitment to being a
  fair employer?
• Do your employees and customers know about this?
  
• Do all your employees treat each other with
  dignity and respect?

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Being an Equitable Employer

• Stage 1 Putting together an Equal Opportunities
  and Diversity Policy
• Stage 2 Putting together a Bullying and
  Harassment Policy
• Stage 3 Putting together a Discipline and
  Grievance Procedure
• Stage 4Review your Recruitment and Selection
  Policy to take account of Equality and Diversity
• Stage 5 Review your Training and Development
  Policy to take account of Equality and Diversity
• Stage 6 Action Plan to make sure you continue
  to improve, and that your policies and procedures
  are working.

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Equality Process

• reviewing existing policies and procedures and/or
  writing new ones (as previous slide)
• providing training and guidance for managers and
  supervisory staff
• allocating responsibility for the implementation
  of the Policy to one or more individuals or to a
  department
• communicating the Policy to all employees, job
  applicants and contractors
• Equality Impact Assessment This is a process
  that involves assessing and anticipating the
  consequences of policies and strategies on
  different groups and making sure that, as far as
  possible, any negative consequences are
  eliminated or minimised and that we maximise
  opportunities to promote equalities

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Other Considerations

• Becoming accredited to Quality Marks such as
  Investors in People (for personnel) and Customer
  First (for service users)
• Using publicity materials to communicate your
  equality and diversity vision printed
  materials, website, etc.

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Other Benefits

• Ability to become accredited public sector
  provider or sub contractor
• Reduction of possibility of be taken to court and
  being fined from Employment tribunals
• Increased marketing and promotional reach to
  additional target markets
• Increased understanding of market and competition
  and development of USPs using staff diversity
• Increased ability to use all staff in policy and
  strategic development
• More diverse staff means more diverse ideas
• Customers from more minority backgrounds will be
  more attracted to your company