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There is a genocide happening in Palestine and we must stay educated,

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At least 42 people have been killed by an Israeli airstrike, Gaza's health ministry has said, in the deadliest single attack since the start of heavy fighting between Israel and Gaza's militant Hamas rulers nearly a week ago.

Rescuers raced to pull survivors and bodies from the rubble of three flattened buildings after the attack in Gaza City, which also left 50 wounded.

Gaza health officials said 16 women and 10 children were among those killed, bringing the number who have died in Gaza since last Monday to 190, including 54 children.

On the Israeli side, there have been at least 10 deaths, including two children.

Medical group MSF said that one of its clinics was among the sites damaged by overnight Israeli aerial bombardment.

As hostilities stretched into a seventh day, rockets were fired into Israel and both Israel and Hamas, the Islamist group that runs the enclave, insisted they would continue their cross-border fire despite UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reminding all sides that "indiscriminate targeting of civilian and media structures violates international law".

A session of the UN Security Council to discuss the situation is under way, with Mr Guterres telling members that the hostilities in Israel and Gaza were "utterly appalling" and the fighting must stop immediately.
In other developments
* Israel targeted the home of the most senior Hamas leader in Gaza, Yehiyeh Sinwar, who is thought to be in hiding. He has headed the political and military wings of Hamas in the territory since 2017

* The Pope denounced the "unacceptable" spiral of violence on both sides, saying the deaths in particular of children was a "sign that they don't want to build the future but want to destroy it"

* US President Joe Biden has spoken again with Mr Netanyahu and for the first time since the crisis began with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, in separate phone calls

* Hamas fired 120 rockets overnight, the Israeli military said, with many intercepted and around a dozen falling short and landing in Gaza.

* Amnesty International is calling upon the International Criminal Court to investigate an Israeli attack on a building housing media organizations and another where 10 people including eight children were killed. Israel has said Hamas was also using the 12-storey building, that collapsed after the attack, but AP has challenged Israel to provide evidence

* The Organization of Islamic Cooperation, made up of 57 countries but based in Saudi Arabia, opened an emergency virtual meeting to discuss what has been happening, with the Saudis condemning Israel's "violations" of Palestinian rights

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A statement from MSF, which is also known as Doctors Without Borders, said the clinic hit by an Israeli airstrike provided trauma and burn treatment.

The attack left a sterilization room unusable and a waiting area damaged, the group said. No one was injured at the clinic, but people were killed by the bombing, it added.

The Israel Defence Forces are yet to comment on the allegation but have on Sunday said they targeted "military assets in Hamas' intelligence HQ in northern Gaza, significantly harming the terrorist organization's central infrastructure".

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to push on "forcefully" with a week-long offensive against Palestinian militants despite growing concern about civilian deaths.

Israeli officials say they have killed more than 30 militants in Gaza since hostilities erupted.

Israel said Hamas and Islamic Jihad, a fellow militant group, had fired some 2,900 rockets towards Israel since last Monday - an unprecedented volume of strikes, launched indiscriminately.

The Biden administration in the US on Sunday reiterated its support for Israel while working to de-escalate the crisis.

US diplomat Hady Amr, who arrived in Israel on Saturday to help with negotiations, met with Israeli defence minister Benny Gantz, who thanked America for its support.

Mr Gantz said Israel "takes every precaution to strike at military targets only and avoid harming civilians, while its civilians are the targets of indiscriminate attack".

In the last week, violence has erupted between Jews and Palestinian Arabs living inside Israel, while anti-Israeli protests have flared across the occupied territories, including the West Bank, as well as in neighbouring Jordan and Lebanon.

Diplomatic efforts are under way to try to end the gravest escalation in Israeli-Palestinian hostilities in years but without a breakthrough yet.

Hamas began its rocket assault on Israel last Monday after weeks of tensions over a court case to evict several Palestinian families in East Jerusalem, and in retaliation for Israeli police clashes with Palestinians near the city's Al Aqsa Mosque, Islam's third holiest site.

Speaking to crowds of protesters in the Qatari capital of Doha, Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh said late on Saturday that the underlying cause of the hostilities was what was happening in Jerusalem.
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The Israeli military said on Saturday about 1,000 rockets were intercepted by missile defences and 380 fell into the Gaza Strip..

On Saturday a five-month-old baby boy called Omar - found injured but alive under the rubble - was the sole survivor of one strike that left his mother, four siblings, aunt and four other infants dead.

The Israel Defence Forces were also facing heavy criticism over their decision to target the al Jalaa building in Gaza City that houses media organisations, including the Associated Press and Al Jazeera, even though they gave journalists a warning to evacuate.

Mostefa Souag, acting director-general of Al Jazeera Media Network, called the strike a "war crime" aiming to "silence the media and to hide the untold carnage and suffering of the people of Gaza".

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Israel-Gaza conflict: At least 42 killed in Israeli airstrike as Israel's PM vows to push on 'forcefully' with offensive

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At least 42 people have been killed by an Israeli airstrike, Gaza's health ministry has said, in the deadliest single attack since the start of heavy fighting between Israel and Gaza's militant Hamas rulers nearly a week ago.

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You're welcome to add any contributions guys or any comments!!

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Equality, Diversity and Inclusion - NEW VIDEO https://youtu.be/LqP6iU3g2eE

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The 'Black Lives Matter' Category on Netflix

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The 'Black Lives Matter' Category on Netflix

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Netflix has created a category called 'Black Lives Matter', so streamers and audiences all across the world can access documentaries, TV shows and films that speak on issues such as inequality, discrimination and racism. This allows audiences of all generations to see a visual of struggles faced by minority communities and how they were dealt with or overcome. This section is useful as it can provide an insight into certain events in history and also educate audiences on topics that have dominated history.

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is a decentralized political and social movement protesting against incidents of police brutality and all racially motivated violence against black people.

George Floyd a 46-year-old black man died in Minneapolis when a policeman knelt on his neck for over eight minutes, despite the victim’s cries of “I can’t breathe”.

Footage of the incident sparked protests across the United States and the globe, with demonstrators saying that this was another example of black people being targeted by authorities because of their race.

This is a popular and highlighted movement in today's society and many young people all over the UK have been getting involved in protests and campaigns to show their support for the BLM movement. It had taken over the news in June 2020 and many people may not be aware of why it is happening, so it is important to stay educated on big events such as these that will one day change the course of the . history curriculum

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The Benefits of Equality and Diversity Training

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The Benefits of Equality and Diversity Training

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There is a responsibility of our workplace or employer providing training or courses that highlights the importance of Equality and Diversity at work and why it needs to be understood beyond a superficial level. This is something that also impacts our students and the way we interract with them.

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Equality and diversity is a topic that's relevant for all workplaces, regardless of whether you employ two people or two hundred people, and irrespective of whether you work in an office, a warehouse or on a shop floor.
The aims of equality and diversity are simple: to ensure that everyone has access to the same opportunities and the same, fair treatment.
It sounds obvious to state that we all deserve to work in an environment that's free from discrimination, harassment, victimisation and bullying but, unfortunately, this isn't always the reality once you start to delve behind the scenes of a business.

What's more is that you may not even realise that your actions are denying certain people access to opportunities. You may not be actively disallowing people of a certain gender, race or religion from applying for a job or gaining a promotion but on closer inspection you may start to spot hidden barriers that inadvertently do so.

You're probably familiar with the old saying - that variety is the spice of life - and this couldn't be more applicable than in the workplace. If you actively promote equality and diversity (and have a policy to match) then your business will thrive and people of all backgrounds can come together and achieve success.
'Diversity: the art of thinking independently together.' - Malcolm Forbes, entrepreneur.
Surprising Equality and Diversity Statistics

As of September 2015, there were 31.21 million people in work in the UK. That's 31.21 million different opinions, ways of thinking and opportunities for new ideas.

In the USA this figure reaches over 121 million people. However, large numbers of people don't necessarily equate to equal opportunities. In fact, a report by SHRM stated that 41% of their study respondents said that the reason their company had few diversity efforts was simply because they're 'too busy' to do anything about it.

In relation to culture and ethnicity, recent statistics also show us that:

In 2010, a report suggested that ethnic minority businesses contribute around £25-32 billion to the UK economy each year (Regeneris Consulting EMBAN Legacy Report).

In 2011, Black African women and White and Black Caribbean men were most likely to be unemployed in the UK (2011 Census).

Most low-skilled jobs are filled by Pakistani, Black African and Bangladeshi men (2011 Census).

Only 5.5% of directors in the FTSE 100 are from an ethnic minority (The Cranfield FTSE 100).

These figures may be shocking to some and unsurprising to others, but what's evident is that race appears to have quite an impact on who does and doesn't make the cut. Your equality and diversity policy will help to redress the balance and prevent statistics like these from becoming the norm.
'Strength lies in differences, not in similarities.' - Stephen R Covey, businessman and author.
Equality Act 2010 & Protected Characteristics

The Equality Act was introduced in the UK to eliminate unlawful discrimination, advance equal opportunities and promote good relations between people. The Act makes it unlawful for employers to discriminate against workers and puts an onus on businesses to prohibit prejudicial behaviour and make adjustments so that everyone has access to the same opportunities. All workplaces must comply with the Act and must be seen to be actively promoting equality and diversity amongst employees.

More specifically, the Act offers protection to people with one or more of nine specific 'protected characteristics'. This means that you cannot discriminate against a person based on any of these particular traits. Take a look at the list of protected characteristics below and consider which of them apply to you and your colleagues:

1. Age.

2. Disability.

3. Gender reassignment.

4. Marriage and civil partnership.

5. Pregnancy and maternity.

6. Race.

7. Religion and belief.

8. Sex.

9. Sexual orientation.

Try this: test your knowledge of equality and diversity law with our quick quiz.
'We may have all come on different ships, but we're in the same boat now.' - Martin Luther King Jr, activist and Baptist minister.
Improving Diversity in Your Workplace

Prosperous businesses don't create their success story and then add in a diverse workforce as an added extra. Diversity shouldn't be seen as a bonus or an advantageous attribute - it should be a given. People should expect their workplace to be diverse and offer equal opportunities for everyone.
But why is it so important that you include diversity in the core plan for your business?
Diversity helps you to develop. Businesses can't continue to grow if everyone within them thinks the same, acts the same and has the same interests. You can't choose employees who all fit the same cookie cutter and expect the company to develop in the future. Diversity means that your business will be open to new ideas and new ways of thinking and you're much more likely to succeed.

Diversity is changing the face of businesses. It's also necessary to consider the pool from which you select your employees. In the UK, the working population is aging and there is a rapidly increasing amount of women and ethnic minorities entering the workforce. Gone are the days where the 'middle aged white man' is the epitome of business.

Our Equality & Diversity Training has been designed to help learners understand more about their responsibilities for promoting equality and diversity in the workplace. It aims to help you promote a fairer, more tolerant and more diverse working environment.

Diversity helps you to reach more customers. Does your workforce reflect your customers and clients? Does the workforce match up with the demographic that you serve? Workplace diversity means that your staff members can relate to every one of your customers. If you have a range of people with a range of opinions then it makes it much easier to target a wider range of clients.

Diversity attracts workers. If people see that your company accommodates a diverse workforce then they're more likely to want to work for you. Offering benefits like a crèche for children and flexible working hours, plus being accommodating for religious holidays and cultural apparel, will open up job opportunities to more people than you can possibly imagine.
'We need diversity of thought in the world to face the new challenges' - Tim Berners-Lee, computer scientist.
Benefits of Diversity

When building a diverse workforce you should look to hire people of different genders, ages and races etc. but it shouldn't stop at physical characteristics. Your diverse workforce also needs to be diverse in the way that it thinks if a true variety of ideas and talents are to be brought to the table. There are so many benefits to having a diverse workforce, including:

You'll be able to recruit the top talent if your job applications are open to everyone, and not just a select few people.

Staff members will feel empowered that they've been hired based solely on their aptitude.

Your business will see an increase in creativity because workers from different backgrounds will approach problems and projects in different ways.

Employing people from different cultures may mean that your business benefits from diverse language skills, helping you to sell products and services internationally and provide enhanced customer support.

Employee turnover costs will be reduced if people feel comfortable, valued and happy in a workplace with an ethical culture.

'People may be said to resemble not the bricks of which a house is built, but the pieces of a picture puzzle, each differing in shape, but matching the rest, and thus bringing out the picture.' - Felix Adler, political and social professor.
Case Studies

The following case studies are examples of companies and schemes that have been incredibly successful in regards to developing equality and diversity in the workplace.

BNP Paribas

In 2014, Global banking company BNP Paribas announced the start of their annual Diversity and Inclusion Week. The week takes place in BNP Paribas offices around the world and includes over 50 events across 10 local offices within the UK. The aim of the week is to inspire and educate people about diversity and inclusion through a range of talks, events and panel discussions.

Vinay Kapoor, UK Head of Diversity and Inclusion at BNP Paribas said:
"Diversity and Inclusion is core to our culture. In celebrating the different backgrounds and perspectives of our employees we hope to engage and inspire everyone to bring more of what makes them unique to the workplace. This in turn helps us promote and maintain an inclusive workplace for the benefit of our employees, the communities we operate in and our clients alike. We strive to promote and maintain a diverse, inclusive and stimulating work environment where employees are treated with dignity and respect, valued for their differences in thought, background, experience, perspectives and are empowered to succeed."

Google

Search engine giant Google believes that the best way to improve gender diversity in the workplace is to start from the bottom, by employing more women in lower level jobs, rather than at the top and trying to employ women directly into management positions.

The head of diversity and inclusion for the EMEA region said:
"I think the key thing is to challenge the composition of the level below the senior executives and managers as they are the people who will be on the board in future. This level should be 50:50 men and women. And we are certainly going in the right direction here at Google."

In 2011, Google also created a project called CodeF; a career event and mentoring programme for female, undergraduate computer scientists. The programme lasted 12 weeks and had 8 mentoring meetings held in Google's offices as well as online. The project aimed to increase the number of women working in the technology industry. In the UK the scheme had over 200 female applicants, of which 50 were selected.

The Top 50 Employers for Women 2016

This list is compiled each year by The Times in partnership with Opportunity Now and lists the top 50 organisations in the UK which have demonstrated gender equality as being a key part of their business strategy. The businesses featured all have a consistent commitment to progressing the careers of women in all areas of the workplace.

The 2016 list commends companies including Lloyds Banking Group, KPMG, Marks and Spencer, Royal Mail Group, Santander and the Royal Navy.

The LGBT Power List 2016

The LGBT Power List, put together by professional network OUTstanding, is a list of influential, executive-level business leaders who are openly lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. This year's list features the Top 100 LGBT executives, plus the 30 LGBT Future Business Leaders, alongside a list of 30 'Ally Executives' (heterosexual people who actively support LGBT people). At the top of the 2016 allies list is Salesforce CEO, Marc Benioff.

Mark Gorry, Chief Nuclear Officer at EDF Energy (Number 27 on the 2015 Ally list) said: " To me it's all about creating a culture of inclusion which is critical to building a responsible and sustainable business."

However, the LGBT Power List does provide us with a few statistics which show there's still a lot of room for improvement in regards to LGBT diversity in the workplace.
'Diversity is not a characteristic of life; it is a condition necessary for life... like air and water.' - Barry Lopez, author.
Developing an Equality and Diversity Policy

In order to show that equality and diversity are at the core of your business plan it's essential that you have an equality and diversity policy in place. Not only will this describe how you aim to encourage diversity in the workplace but it also demonstrates to your employees that you take it seriously.

Your equality and diversity policy should apply to every aspect of your workplace, from recruitment, salaries and benefits through to discipline procedures, promotion opportunities and after work activities. Your aim is to cover all situations so that inequality doesn't have chance to thrive anywhere within your business.

Once your policy is written down it makes it much easier to follow and employees, present and future, will have confidence in your commitment towards improving diversity.

To produce your own equality and diversity policy you can get started by reading our guidance and you can even download a sample template.
'It is never too late to give up your prejudices.' - Henry David Thoreau, philosopher.
Further Resources:

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The Benefits of Equality and Diversity in the Workplace

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Equality and diversity is a topic that's relevant for all workplaces, regardless of whether you employ two people or two hundred people, and irrespective of whether you work in an office, a warehouse or on a shop floor. The aims of equality and diversity are simple: to ensure that everyone has access to the same opportunities and the same, fair treatment.

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7 Biggest Diversity Issues in the Workplace

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7 Biggest Diversity Issues in the Workplace

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This is an article that highlights the importance of women in the industry and why they are crucial to businesses and jobs - it is important to recognise the growth of women in the working world and their impact in the world of business.

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- to make sure all employees cooperate and respect the need for equality and diversity in the given workplace

- to make sure we raise any concerns with our employers / management team / line manager

- to speak up if something makes us feel uncomfortable or unhappy

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7 NETFLIX SHOWS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND CULTURE AND RACE

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Early reports indicate that during the first three months of 2020, Netflix shares increased by 16% ... [+]
Getty

Although some parts of the world are slowly opening back up and many countries are loosening their stay-at-home orders following the global pandemic of COVID-19, the majority of the world is still spending a great deal of time at home practicing social distancing. While some have turned to social media platforms like TikTok to pass the time, many are turning to Netflix for entertainment and comic relief. Early reports indicate that during the first three months of 2020, Netflix shares increased by 16% with much of the growth happening during the latter part of March. With the plethora of options that Netflix offers, there are endless opportunities to increase understanding and awareness of other backgrounds. Research indicates that watching shows about people from other cultures, particularly those who you have limited exposure to, can lessen your bias and prejudice against said group. Below is a list of seven shows (which are either Netflix original shows or are currently available on Netflix) that can help you expand your awareness and understanding of different races and cultures.

1. . This show focuses on two brothers and their cousin, highlighting their experiences in their Los Angeles neighborhood of Boyle Heights. The show centers on Mexican-American culture and paints a poignant picture about the larger implications of gentrification and the greater impacts to communities of color. Pop culture references and humor make the show enjoyable to watch and viewers get a deeper insight into the generational clash that many first-generation millennials experience.

2. Unorthodox. This Netflix limited miniseries chronicles the experiences of a Hasidic Jewish woman who escapes her arranged marriage and super-religious community and moves to Germany. The show is inspired by the New York Times best-selling memoir Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of my Hasidic Roots by Deborah Feldman. The show highlights the modern-day struggles between self-identity, cultural norms and expectations, and religion. With pinches of humor sprinkled in with English, Yiddish, and German, viewers fall in love with the main character, Esty. Her endearing personality will have watchers rooting for her at every twist and turn.

3. Dear White People. This series centers around a group of Black students at a predominantly white institution (PWI) and their experiences navigating being one of few Black students at their university. The show is based on a movie of the same name. Themes discussed in the show include Black racial identity, race relations, interracial dating, police brutality, status and privilege. These heavy topics are depicted in a digestible way for viewers to contemplate.

4. . This suspenseful drama centers around the journeys of different women and how they navigate life and religious fundamentalism. This show gives viewers insight into the lives of those impacted by ISIS and allows watchers to see the experience of a Muslim woman in Syria juxtaposed with the experiences of two young Muslim sisters and a Swedish Security Service agent in Sweden. The show Caliphate, which is a word that translates to mean a government under Islamic law, focuses on themes of religion, identity, and radicalization, while keeping viewers gripped on the edge of their seats.

5. . This addictive drama centers on four teenagers of color and their trials and tribulations growing up in an inner-city neighborhood in Los Angeles. Viewers get to laugh and cry as the characters traverse the ups and downs of adolescence coupled with themes of crime, violence, and young love. The characters tackle issues of parent absenteeism, grief, and racial identity in a moving way that leaves viewers yearning for more after each season.

6. When They See Us. This miniseries is a tear-jerker and should be watched with that understanding in mind. The show, which was directed and co-written by Ava Duvernay, chronicles the life of the Central Park Five. The Central Park Five was a group of then-teenaged Black and brown boys who were wrongfully accused of beating and raping a White woman who had been jogging in New York's infamous Central Park. Viewers gain a deeper understanding of the cracks in the United States criminal justice system and the insidious effects of racial inequities for Black and brown communities.

7. Never Have I Ever. This recently released show was created by Mindy Kaling and centers on an Indian-American teenager and how she navigates life. This comedy focuses on the typical teenage struggles of romantic relationships, friendships and self-identity while also highlighting generational gaps and the cultural expectations that many first-generation Americans experience and can relate to. Initial reports indicate the viewers are refreshed by the diversity of the cast, who are not just "White, cis, able-bodied." The show presents a humorous and relatable tale of one teenager's journey to adulthood.

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7 Netfix Shows To Better Understand Race And Culture

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Although some parts of the world are slowly opening back up and many countries are loosening their stay-at-home orders following the global pandemic of COVID-19, the majority of the world is still spending a great deal of time at home practicing social distancing.

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It may sound a bit too easy to say turn on netflix and watch a show to educate yourself on diversity.

HOWEVER, watching documentaries, YouTube series and yes, netflix shows can prove to be very educational if you pay attention to story lines and casts. In today's modern society, shows are very intentional in including history and culture into their storyline, so as to teach the audience about certain events of the past and how it made people feel.

Writers and directors are more aware and have a responsibility to talk about the stories and histories behind the lives of BAME demographic - shows such as 'Noughts and Crosses' by writer Malorie Blackman highlight the inequalities faced in Britain but with a role reversal of the white community being discriminated against. This show explores police brutality and discrimination on a graphic level, which we can relate to modern day news such as the BLM movement.

If you haven't watched - it's a good one!!

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So, what is culture?
Culture is defined as: the ideas, customs, and social behaviour of a particular people or society.

Culture is an important aspect of the identity of many individuals, which is why it is vital that we understand and respect others' cultures as it may be different to the way you live / what you do in your life.

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Top 10 websites to learn about Diversity and Inclusion.

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There is a wealth of information online, many organisations working hard to raise awareness of the lived experiences of those that aren't counted as part of the mainstream. It is important that we use the resources that they produce to support our diversity and inclusion work.

Evidence forms the bedrock for diversity and inclusion business cases and generally just helps us understand difference better.

Below are some key reports, websites and blogs that can inform you.

1. Human rights and how they interact with the current affairs of the UK can be followed in the very accessible website and newsletter from Equally yours. To understand the articles of the Human Rights Act and how they affect people in the UK go to the human rights campaign organisation Liberty.

2. For global perspective on gender in the workplace, Catalyst produce research and reports about how to make the workplace, work for women. Covering topics such as sexual harassment, gender inclusive leadership and intersectionality in the workplace.

3. The case for changing the gender bias in leadership in the workplace is given in the UK in the report and Mckinsey company provide data and reports across different industries and with a global perspective.

4. The BITC Race in the workplace campaign provides a road map for improving the conversation about race in the workplace in the UK. The report to back this up is the McGregor Smith review, with case studies, data and a literature review.

5. Best place for ethnicity stats in the UK is the Ethnicity stats and figures UK government website. The website also gives good best practice advice in monitoring race and ethnicity e.g. using the terminology 'ethnic minority' not BME/BAME.

6. Intersectionality theory and practice; a research paper that explains the history and theory of intersectionality, by Delta Alpha PSI an organisation that specialises in the psychology of diversity, inclusion and discrimination.

7. Is Britain fairer? The Equality and Human Rights Commission produce this all-encompassing report with statistics on disproportionate outcomes on health, housing, education and life in general in the UK - across all diversity strands.

8. Stonewall are an organisation that campaigns for LGBT equality in the UK. They are the best website for guidance and reports about the lesbian, gay and bisexual experience in the workplace and different sectors (e.g. schools, sports, health) in the UK on (note that before 2016 Stonewall did not represent trans people, therefore you can't find a depth of information about the experience of trans people on their webpages).

9. Best practice on disability in the workplace Business Disability Forum and for up to date facts and figures on disability in the UK, Scope are a good source for information.

10. The Centre for aging better, has information about the different experiences, and considerations by age in health, housing, employment and communities. Even how to plan for aging in younger years.

If you have more recommendations for useful or interesting sources of data and information about diverse groups, please suggest them.

Published By

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Top 10 websites for diversity and inclusion information

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There is a wealth of information online, many organisations working hard to raise awareness of the lived experiences of those that aren't counted as part of the mainstream. It is important that we use the resources that they produce to support our diversity and inclusion work.

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It is important for employees to feel accepted and for colleagues and peers to embrace differences in each other. It's also a responsibility upon all staff to ensure a comfortable and healthy working environment. Staff can encourage drop in sessions to voice concerns, or a suggestion box where they can write down any concerns they may have if they do not feel respected or safe in the workplace.

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Institutions around the UK and world encourage a 'Cultural Day' where staff and students are encouraged to bring in a dish which represents their culture or where they are from and also dress up in their traditional clothes. This is a fun way to learn about new cultures and the origins of those you study and work with. This day also involves a 'fashion show' at some point to showcase how diverse all the outfits worn are by staff and students and to showcase positive differences.

Friday, 21st May 2021 is

World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development.

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To encourage Equality and Diversity at Bedford College, we must encourage conversation!

It is important to create a staff culture where all staff feel safe and heard. It is our responsibility to make sure we remain aware of current affairs and how they may affect us i.e. the 'Black Lives Matter' movement. It is important we encourage cohesion, unity, support, and so on.

Educating:
Educating our team members is important so that we are socially aware and also can be fun to learn something new about each other or about a concept you did not know. For example, it may be interesting to find out different traditions we all follow, different beliefs, different cultural aspects and of course DIFFERENT FOODS we all eat! :)

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An inclusive workplace means everyone feels valued at work. It lets all employees feel safe to:

come up with different ideas

raise issues and suggestions to managers, knowing this is encouraged

try doing things differently to how they’ve been done before, with management approval.

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Equality and diversity mean a lot of things. They're about respecting someone for their individual age, gender, race, cultural background, career experience, skills, beliefs (religious and philosophical), sexual orientation, and more.

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Why is Promoting Equality and Diversity important?

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Why is Promoting Equality and Diversity important?

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Having good equality in the workplace is important because it shows that the workplace recognises the importance of providing equal opportunities to all people with all kinds of characteristics and does not discriminate.

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Equality and Diversity in the Workplace.

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Equality and Diversity in the Workplace.

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Equality and Diversity in the workplace is important because it is shown that workplaces that create an environment of mutual respect, contain employees who feel more supported and much happier in the workplace. This can tells us why companies that have a more diverse and equal workforce tend to retain their employees longer.

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Equality and diversity in the workplace mean a lot of things. They're about respecting your staff for their individual age, gender, race, cultural background, career experience, skills, beliefs (religious and philosophical), sexual orientation, and more.

But when we ask, " What is diversity in the workplace?" is it simply a matter of ticking every box and then doing nothing more?

No, it's far more than that. In this guide, we're going to look at why promoting equality and diversity in the workplace can boost your business's chances of success.

Research on the importance of equality and diversity in the workplace

The Equality Act 2010 protects people from discrimination related to any protected characteristics-of which there are nine.

Hiring people from all kinds of backgrounds widens the range of thinking that takes place in your office. When you put a bunch of very different people (but all of them talented) in a room, you're stimulating their creativity by allowing them to present their unique ideas.

In 2017, the Havard Business Review published this article about research that suggests that "cognitively diverse" teams solve problems faster than "cognitively similar" teams.

The researchers pointed out that creating a company culture where you inspire and encourage your staff to express their unique thoughts and ideas needs to go hand-in-hand with the diversity of your people. This is because, "When we have a strong, homogeneous culture, we stifle the natural cognitive diversity in groups through the pressure to conform."

In plain English? People can't access their creativity much when your workplace culture forces them to fit in.

Why else is diversity in the workplace important?

Let's go through some examples of why equality and diversity in the workplace are important and need your attention.
1 A diverse workforce will help you better understand your customers
Many companies now offer their products and services on a global scale.

If you want your business to appeal to customers all over the globe, and be inclusive of all protected characteristics, a diverse workforce will give you a competitive upper hand over many rival companies.

For example, in the UK, the combined disposable income-or "spending power"-of the country's 12 million-or-so disabled people was roughly £80 billion in 2014.

Given that a massive number of UK citizens have a disability, the benefit both to this large portion of society, and to businesses, surely comes in the form of integrating disabled workers into business. For any successful product or service, effective design involves knowing the user (the customer) as well as possible, and tailoring the design to the user-not the other way round.

The less a person has to do to adjust to your product, the better your design. This is the same whether you're designing a new smartphone or a legal services package.
2 A diverse workplace breaks down language barriers
Sure, English is a popular language. But it's not the only language your business needs fluency in if you're going to offer a global customer service.

With employees from different nationalities, as well as staff who have taken learning a foreign language to an advanced level, you can take your business to new shores.

If your company has employees from multiple nations, too, it's relatable to a greater audience around the world-this is even more important in today's Digital Age, now that it takes just a few seconds to send a message to, or video call with, someone 10,000 miles away.

By opening your organisation's recruitment up to racial diversity (and all other forms of diversity), you gift your hiring managers a larger talent pool to access. You may even find that hiring remote workers in different time zones could lead to new offices in countries you never thought your business would be active in.
3 Promoting equality and diversity can increase employee satisfaction
In the UK, many large businesses now have to disclose information about their gender pay gaps. This means talented workers can review your company's pay gap before they think about applying to your intriguing job ad.

If you can demonstrate that you're moving towards an equality of pay for men and women, you'll attract more skilled workers. The more skilled workers you have, the better your company's chance of success. And then, snowballing from this-the more you can reward your employees.

Need help?

You now know the importance of equality and diversity in the workplace-it's important that you ensure that your staff know your policies on inclusion, diversity, and discrimination.

With BrightHR's HR software, you can store your vital company policies in unlimited secure cloud storage, and make the most of our BrightAdvice employment law advice-all from as little as £3 per month.

Give us a call on 0800 783 2806 and book your free demo of BrightHR.

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Equality & Diversity in the Workplace | BrightHR

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Equality and diversity in the workplace mean a lot of things. They're about respecting your staff for their individual age, gender, race, cultural background, career experience, skills, beliefs (religious and philosophical), sexual orientation, and more. But when we ask, " What is diversity in the workplace?"