Typically, there are a number of common barriers to effectively managing equality and diversity issues within the workplace. Some of these words may be strangely familiar to some of our readers.
_ Denial An organisation or individual that refuses to acknowledge diversity as a real issue can often be heard to say: There is not a problem here. I treat everyone as I like to be treated myself. The fatal flaw of this old-fashioned mantra is fairly obvious; in reality, it alludes to treating everyone in an identical way and in accordance with what is perceived to be acceptable by one person ” a far cry from accommodating difference!
_ Feeling trapped As legislation has advanced, many organisations simply do not understand how to implement their legal obligations and see them as restrictive. The world has gone mad are the words of people who remain in denial within this area.
As a test of the lack of contemporary understanding within this area, ask a work colleague if they are aware of the six headings under which people are protected by discrimination legislation in 2008. The answer, by the way, is race, gender, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation and age. Recognising a need to change behaviour.
What is in it for me? How will we measure it? How will it affect bottom-line profit? These are questions typically posed by organisations in the early stages of developing equality and diversity initiatives.
We have already mentioned the potential cost implications of factors such as productivity, absence and labour turnover; combine these with the potential costs associated with legal non-compliance and even the most die-hard organisation opposed to change may start to listen.
There is also the impact of the demographic shifts occurring within Britain at the moment to consider ” particularly the migration from eastern Europe and the ageing population of our workforce. Organisations that are continuing to do what they have always done within the areas of, for example, recruitment, may discover that they will not necessarily continue to get what they have always got as the demography of the working population changes.
Then there is the question of reflective diversity within areas such as customer service. More diverse groups expect to see diversity reflected in the people organisations select to provide their frontline services. Finally, and of equal importance, expectations of what is acceptable in 2008 differ greatly from those of 20 years ago.
Discriminatory behaviour tolerated (albeit reluctantly) in the 1980s is generally considered totally unacceptable today. However, many people still remain unenlightened as to modern acceptable behaviours and/or how to challenge people who demonstrate otherwise.
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