EEO Shorts for NEON Update 2: May 29
EEO quote of the week comes courtesy of Human Rights Commissioner Robyn Hunt from a South African vision impaired man.
"Disability is still like the Brussels sprouts of equity, as I like to call it: the stuff you leave till last on your plate and, if you can get away with it, you will leave altogether" - Jeremy Opperman
International EEO News
Homophobic bullying at work is being tackled in Scotland. Employers are being urged to join a new scheme aimed at removing “hostile environments” and improving working conditions for gay and lesbian employees. Businesses that join the scheme will receive advice on setting up support networks for gay and lesbian employees and given access to awareness training. Employers will be encouraged to advertise jobs in gay and lesbian publications to help develop a more diverse staff group. Participating employers will take part in an “equality index” to assess how they deal with gay issues. Diversity Champions Scotland has been developed by the campaign group Stonewall Scotland, with six major employers and the Scottish Executive.
Suppliers to major companies in the United Kingdom are increasingly being asked about their diversity statistics. Mega-firm Barclays is planning to require its legal advisers to provide stats on their gender and ethnicity make-up. The want their major suppliers to demonstrate details of their workforce demographics to ensure diversity levels are at an “acceptable level”. The move by one of the UK’s largest companies follows an American trend. Retailer Wal-mart’s legal department asked outside legal counsel for more diversity when it realised that the liaisons at 82 of its top 100 supplier firms were men.
Disappointment is the major reaction to the long awaited Women and Work Commission’s report in the United Kingdom because the 15-strong body has rejected mandatory equal pay reviews. The delay in the release of Shaping a Fairer Future is rumoured to result from internal wrangling over pay reviews. Set up in 2004 to investigate the gender pay gap the report contains 40 recommendations including careers advice that challenges gender stereotypes. There is twenty million pounds for improving women’s skills and a five million pound initiative to promote quality part-time work.
Shop attracts four complaints
The Nelson fish and chip shop that refused to consider a job application by a man is the subject of four complaints to the Human Rights Commission.
Owner of the Black Cat Tummy Station Trevor Duggan has admitted that he would not hire male staff saying he had hired them before but wanted a female employee. The complaints allege sexual discrimination.
The Commission would offer mediation to resolve the issue.
- Nelson Mail
Airline pays out in age discrimination case
An anti-discrimination hearing over Virgin Blue's recruitment processes has resulted in the company paying up to $80,000 in compensation to eight former flight attendants aged between 36 and 56 who experienced age disrimination in the airline's assessment process. The tribunal found the assessors preferred younger candidates over older candidates despite similar competency levels.
Source - Benchmarking HR
EU to set up gender institute
The European Union is establishing a 50-million-Euro gender institute as part of a plan to increase equality for women. Vladimir Spidla, EU employment, social affairs and equal opportunities commissioner, views reducing gender inequlity, particularly in the workplace, as central to making the EU more competitive.
Source - Human Capital