Member Article

The cost of discrimination and how to prevent It

Nobody believes they actively discriminate.

They don’t go to work to make somebody’s life a misery.

And yet, as the table below demonstrates, hundreds of thousands of pounds are awarded in individual employment tribunals every year to people who have been discriminated against in work:

Figures from Tribunal Statistics (quarterly) – April to June 2013 The Citizens Advice Bureau estimates that Age Discrimination alone costs the economy £31bn.

In July, a Police Constable was awarded a £37,000 settlement off the back of an employment tribunal which found that her line manager in the Metropolitan Police discriminated against her on grounds of race and sex.

The tribunal also recommended that the senior officer who ignored her complaint undertake a Diversity course.

Too little too late, perhaps, but had he taken the course in the first place, he may have been more aware of the consequences of promoting inequality.

The reputational damage to the Met has cost them a lot, but the settlement figure is comparatively small. In 2012, a pregnant doctor was awarded £4.5m after being ‘hounded out’ of the NHS.

So how can we avoid discrimination?

In order avoid expensive claims, you have to appreciate that discrimination comes in many forms. Established business and even industry practices may be passively discriminatory.

A good start is Understanding Bias.

It’s difficult to come to terms with your own unconscious prejudices and bias, but everybody has them.

Taking a course on the subject will give you guidance on taking the critical steps to create an inclusive workplace by creating open and rational space for discussion. You’ll be able to understand, identify and take action against bias at work.

If you identify a form of discrimination that you feel needs addressing, you could then take a specific course in that specific area. This could include:

• Age
• Race
• Sex or gender
• Sexual Orientation
• Disability
• Religion and Belief
• Pregnancy

Alternatively, taking a generalist Equality and Diversity course would also give you a broader overview of the different forms of discrimination.

Whilst it may not go into great depth on specific areas of possible discrimination, it gives a greater understanding of the definition of equality and diversity, how to promote it in your organisation, differences in direct and indirect accommodation, being able to identify harassment, victimisation and bullying behaviour and how to create a fairer working environment.

It’s also considerably cheaper than a tribunal…

For instant access to anti-discrimination, equality and diversity courses, visit https://trainingpost.com/courses/equality-and-diversity

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Chris Barnes .