Unit 5: Encouraging Respect for Diverse for Diversity in the Workplace

Lesson 2: Creating a Climate of Inclusions

Introduction
All inclusive workplaces must operate within a supportive environment.
This section defines and discusses group identity and presents actions which will help create a workplace
climate genuinely supportive of individual and group identities while still allowing organisational and
personal work goals to be achieved.

Group identity and its influences

Group identity refers to the way a group wants to be seen by others. Their identity is based on
factors they consider to be worthy and valuable.
The people who belong to the group conform to these criteria/standards/values in order to be
seen as belonging to the group. Problems may occur when the individual criteria/standards/values of a
worker are significantly different to those of the group they are working in.

Group identity is sometimes referred to as the glue that holds a group together.
Group identity has a major influence on many things the members of the group do in a work situation –
such as:
 The way they act/behave in the workplace – towards each other, other teams/groups and
towards management and customers
 How they speak/talk to others while at work – especially workers from another group/team,
customers and management/owners
 The way and the extent to which they communicate/share information in the business –
between teams, with customers and with management
 Their dress standards – and the extent they comply with imposed guidelines/requirements for
personal presentation of staff
 Compliance levels – with workplace policies and procedures/general requirements, the extent
they strive to achieve goals/objectives set for the team and/or the business, and the degree to
which they are prepared to align with legally-imposed obligations/mandatory obligations. Group
identities will relate to characteristics by which an individual is recognisable as a member of a
group and include reference to their:
 Cultural background
 Gender
 Age
 Sexual preference.

Creating a supportive working climate

The following will help create a work climate where group identities do not inhibit/negatively impact
workplace performance or the attainment of individual career goals:
 Commit to an inclusive workforce – the business needs to determine it is genuinely committed
to the concept/principles of diversity and equity. Without this basic fundamental there will
never be any real progress towards a truly diverse workplace
 Initiate a team to develop the protocols to support and underpin the diversity initiative – in
terms of writing/creating the necessary documentation and workplace frameworks to enable
diversity to exist and flourish. The team should comprise a blended balance of management
personnel and employees from within all departments of the business
 Develop a Diversity Strategy – to guide how the organisation will address workplace diversity
and what it will do to achieve the targets and goals it sets for itself within that Strategy. The
Diversity Strategy may set direction for the organisation in relation to topics such as:
 Increasing numbers/percentage of workforce from identified ‘disadvantaged
groups’ (such as women, the disabled, youth, elderly, people from nominated
countries) – in accordance with ‘affirmative action’ principles which seeks to
take action to positively discriminate in favour of a disadvantaged group
 Setting targets for the percentage/numbers of the workforce from nominated
groups – such as: – ‘25% of management-level employees will be female by
XX/XX/2016’ – ‘Front office staff will comprise 10% disabled people by
XX/XX/2016’ – ‘The organisation will have a workforce comprising 25 employees
over the age of 55 years by XX/XX/2016’
 Describing strategic action (in the form of an Action Plan) to be taken by the
organisation to address and implement workplace diversity – such as:
– ‘The organisation will appoint/employ a Diversity/Equal Opportunity Officer to
implement, optimise and facilitate workplace diversity by XX/XX/2016’
– ‘All existing employees will participate in a nominated ‘Diversity in the
Workplace’ workshop as approved by management by XX/XX/2016’
– ‘The existing Induction and Orientation program for new staff will be
supplemented by the introduction of a new ‘Workplace Diversity’ component by
XX/XX/2016’
 Develop a suite of Policies – to support the Diversity Strategy giving guidance and direction
about how the Strategy will be implemented in the workplace defining and describing terms,
responsibilities, monitoring, reporting and other operational imperatives. Polices may be
needed for topics such as:
 Recruitment – see section 1.3
 Selection – see section 1.3
 Promotion – see section 1.3
 Training
 Bullying
 Harassment
 Victimisation
 Performance management
 Internal consultation and communication
 Dispute and grievance resolution
 Including all diversity policies in the Staff Handbook – and providing each workers with a copy of
this as part of their Induction and Orientation
 Writing/re-writing the public statements of the organisation to reflect the sentiments and
direction espoused by the Diversity Strategy and supporting Diversity policies – and create a
workplace culture of mutual respect and inclusion
 Making someone responsible for implementation of the initiative – so there is ownership of the
innovation
 Initiating/including formal workplace training for all staff – on diversity in the workplace
 Actively identifying diversity issues which are negatively impacting workers in the business –
through a formal auditing or investigation process
 Working immediately to address diversity issues – as revealed by the formal auditing or
investigation process
 Ensuring adequate resourcing for the diversity initiative – in terms of time, money, staffing and
physical resources
 Encouraging all workers to participate – and to become actively engaged with the innovation
 Getting managers/owners to talk about diversity – and make public statements to staff about
their commitment to it and what they will do to implement and sustain it as genuine workplace
practice
 Implementing a ‘zero tolerance’ policy/approach – to all breaches of acceptable behaviour,
languages or relevant workplace policies.
 Integrating achievement of personal goals with the attainment of organisational
targets/objectives – so there is a win-win outcome
 Creating ‘workplace champions’ – of staff who have demonstrated a commitment to the
diversity process and a capacity to implement appropriate requirements