BUSINESS HELPDESK
in your business, this could be patronising and a repeated reminder that the industry is still primarily a male stomping ground. So what can you be doing? Here’s a few
ideas:
Equal opportunities – a great policy doesn’t need to be long or complex. It can be straight- talking and succinct while still setting out your commitment to an inclusive workplace. The aim is to raise awareness of the culture and environment you want to build and make sure everyone is on the same page should a conflict arise. You’ll need to apply your policy consistently and deal with any breaches under your disciplinary procedure.
Better Banter – appropriate training will increase understanding and sensitivity within your teams about what is and isn’t acceptable,
the risks of discrimination and harassment claims and the potential liability that follows if a claim does arise. Regular training (and keeping a record of it, along with how you’ve communicated your policy within the business) can demonstrate to a tribunal that you’ve taken ‘all reasonable steps’ to prevent discrimination and that any potential claim should be the responsibility of the individual in question and not your business.
If you’re interested in Better Banter training, get in touch, or look for upcoming courses on the BMF website.
Reporting lines – an anonymous helpline is a great solution to encourage employees to raise concerns about inappropriate behaviour or language in the workplace. If it’s happening, you need to know about it. Whilst a dedicated helpline might be more appropriate for bigger
businesses, smaller teams can nominate an ‘inclusion ambassador’ or someone in the business to be the go-to person should concerns need to be raised.
Support – securing straight-talking, commercial advice at the outset of any challenge involving discrimination or harassment is hugely important. It allows you to act quickly, manage risk and reach an outcome that is right for your business. It’ll help you minimise reputational damage, reduce time and resources spent on the issue, and the costs associated with defending a claim. If you don’t have something in place already, the BMF Intelligent Employment Plus service might be your answer. The road to a more diverse sector is undoubtedly a long and challenging one. There will be front runners, and those lagging behind the pack. But the journey’s end shouldn’t be simply ticking a box to improve the look of the next corporate report. It should be because we want to improve and grow our businesses, to maximise the opportunities available to those we employ, and to improve the service to our customers. For more information on how BMF Intelligent Employment Plus can work for your business, get in touch at
info@halborns.com or call 0115 718 0333. BMJ
1. BMF Remuneration Survey 2019
2. Harvard Business Review, 2017 – Teams solve problems faster when they’re more cognitively diverse 3. McKinsey & Company, 2012 – Is there a payoff from top team diversity?
4. Forbes, 2017 – New research: diversity + inclusion = better decision making at work
5. Miss L Hayman v Pall-Ex Ltd and Others 2601913/16 6. Government tribunal statistics April-June 2019 7. LGBT+ Survey: construction’s slow progress laid bare 8. Office for National Statistics – Sexual Orientation UK dataset
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net February 2020 21
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48
