| We live in a world of such rapid and far-reaching change that we hardly know from day to day what new features, influences and procedures we shall be called upon to master or adapt to next. The advance of technology, particularly in the field of communications, is breath-taking. The Internet has provided access to information of all kinds on a global scale, and has indeed developed so quickly that time has not been taken to anticipate and forestall its inherent problems, eg its accessibility (and therefore the threat to data protection that it constitutes) and the need to find a way of excluding pornography of a particularly debased kind from being freely peddled. Thanks to the developments in satellite communications, news and pictures can flash round the world in seconds.
One concomitant of this transformation of the world into a Ôglobal villageÕ is the increasing movement of large numbers of people, individuals and groups, to countries all over the world of which they have little or no knowledge. They more for asylum, to escape from extreme poverty and seek work and/or out of disenchantment with various oppressive regimes or as the result of political agreements, as in the case of the hand-over of Hong Kong to the Chinese Republic.
Another concomitant of the advances in communications is that the sharing of problems and the exchange of information and ideas across frontiers are facilitated, and will strengthen the hand of groups seeking to advance their cause. This development is in turn strengthened by the growing importance being attached to the issue of human rights.
There will always be newcomers of various kinds, joining the already existing minority ethnic groups in Europe, as elsewhere. In Britain, however, these groups themselves have during the last few years gradually ceased to occupy centre stage in the field of equality and diversity. Gender issues have claimed much attention and gone from strength to strength. Now, increasingly, further developments are taking place as concerns centred around prejudice and discrimination focus on religion and/or belief, sexual orientation, and eventually-age. The canvas has broadened to include other groups which lie outside this limited definition, but are subject to problems of their own, for which they claim the same amount of attention as that given to the ÔtraditionalÕ minorities.
The Challenge for Employers
Employers, always in the front line where problems of society are concerned, will continue to be at the forefront as these shifts of emphasis take place; and they will need to adapt to them accordingly in order to ensure that the quality of service they deliver to the public is efficient, equitable and backed by knowledge and understanding of a wider range of equality concerns than ever before.
New factors, like the proliferation of groups with particular problems that they are entitled to see fairly and knowledgeably addressed, will call for new skills and new approaches. The public are far more sophisticated now. As some wag once observed, even nostalgia isnÕt what it used to be! This sophistication is demonstrated in a number of ways. The man or woman in the street no longer shies away from the television interviewer, but is more than willing to provide a graphic, often very articulate account of some incident or other on the spot; much media time is filled by Ôphone-ins, chat shows, reality programmes, etc., in which people speak uninhibitedly and at length about personal matters or publicise grievances against authorities or business concerns of various kinds. ÔHelplinesÕ abound, through which they can obtain advice about a myriad of problems and how to get redress. A sophisticated public, aware of its rights and determined to bring its views and needs to attention, is a demanding public. So what sort of new challenges must employers equip their staff to meet?
The British Mosaic
As indicated, the ethnic minority/white, male/female axis no longer dominates the field of equality and diversity.
The introduction of the Equality Employment (Sexual Orientation) Regulation 2003 places a duty on employers not to discriminate against an individual on the grounds of sexual orientation. Although the legislation does not mandate disclosure of sexual orientation, many organisations are struggling to promote staff support associations whilst ensuring confidentiality, if desired.
The Equality Employment (Religion and Belief) Regulation 2003 requires employers to have due care during recruitment and selection procedures to ensure non-discrimination on religious and/or belief grounds. Increasingly, the issue of bullying and/or homophobic attacks necessitate policies and procedures be in place to ensure the dignity of people at work.
In 2006, the issue of ageism will surface and organisations will then have to consider practices which unfairly discriminate on the basis of age.
Meeting the Challenge
This plethora of equality and diversity issues now means that employers must become pro-active in order to increase their ability to operate effectively within the mosaic in order to deliver non-discriminatory service to all sections of the community. It will be important to plan carefully for this, (1) to ensure that awareness and knowledge of the views and needs of all these disparate groups are included in staff training, (2) to recognise that non-discriminatory and equitable service means fair shares for all and not undue concentration on some groups at the expense of others and (3) while acquiring an overall knowledge of all the groups that make up the British mosaic, to take account of the priorities required according to the composition of the community served by the particular employer.
Employers are accustomed to being presented with new challenges. The opportunity now arises for them to demonstrate that they are fully equipped to provide quality service to an extremely diverse society.
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