Case studies
Introduction
A number of businesses and public sector employers are beginning to understand workforce cohesion and to develop good practice, with the public sector carrying out the equality duties laid down by legislation. These are providing examples of improved performance, reduced tensions and better morale within the workplace.
The development of these case studies has highlighted the detailed work that organisations like Business in the Community and Skills for Business [1] are doing with the different Sector Skills Councils,[2] to establish a baseline in relation to diversity. This is a pre-requisite to addressing the issues of cohesion in the workplace. A report [3] conducted by Skills Active and Skills for Justice identified the current position in relation to diversity-management skills, ageing workforce, gender imbalance, minority imbalance, migrant workers and other issues. Analysis of the Sector Skills Councils' work shows there are different challenges faced by them. For example, the majority of them believe age, gender, race and migrant workers are seen as issues for them to address. Interestingly only four out of the 24 Sector Skills Councils see addressing the issue of management skills - 'Knowledge/actions regarding the delivery of equality and diversity to the workforce andmaintaining equality and diversity in the workplace appears as one of the skills lacking/required by front, middle and senior managers and supervisors' as a gap in the sector.
However, we have identified a number of good practice case studies that are addressing, in some way, the issues of business and cohesion without necessarily recognising and classifying it as such.
Our case studies: Summary analysis
To date, over 20 different case studies have been identified and captured. Of these, the majority are from large businesses within the retail and service sectors. The majority of them cross cut across a number of themes:
Workforce cohesion eg. BT Reaching Out; Eversheds Unlocked; UNISON's Challenging racism in the workplace; Four Seasons Hotel Dublin; Deloitte's Diversity networks; Royal Mail; TUC/MCB initiative
Labour market review eg. North West Development Agency's developing the evidence base; Business in the Community's Code of conduct on employing migrant workers in Great Britain; Enterprise4All; The Co-operative Group's Age diversity
Responsible business eg. British Airways; Enterprise as a catalyst for community cohesion; The Co-operative Group's Community funding
Cohesion and the marketplace eg. The Co-operative Group's Diverse customers, Asda, Eversheds' Increasing understanding of different faiths
Additionally, we have identified a number of initiatives/organisations that are working with the business sector to address particular issues in relation to cohesion. These initiatives have been delivered by organisations like the Regional Development Agencies that have a broader remit.
After analysing the findings we have developed a number of sub-themes that more closely define the type of intervention that has been identified. There are four sub-themes:
Removing barriers eg. language/skills gap/retirement age. Case studies: Bradgate Bakery; Four Seasons Hotel; The Co-operative Group's Age diversity
Improving understanding eg. information on different faiths and cultures. Case studies: Royal Mail, Eversheds' INcreasing understanding of different faiths; TUC/MCB initiative
Facilitating interactions and building relations eg. events and activities both in and outside of the workplace, support networks/clubs and societies. Case studies: Deloitte's Diversity networks; Bradgate Bakery; Four Seasons Hotel
Promoting cohesion outside of the workplace eg. activities aimed at the wider community usually through volunteering and financial support schemes. Case studies: British Airways; The Co-operative Group's Community funding
Interestingly, most companies approached have activities such as employee volunteering and financial support for community initiatives but very few saw the potential impact which such interventions could have on the local community. For example, we were not able to identify any examples of where the businesss had an audit by ethnicity of beneficiary community organisation that have been supported through their employee volunteering scheme.
The case studies referred to above are summarised by theme.
In-depth information on all of our featured case studies can be viewed on our Good Practice database. |
1. Skills for Business http://www.sfbn-equality-diversity.org.uk/Index.htm