People professionals have a key role in creating fair and inclusive workplace cultures. As part of coherent inclusion, diversity and employee engagement strategies, employers should undertake thorough reviews or equality analyses of policies and working practices to remove unfair discrimination and bias. There's still a significant way to go until we can claim that all types of sex discrimination, including harassment, are not issues at work.
Our viewpoint on gender equality lists recommendations for employers, with additional information below.
Inclusion policy
Although there’s no legal requirement to have a written inclusion and diversity policy, it’s a good idea to produce and actively use one. In some discrimination claims, employers may have a defence if they can show that they took all reasonable steps to prevent the discrimination occurring. Having a comprehensive current policy, and recent relevant training will help employers to distance themselves from liability for acts such as harassment by an individual perpetrator employed by them. A policy also demonstrates the organisation takes its legal and moral obligations towards being a diverse and inclusive employer seriously. It can also encourage employees to treat others equally.
Communication and training
Employers should:
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Communicate a firm commitment to workplace inclusion and ensure equality and diversity policies and statements are easily accessible to all. Use a variety of communication methods and channels to do this.
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Ensure all employees understand their personal responsibility to treat colleagues with respect. Make it clear the organisation has a zero-tolerance approach to bullying, harassment and discrimination. Provide examples of the standards of behaviour required, what sex discrimination and harassment looks like, and the consequences of breaking the behaviour codes.
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Ensure staff know how to report instances of bullying, harassment or discrimination and feel able to do so. Deal proactively with all complaints of inappropriate behaviour swiftly, seriously and compassionately.
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Ensure line mangers understand their role in promoting inclusion and are trained and confident to challenge any form of inappropriate behaviour. Work closely with managers to ensure they implement people management practices fairly and consistently, ensuring they provide evidence and reasoning for promotion and reward decisions.
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Work with employee networks, for example a gender network or resource group, to understand the specific issues in the organisation, how staff can be better supported, and work collaboratively with networks in communicating the importance of inclusion and diversity to the rest of the organisation.
Reviewing employment practices
Employers should:
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Assign senior level responsibilities for driving diversity issues, including a sponsor for gender inclusion and allocating appropriate resources.
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Ensure recruitment and selection processes are fair and not open to discrimination on the basis of someone’s sex. For example, take care in drafting advertisements to avoid discrimination and stereotyping through language and images, and aim to attract candidates from diverse sources. Indicate if any genuine Occupational Requirements apply.
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Consider including a statement on flexible working in job adverts, signalling to applicants that you’re open to discussing how the job could be done flexibly from day one. Flexible working is likely to be made a day-one right in 2022 (as called for by the CIPD’s Flex From 1st campaign), depending on the government’s consultation on this which closes on 1 December 2021.
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Incorporate a diversity statement in every job advert. Have links to your organisation’s inclusion and diversity webpage where people can find out more about the organisation’s commitment, and information about employee resource groups, such as a gender network.
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Operate transparent and consistent performance management processes and check that career paths, and promotion and development opportunities are inclusive for all employees, regardless of their sex.
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Review policies and procedures, and terms and conditions of employment to ensure fairness and legal compliance, including flexible working practices and dress code. Involve your gender network in reviewing policies if you have one and keep the wording of policies and procedures gender neutral.
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Actively examine the reasons for gender imbalance at different levels of the organisation and across occupations, identifying the action needed to remove barriers to entry and progression for men and women. Use data from gender pay gap reporting and other people management processes to inform your approach. Our survey report Gender diversity in the boardroom: reach for the top explores HR practitioners’ perspectives and offers practical strategies for improving women’s representation. Listen to our podcast on boardroom diversity.
