Press Releases
Business need drives new initiative for equality at work
London, 10th March 2010 - The changing demographic of the United Kingdom (UK)'s workforce is the driving force behind a new equality and inclusion at work initiative: the UK Council for Access and Equality (UKCAE) Pathway. The UKCAE Pathway will provide organistaions of any sector or size with a practical framework for achieving equality at work – a necessary step if they are to attract the best talent and reflect the fast changing demographic of the UK population.
Today, only 20 per cent of the UK workforce is white, able-bodied, male and under 45. The same number – 20 per cent of the workforce, or 6.9 million people – have some form of disability or impairment. Of the next two million jobs created in the UK, 80 per cent of them will be taken by a woman. And by 2020, about 50 per cent of the working population in the UK will be aged over 50.
In a recent poll conducted by the Equalities and Human Rights Commission, three out of every four people interviewed said that most discrimination occurs in the workplace.
Equality at work is not an issue of protection or a problem to be fixed: it is a vital component of competitive advantage. Organisations need to take action to address how they attract, include and develop an increasingly diverse workforce, customer and supplier base. The UKCAE Pathway enables organisations to achieve and prove equality at work. It is not a 'box-ticking' exercise in equality, nor is it about political correctness. The UKCAE Pathway exists to help organisations of any size – from one to 500,000 employees - meet the exciting challenges and opportunities of a changing population.
Les Venus, a spokesperson for UKCAE and a Chief Executive of Threshold Initiative, the business support company which provides operational services to UKCAE, says: "Equality at work is a real business issue. The UK workforce, client and customer base is changing, and all organisations are recognizing their need to change with it. The UKCAE Pathway is driven by businesses, for businesses and will deliver equality at work and improved competitive advantage."
The UKCAE Pathway has three steps that include: a 'bottom up' awareness and understanding of equality; an examination of current organisational practices and identification of any discrimination; and the implementation of change. Each step has an independently accredited and audited outcome. The UKCAE Pathway is delivered online and is focused on identifying practical, actionable outcomes. It is affordable to businesses of all sizes and costs from as little as £11 per year (for a sole trader or contractor, for example; or per head for a small business of fewer than 50 employees).
UKCAE was set up and funded entirely from private equity to help build inclusive organisations. UKCAE is a not-for-profit membership body and business is conducted on its behalf by an independent Chair and a Governing Body of Directors, each of whom is nominated from a company, Trade Association or public sector organisation. It includes representatives from the Council of Reference. Governing body members, to be announced over the coming weeks, will include representatives of major UK companies and government departments.
The Council of Reference, comprising charities, not-for-profit organisations and individuals, is the main consultative body for the Governing Body, actively included in the development of the Pathway and advising on issues relating to equality, diversity and inclusion.
For detailed information on the UKCAE Pathway's three steps, see www.ukcae.co.uk.
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For further press information, or to speak to Les Venus, please contact:
Kate Hartley / Richard Houghton
Carrot Communications
Tel: 020 7903 5103 / 0771 406 5233
Email: ukcae@carrotcomms.co.uk
