By: Shilpa Sharma
FIRMS need to make talking about race more the norm than it is now – if they are going to address inequality and discrimination in the workplace, says an influential business chief.
A new survey from the Prince’s Responsible Business Network, Business in the Community, revealed only four in 10 employees feel that their employers are comfortable discussing race in the workplace.
There was slight progress on the same question asked in 2018 when three per cent less indicated their employers were comfortable talking about race in the workplace.
Commenting on the finding of the 2021 Race at Work survey, Sandra Kerr CBE, race equality director at BITC, said: “Organisations need to make talking about race and equality in the workplace something of the norm, until there is a shift and safe space to have these conversations, change will be a long time coming.”
The survey which captured views of over 24,600 employees in the UK was released on Tuesday (12).
Pay gap reporting
The report noted improvement in ethnicity pay gap reporting by businesses in the UK, showing an eight per cent increase from 2018.
This measures the differentials in hourly wages to employees of colour as compared to their non-ethnic colleagues. Employers have addressed the gender pay gap more effectively in recent times, though differences still persist.
Kerr said: “Business in the Community has been calling for companies to be legally required to publish their ethnicity pay gap data to give transparency to employees and job seekers, and it’s great to see an eight per cent increase in the number of companies reporting this data.
“While ethnicity pay gap reporting won’t solve everything, it will help focus on where action is needed most.” The government has encouraged employers to report pay gaps but has yet to make it mandatory as some have argued – feeling that change will only come when backed by; law.
Baroness Ruby McGregor-Smith CBE lauded the progress on reporting pay gap data, but added, “Whilst it is great to see that the government is supporting employers to report their data, that is only the beginning.”
“This report shows the increase in businesses taking action by publishing their ethnicity pay gaps. These may seem like small steps, but they are big ones.”
Another key finding of the report is the 11 per cent shift in the number of senior leaders promoting equality, equity, fairness and inclusion in the workplace.
Richard Iferenta, partner, KPMG, and chair of the BITC Race Equality Leadership team said: “What we are seeing through the survey results is the start of a long-overdue shift in priorities, as equality, diversity and fairness become areas of focus for business leaders.” He, however, added that publishing and committing to representation and inclusion targets is “just a starting point”.
Based on the findings, BITC has called on the government to introduce suitable provisions in the upcoming Employment Bill to protect employees from racist harassment.
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