Equality and Diversity

Question 1

Define equality?

Answer 1

Equality encompasses equal job opportunities and fairness for employees and job applicants.

Question 2

What are the legal requirements for equality within the UK?

Answer 2

Equality policies are usually based off the 2010 Equality Act, and represents the need to not treat those with certain protected characteristics in a way which goes against it.

Question 3

What is diversity?

Answer 3

The intentional hiring, and encouraging of equal participation from, a wide range of diverse individuals within a workplace

Question 4

What does diversity planning lead to?

Answer 4

A diverse workforce being retained instead of those who make the workforce diverse leaving due to lack of access

Question 5

What is inclusion?

Answer 5

The proactive effort to ensure employees feel valued and accepted in their team and in the wider organisation as they are, irrespective of protected characteristics

Question 6

What are three criticisms of EDI?

Answer 6

It’s cynical: it promotes the celebration of meeting the legal bare minimum
It creates a mismatch between organisational practices
It primarily aims to be palatable to the majority
It requires work from the minority groups

Question 7

What are the main challenges of EDI?

Answer 7

Getting through discrimination
Assessing, realising, and dealing with unconscious bias
Attainment gaps created by early-age demographics