Race Equality Scheme

On 6 April 2006, the Commission for Racial Equality’s (CRE) statutory code of practice on racial equality in employment took legal effect in the United Kingdom.

Race Equality Duty (new)

The Race Equality Scheme (RES) legislation – covering 45,000 public bodies across the country including central and local government, schools, health trusts or emergency services – ensures adherence to the promotion of racial equality.

The CRE has published employment guidance on the RES for organisations and copies can be downloaded from the Campaign For Racial Equality website: http://www.cre.gov.uk.

What does your organisation need to do?

Organisations must place racial equality at the centre of their service delivery, policymaking and employment practice.

To implement the initiative, companies must have due regard to:

• promoting equal opportunities;
• promoting effective relations between people from different racial groups;
• and, to eliminate unlawful racial discrimination.

Companies must produce a Race Equality Scheme (RES) which outlines how they will implement the duty to promote racial equality.

How will this affect HR?

It’s crucial that employers fill positions with appropriately qualified candidates and to encourage applications from people from all backgrounds.

To this end, organisations should develop human resources policies that:

• adhere to the principles of equality;
• promote good management practice;
• meet the needs of a diverse workforce.

The recruitment process and beyond

By understanding racial discrimination, harassment, prejudice and inappropriate behaviour it can be prevented and challenged in the workplace. Stereotyping can bias decisions and needs to be addressed to develop cross-cultural awareness.

An equal opportunity employer utilises the talents and abilities of all staff. Individual contribution is encouraged – and differences valued – to make a diverse workforce and a more adaptable organisation which is closer to the customer.

Improved staff morale helps retain staff, reduces recruitment costs, and promotes a stable, motivated and committed workforce to achieve high productivity.

Non-compliance?

The CRE has statutory powers under the Race Relations Act 1976 which include:

• taking legal action against racially discriminatory advertisements, and against organisations that attempt to instruct or pressurise others to discriminate
• advising or assisting people with complaints about racial discrimination, harassment or abuse;
• conducting formal investigations of organisations where there is evidence of possible discrimination.

If an investigation does find discrimination, the Commission for Racial Equality can oblige the organisation to change the way it operates.

What difference will it make?

• Leading by example will challenge negative attitudes and prejudice. By promoting racial equality and encouraging people from ethnic backgrounds to apply for jobs will help to promote equality.
• Just under six million of the UK’s population of is from an ethnic background, according to the 2001 census. This represents 7.9% of the country’s workforce; a sizeable figure.
• Monitoring other aspects of the employment process is vital too. This will help your organisation meet the duty more effectively.
• For example; to assess the impact of your selection policy and procedures, information about the number of job applicants is not sufficient. You will also need to know how many applicants from each ethnic group succeed and how many do not, at each stage of the selection process.

Removing barriers

Ethnic minority groups do less well, on a like-for-like basis, in the labour market compared to their white counterparts. This has to change.

In the United Kingdom, unemployment in the ethnic minority working population is 7.6%, almost double the percentage of the overall population as reported by Equality, Opportunity, Success, Year 1 Progress Report, Ethnic Minority Taskforce, Autumn 2004.

The Race Equality Scheme is about removing the often unintentional barriers that people from ethnic backgrounds face. Promoting racial equality – and the understanding of different cultures – is the next step to ensuring a better future for everyone, irrespective of race, colour or creed.

Move forward with the Ethnic Jobsite.