As businesses come to terms with the negative effects of the current downturn in the economy, we take a step back and consider diversity and inclusion in the redundancy process.
When a workplace is truly inclusive, it is engaged. It focuses on the requirements of diversity and inclusion, even when times are difficult, and hard decisions need to be made. Austerity may increase instances of discrimination and it is important to ensure that the redundancy process does not succumb to biased decisions .
It is clear that the current economic downturn, fueled by rising inflation has brought much uncertainty to the business world. With levels of employment has decreasing, we now find ourselves in a situation where many employees and being asked to work from home and ultimately, businesses may seek to make redundancies.
Organisations must seek to manage processes for redundancies effectively and ensure that there in no discrimination taking place.
A fair and transparent process must be enabled in all circumstances, to ensure that redundancy processes are fair and balanced and are not informed by biased decision making.
Redundancy, Diversity and Inclusion - Equality Impact Assessing the Process
The equality impact assessment is a process which is designed to ensure that careful scrutiny is part of the development of any project, policy or scheme to ensure that it does not discriminate or disadvantage any vulnerable group.
This process will help to ensure that no group is targeted for redundancy, due to unconscious bias and will curtail the impact of any institutional processes that may victimise diverse groups.
It will also protect the organisation by being a source of evidence in the case that a complaint is made with regards to racism, sexism or any other form of accusation of unfairness during the process.
Businesses need to ensure that no action that they take serves to disadvantage any group of people.
Learning and understanding the process of impact assessing will go some way to building your diversity and inclusion practice.... not only when making redundancies, but in the day to day functioning of your business.
Equality impact assessing should be part of your strategic business planning to ensure that you are fully engaged with diversity and inclusion in all your processes.
How can Diversity Consulting Help?
As a diversity consultancy business, we focus on the ways that business can utilise diversity and inclusion to enable inclusive work environments that encourage growth and innovation. We do however, support organisations that have difficult decisions to make around diversity management during the process of making staff redundant.
One place to focus is on diversity and inclusion, when positions have to be cut due to decrease in funding. How does your organisation take into account diversity and inclusion when there is a decrease in funding and posts have to be cut?
In order to ensure that the process of cutting posts is fair and takes into account diversity and inclusion is to undertake equality impact assessment.
This process will ensure that the impact of cutting cost does not have a detrimental impact on the diversity of your organisation and does not weigh more heavily on certain staff groups from diverse communities.
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Kenroi Consulting is a bespoke diversity consultancy providing tailor made solutions for businesses across the UK.
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