Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in the workplace is about ensuring people are treated equally and fairly, understanding and embracing their differences, and ensuring a sense of belonging.
In some cases people substitute equity for equality, which is about recognising that people start from different circumstances and so need different resources and supports to level the playing field.
“EDI is a key strand of the work and thinking of HR professionals and we are seeing it change,” says Mary Connaughton, director of CIPD Ireland, the sector’s professional association.
“Organisations have been talking for a while about having an inclusive culture, where people are treated fairly and equitably and have a voice. Now it’s about enabling different groups of people to enter the workforce, whether it’s more parents or more people with a disability, or different minority groups.”
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Flexibility is key
The most effective way to do this is by offering flexibility.
“We are seeing increasing flexibility in lots of different ways, in terms of working hours, days of the week and even around the days people spend in the office if they are hybrid working,” says Connaughton. “For employers it’s a balancing act. It’s about putting the person at the centre of decisions and not being prescriptive.”
True flexibility means developing a culture where people feel empowered to ask for greater accommodation for their individual needs. It includes, for example, providing flexibility when people need it for what were previously almost taboo subjects in the workplace, such as menopause, infertility and miscarriage.
“It means having policies in place to ensure that it’s okay to talk about and to look for support and flexibility if you need it. It’s about giving permission to talk about these things,” says Connaughton.
It also means taking account of cultural differences. “If you’re organising a night in a pub, for example, someone from a different religion might feel ‘I don’t want to go to a pub, it’s not my environment’. It’s about putting people first, being flexible and having options.”
Employee-led policy
Increasingly employers are relying on employees to inform their policies.
“We’re seeing a lot more use of ERGs – groups of employees that come together to drive a particular agenda, such as people from particular nationalities or parents, for example,” says Connaughton.
Groups such as ERGs – employee resource groups – are driving awareness of the various pressures people might be under and what impact that might have on work-life balance.
Very often changes in the workplace are kick-started by experience. “It could be someone who is experiencing a fertility issue, or a miscarriage, whom everyone rallies around. That can lead to a policy, pushing companies to be more formalised in their response,” says Connaughton. “With smaller companies it’s more about ethos. It’s not that you need a formal policy but that someone who needs support feels they can get it.”
Caring for carers
There is growing consciousness around the needs of carers. “It might be a person with a child, it could be a child with a disability or it could be someone looking after elderly parents,” Connaughton explains. “There is a realisation that the level of support required for ageing parents isn’t going to go away given our ageing society. So there is a whole new range of causes being added to the equity umbrella and employees expect these to be built into practices and for employers to not just ‘talk the talk’.”
The tight labour market is putting increased pressure on companies to be more employee-centric, both to attract and retain people, she adds.
Neurodivergence
Companies are increasingly aware of neurodiversity and neurodivergence – autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder affect 10 per cent of the Irish workforce, says Connaughton.
“It’s not about labelling, it’s about being alert as an employer to possible symptoms and asking people if there are certain adaptations they could make to the workplace that would help the person in their work,” she explains. A new code of practice here in relation to reasonable accommodation will give employees greater entitlement to more supports.
“It’s about employers asking how can we make sure you can work in the best way you can and creating an environment where people can come forward and say what would really help them,” Connaughton adds.
