There is a difference between equal opportunities and diversity; the two concepts can be differentiated as follows:
Equal Opportunities:
- Is driven by legislation
- Removes barriers
- Improves numbers
- Focus on under-represented groups
Equality is about treating people fairly and without bias and about creating conditions in the workplace and wider society that encourage and value diversity and promote dignity. ''It is also about redressing past imbalances and ensuring that dealings with clients, customers and suppliers are conducted in a constructive way which does not give rise to unjustified discrimination and supports appropriate inclusion'' [British Council, 2010].
Equality of opportunity states that people should have the same opportunities regardless of different physical features, characteristics, interests, intelligence, talent and strength, work, wealth or reputation, and there should be no special privileges. Consideration, advancement and reward should be based only on an ability to do a certain job or meet specified, agreed criteria.
Diversity:
- Pro-active: driven by organisational need
- Nurturing potential
- Improving the workplace environment
- Focus on the individual
Diversity is a concept concerned with creating an inclusive environment and practices which benefit the organisation and those who work in and with it. It is based on the belief that for good business, moral and legal reasons people should be valued as individuals. It takes account of the fact that people differ from one another in many ways: for example gender, age, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, physical ability, mental capacity, religion and belief, education, economic status, personality, communication style and approaches to work. These differences can result in varying experiences, values, and ways of thinking, behaving, communicating and working.
''Managing diversity is based on a positive view of difference and a commitment to valuing individuals for business reasons, in addition to social and moral ones. Understanding, valuing and effectively managing these differences can result in greater participation that can be leveraged for success at an individual, team and organisational level'' [British council, 2010]. It can help to combat prejudice, stereotyping, discrimination, harassment and unfair behaviour and support people to give of their best, gain satisfaction in their working lives and to be aware of the impact that actions and words can have on others.
Margaret Mountford stated that women should only be appointed to senior positions on merit. There should be no positive discrimination. Some people may agree with her especially men as she has said that women have to earn their place within a company rather than just get given it to even up numbers of male and female staff. In her opinion men get down to the given task quickly and women dwell on stupid things like the name of the team and therefore waste valuable time. She also mentions that women expect too much from a company and a bigger risk than men.
Arguments for:
-I agree with her that there are women that are as talented as men who choose not to work hard to reach the top because they feel they will be put at the top regardless of if they try hard or not. Therefore women should be made aware of how hard men are working to get to the top and should give it their best shot.
-The people that are most talented whether it be a man or a woman should be at the top even if this means that numbers within an organisation of male and female staff are not equal. Companies should not be put under pressure to be equal if it results to the wrong people being at the top. This should not be the about the image of the organisation, it should be about who has the most talent and who has worked the hardest.
-Women should not expect too much from an organisation, they should accept that the company will think of what benefits them as well as their staff and training a woman to do the job who may then leave to have children and not return to the same role as it is too demanding is expecting too much. Someone else could have been given that opportunity and made the most of the training the company proved so it shouldn’t get wasted. The organisation could train someone that is able to give them 100% commitment so they shouldn't have to train someone who cannot.
Arguments against:
-Women should not be pressurised just because they have to balance family life and work because men have to equally do so, they come with risks such as divorce and could end up having a lot of responsibility for their children. A woman’s talent should not be wasted by the company that they are working for just because the companies feel she is a risk because she may want to have children.
-Women should be allowed flexibility for their childbearing years it is only fair as they are still capable to do the job regardless of any other responsibilities. If they are capable of balancing both fairly then they should be given the chance.
-Men may be given the opportunity of promotion and training/ development but this does not mean they will be as committed as some women will. In my opinion both could be a risk to a company as both men and woman could have reasons to not be committed so woman wanting children should not affect their promotion as men may get the promotion and not do the job as they should.
Age Legislation 2006
The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) prohibits any employer from refusing to hire, discharge, or otherwise discriminate against any individual because of age. The act covers compensation, terms, conditions and other privileges of employment including health care benefits [encyclopaedia, 2010]. This act prohibits age-based discrimination against employees who are at least 40 years of age. The purpose of the act is to promote the employment of older persons and to prohibit any arbitrary age discrimination in employment.
Employers had to change things in order to make sure they comply with the new law. The legislation applies to applicants and employees, so selection procedures have to be age neutral. Companies have to make sure: job advertising and job specifications/profiles should be free of direct or indirect age statements. Phrases such as 'mature person', 'young, dynamic team' and '10 years' experience' should be avoided unless justified employers should consider whether information requested that identifies age is necessary, such as dates of qualifications or training undertaken employers should remove the date of birth from the application form.
Seeking and encouraging applicants from under-represented age groups is lawful (a positive action) but should be stated in advertising. Employers must ensure that all age groups are treated fairly throughout the selection process.
Recruiters should be educated and trained effectively so that they are aware of the requirements of the age legislation. Bringing in the right policies and practices in the workplace would be a big step in eliminating age discrimination.
There are few exceptions to these rules, which are monitored. For example, companies are allowed to offer early retirement incentives to older workers without penalty. But the early retirement benefits can only be offered if participation in the plan is voluntary and all other parts of the plan are not discriminatory. A company cannot force its workers to accept an early retirement offer, nor can it offer an early retirement plan that reduces benefits as a worker's age increases. There are also some exemptions regarding which employees are covered. Jobs that involve the public safety, such as police and fire work, are allowed to have age restriction clauses.
From my personal experience I think employers assume that if you are older you are wiser and therefore more reliable, I feel that younger people are not given the same opportunities and therefore older people end up with all the experience as they are being given the training. I think 45year old is more likely to get a doctors job than a 25 year old even if the 25 year old has better qualifications. It is assumed that the 45 year old will have better experience; however this does not mean they have the academic knowledge to support their experience, they may still make more mistakes than the younger more qualified person. Also in many leadership job roles the older person has better chances as companies feel that no one will take someone younger than them seriously and will not look up to them as their leader. However there are certain jobs that are given to younger people for example a role that involves using technology, it is assumed that older people don't know how to work a computer as good as a younger person. Employers assume that if the employee is young they will not take their responsibilities seriously for example they will assume that a young person is more likely to turn up to work late compared to an older employee , therefore they are less likely to get promoted to a higher role.
These attitudes can be changed if managers or the HR department are trained and made aware of the benefits the company will have if they employ different age groups. They should be taught the importance of having new young talent as well as more experienced and mature staff. They should be able to keep a healthy balance so the organisation can benefit if they keep choosing to employ older people then they will not have new ideas in the organisation. Also organisations should give recognition to those of all ages in the company that contribute a lot to achieving goals so people change their opinions about which age group has more potential to be successful. All ages are capable so achievement should be praised so everyone can see the potential of people of all ages. Companies should also change their view that the older you are the more experience you will have to do the job as younger people need to be given the chance to learn so they should be more willing to train and develop younger people to do the job roles that they normally would only employ mature people to do.
Equal opportunities
Innovative practises
In 2006, B&Q was one of only two retailers to make the Top 50 places where women want to work, and has continued this achievement for four consecutive years. They have also earned a reputation for employing older workers, because they want to let their customers tap into their lifetime of knowledge and experience. Having a diverse workforce is important for B&Q. Not just because it's the right thing to do, but because it also makes business sense. They like to employ people from every kind of background. It gives them different perspectives - and a much richer mix of experience. It also means there better equipped to understand the needs and priorities of all their customers.
Tesco
In my opinion B&Q is the company that is best at providing equal opportunities not only in terms of age but they also support other important factors such diversity, rewards/benefits, training, new opportunities, work life balance etc. It seems they understand the importance in keeping their staff happy and work on everyone’s individual needs whether it is parents who need time off or it is someone who wants a promotion, they will consider each person’s needs.
Conclusion
It is a important part of every organisation to have equal opportunities not only is this put in place to make employment fair for people, it also benefits organisations. They are able use these laws in order to motivate their staff who will then do a better job which will achieve the organisations overall goals.
References
[Anon.] B&Q (2010) Equal opportunities [s.n.] Available from: http://www.mccarthyrecruitment.com/retail-employers/featured/b-q [Accessed 02 May 2010]
[Anon.] Tesco [2010] careers [online] available at: http://www.tesco-careers.com/home/working [Accessed 02 May 2010]
British council (2010) promoting social justice Available from: http://www.britishcouncil.org/serbia-about_us-who_we_are-eod_new.htm [Accessed 01 May 2010].
Turner, J. (2009) Hang in there, Margaret Mountford of The Apprentice tells women [s.n.]. Available from: http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business
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