6 March 2023
Treating everyone in the organisation as an individual, and valuing the unique contribution they can bring, is a critical part of organisational culture. By incorporating the promotion and support of diversity and inclusivity throughout the organisation, from recruitment all the way to post termination of the employment relationship, employers can reap the many benefits that a diverse organisation can bring, by empowering individuals to participate fully in their work and with their colleagues and enabling them to reach their full potential.
What do these terms mean?
Diversity and inclusion are often referred to both at the same time, suggesting they go hand in hand. However, this is not necessarily the case. Both must be managed separately in order to gain the maximum benefits from their promotion, although some overlap is inevitable.
Inclusion
Inclusion focuses on employees as individuals. What they can bring as an individual to the workplace is unique, and these differences must be celebrated and incorporated into the organisation. In this way the individuals can thrive.
In an inclusive organisation, everyone is able to belong without conformity, providing their own valuable contribution that matters, and performing at their full potential. This is achieved through fair policies and procedures that facilitate collaborative work in diverse groups.
Diversity
Where inclusion recognises individuals, diversity recognises differences. This celebrates the benefits that can be gained from a diverse range of perspectives, increasing the organisations ability to recognise what their customers need, and provide it in a meaningful way.
Equity
Equity is about offering differing levels of support based on individual need, to allow everyone to reach an outcome on a par with others. It recognises that different characteristics may present their own unique barriers to each individual person and so the support offered needs to be tailored to that person, rather than the same support for each characteristic.
Equality
Recognising that regardless of any individual differences, including skin colour, race, ethnicity, sex, gender etc, we are all equal and should all be treated with respect and dignity.
International women’s day
March 8th is international women’s day, when people from around the world join together to share ideas, raise awareness, and promote women’s issues. Below,
#EmbraceEquity is the focus of this year’s campaign; use these resources to promote equity, diversity, and inclusion, throughout your organisation.
Below you will find diversity and inclusion material from across the site, along with a new section of content specifically dedicated and / related to related content international women’s day.
Employment law resource
News articles
- LGBT+ people continue to face discrimination in the workplace
- Employers urged to avoid tokenism during Pride month
- Glassdoor launches diversity and inclusion feature
- The importance of diversity in a post covid economy
- Acas release guidance on managing neurodivergent staff
- Assisting neurodivergent staff post-lockdown
- Gender equity campaign launched
How to guides
- How to develop a diverse and inclusive organisation
- How to measure the levels of inclusion in the workplace
- How to support neurodiverse employees
Templates
- Diversity Survey
- Employer survey: Diversity and Inclusion
- Checklist for creating a neurodivergence friendly workplace
Policies
Webinars
Q&As
International women’s day
Employment law resource
News articles
- International Women’s Day 2023: Embrace Equity
- Women's Pay Day marks point they stop working for free
- “Fake” flexibility for working mothers, study finds
How to guides
Templates
- Gender pay gap reporting – flowchart
- Carrying out gender pay gap reporting – checklist
- Letter to employees informing them of voluntary gender pay gap reporting
- Letter acknowledging a concern about lack of gender pay gap reporting
Policies
Q&As