{"id":163,"date":"2021-02-05T10:30:46","date_gmt":"2021-02-05T14:30:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.duanemorris.com\/diversityandinclusion\/?p=163"},"modified":"2021-02-05T10:30:46","modified_gmt":"2021-02-05T14:30:46","slug":"is-legislative-intervention-required-to-build-an-ethnically-diverse-workforce-in-the-uk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.duanemorris.com\/diversityandinclusion\/2021\/02\/05\/is-legislative-intervention-required-to-build-an-ethnically-diverse-workforce-in-the-uk\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Legislative Intervention Required to Build an Ethnically Diverse Workforce in the UK?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"John\"TanyaBy John M. Benjamin<\/a> <\/strong><\/em>and <\/strong><\/em>Tanya Chadha<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

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Diversity and Inclusion (D&I<\/strong>) is a hot topic for the vast majority of employers.\u00a0 The benefits of a diverse workforce in today\u2019s society are undeniable both in terms of financial performance and a more integrated workforce.<\/p>\n

In the UK, there are no legislative requirements for employing a diverse workforce but many organisations have D&I high on their agendas nonetheless.\u00a0 D&I is no longer a talking point reserved exclusively for \u201cbehind closed door\u201d human resources discussions.\u00a0 Whether this change has been driven by a moral obligation to \u201cdo the right thing\u201d or the ever increasing socio-economic inequalities within diverse communities, the fact remains that employers and employees alike are now actively talking about D&I in the workplace. That is of course good news, but is talking about it enough? <\/p>\n

Gender and Ethnicity<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>There has certainly been a positive shift in attitude towards employing a diverse workforce.\u00a0 There have also been some tangible developments.\u00a0 When it comes to pay gaps between men and women, things are noticeably improving.\u00a0 For example, the relatively recent legislative requirement for companies to report on gender pay data has resulted in real change for working women by narrowing the gap in pay between their male counterparts.<\/p>\n

In April 2017, changes to the Equality Act came into force which required UK companies to openly report gender pay gap figures at the end of every financial year.\u00a0 Whilst the objective of gender pay gap reporting was to promote and effect equal pay between men and women, it also had the effect of \u201cnaming and shaming\u2019 the worst offenders.\u00a0 The obligation to report this data shone a spotlight on each company and exposed information that may otherwise have remained hidden.<\/p>\n

For the first time in history, UK companies were actively scrutinised when it came to the disparity in pay between women and their male counterparts.\u00a0 For UK companies, the ramifications of scoring badly can be wide ranging.\u00a0 Top female talent may be dissuaded from applying for job opportunities, companies may lose out on tender opportunities, and negative publicity\u00a0surrounding the gender pay gap may take over otherwise good new stories.\u00a0 That notwithstanding, the obligation to report on the gender pay gap has forced companies to review and address this issue in a way that never previously existed.\u00a0 Government action has certainly driven significant change to a level that would otherwise have been impossible to achieve without this legislative intervention.<\/p>\n

On the matter of ethnic diversity however, progress has been slow.\u00a0 Much slower than society requires.\u00a0 Much slower than many campaigners demand.<\/p>\n

In 2017, the Parker Review laid down certain recommendations in a bid to promote ethnic diversity on UK company boards.\u00a0 Those recommendations included adopting voluntary targets as follows:<\/p>\n