Suggesting a gap between policy and implementation, new figures imply that many employees and HR professionals in the UK do not feel as if their firm truly offers all staff equality of opportunity.
Results from a new HR Gateway HR news and information website poll of 203 visitors, reveal that when asked the question ëDoes your firm offer true equality of opportunity to all staff?î, the majority (61%) answered no with under two in five (39%) stating ëyesí.
As new findings from Roffey Park suggest the relationship between line managers and HR growing as the latter is seen as increasingly more important, the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) believes that the figures reflect the gap between policy creation and delivery:
ëWe know from our helplines that an organisation can have the excellent policies in place but errant line managers or conflicts between colleagues can mean the delivery of the policies does not go to plan.
ëMany line managers complain that they do not have the knowledge of legislation and this is where HR can help out. Professionals need to keep their line managers up to speed with developments in employment law,í it says.
Claire McCartney co-author of the recent Roffey Park ëManagement Agendaí report*, agrees with the EOC. The results may reflect an irony within HR, she believes, that could be resolved by HR taking the lead in communication:
ëHR needs to take the lead on updating managers when it comes to issues of equality legislation as managers have a lot on their plate. If they do this then there is less chance of managers failing in terms of offering true
equality of opportunity.
ëThe sense of failure in terms of equality of opportunity in this survey coming from HR professionals could be the result of them not doing enough to help managers deliver equality of opportunity,í she said
Petra Cook, head of policy at the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) believes that managers need to play their part in tackling discrimination which is still ëÖtoo prevalent across UK organisations in all areas of
employmentí:
ëIts effects are felt in too many vital areas of employment practice such as recruitment, selection, promotion, training and development, redundancy and retirement.
ëOver the past few years, more and more organisations have realised that a mixed workforce is a successful one. Employers who still think otherwise are missing out on the substantial and proven business benefits that a good mix of workers can bring,í she said.
UK firms ëdo not offer true equality of opportunityí
.