• 73 percent reported an increase in personal
confidence
• 64 percent reported increased confidence in their
jobs
• 54 percent felt that participation had helped them
develop professionally.339
The McGregor-Smith review also recommended
that employers ensure all elements of reward and
recognition, from appraisals to bonuses, reflect the
racial diversity of the organisation.340
For instance, Ernst and Young (EY) uses a data-driven
approach to get clear insight into the diversity of
its workforce. This enables EY to implement robust
performance appraisal and promotion policies that
seek to advance employees on a representative basis
according to the diversity composition of each job
level.341
This is reflected in managerial promotions at
EY. With 20 percent from BME backgrounds at a
manager level, EY expects one in five promotions
from manager to senior manager to be from ethnic
minorities.342 The process works on a comply or
explain basis. Business units that fail to comply with
this are required to give feedback to its HR teams
on why eligible candidates were unsuccessful. This
feedback is then used to understand why the target
is not being achieved and supports business leaders
to put in place actions that will improve the likelihood
of success.
7.1.3 Workplace culture
Organisational environment is one of the most cited
barriers to career progression for many people of
colour. The CIPD report found that the most cited
barrier to career success was organisational culture
and style. In particular, the women surveyed in the
study identified the presence of exclusive masculine
cultures that pressured them to compromise who
they were as BME women, the absence of role
models, the challenge of connecting into established
networks and the lack of acceptance, support or
nurturing.343
Creating more-inclusive workplaces and improving
diversity across an organisation would give people
of colour the confidence in having access to the
same opportunities as their peers and help them to
feel comfortable to speak up if they find themselves
subject to direct or indirect discrimination or bias.
One recommendation from the literature to address
this would be to establish inclusive networks.
The McGregor-Smith review recommended that
all staff at all levels of an organisation undertake
mandatory unconscious bias training to address
lingering behaviours and attitudes that act as
a barrier to a more-inclusive workplace.344 The
unconscious bias training is only one element in a
wider inclusion programme of work, as noted in the
RBS exampled discussed above in 7.1.1.
7.2 Legal framework for non-discrimination
in employment
7.2.1 Legal framework for unlawful discrimination
While the Equal Pay Act 1972 only prohibits unlawful
workplace discrimination on the basis of sex, the
Employment Relations Act 2000 also prohibits
discrimination based on race or ethnic and national
origins.345 Section 104(1) of the Act provides that
discrimination occurs when, by reason directly
or indirectly of any of the prohibited grounds of
discrimination, an employer does one or more of the
following:
(a) refuses or omits to offer or afford to that
employee the same terms of employment,
conditions of work, fringe benefits, or
opportunities for training, promotion, and transfer
as are made available for other employees of
339
CIPD, Addressing the Barriers.
340
McGregor-Smith, Race in the Workplace.
341
McGregor-Smith, Race in the Workplace.
342
McGregor-Smith, Race in the Workplace.
343
CIPD, Addressing the Barriers.
344
McGregor-Smith, Race in the Workplace.
345
Employment Relations Act 2000, s 105(1). This section utilises the prohibited grounds of discrimination outlined in s 21(1)
of the Human Rights Act 1993. The prohibited grounds of discrimination include sex, marital status, religious belief, ethical
belief, colour, race, ethnic or national origins, disability, age, political opinion, employment status, family status or sexual
orientation.
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