How do I Ensure that my Organisation Provides Equal Employment Opportunities to All?

Assess your Openness to Diversity and Equal Employment Opportunities

What is an Equal Employment Opportunity Workplace?

It is a workplace that is free from discrimination and harassment, where employment decisions are based on merit and where people have the chance to perform to their maximum potential. These workplaces value diversity, equity and equality of opportunity.

The principle of equality protects people from being discriminated against on the grounds of union membership, sex, race, disability, sexual orientation, religion, belief or age. It is based on the legal obligation to comply with human rights and employment legislation in all aspects of employment including recruitment, pay and other rewards, career development and work conditions.

What are the Benefits of an Equal Employment Opportunity Workplace?

Improved Customer Service

Better and more responsive services - A multi-skilled and diverse workforce creates more opportunities to understand and satisfy the needs of your community of customers.

Attracting New Customers

EEO can be a powerful tool to ensure organisations effectively recruit and manage people who can attract new customers. Diversity in the workforce reflects an increasingly diverse customer base.

Employee Motivation

Improved job satisfaction and commitment through greater opportunity for participation in decision making. Employees stay motivated longer and offer greater productivity when they are treated with dignity and respect.

Employee Innovation

A multi-skilled and versatile workplace is tolerant, open to change and innovative.The open, flexible and participative work environment most favourable for a diverse workforce also is most favorable for employee innovation. Improved performance and greater innovation arises through harnessing the creativity of a group of people with different ways of looking at things cooperatively.

Employee Recruitment and Retention

EEO practices can help beat the skills shortage and ensure workplaces effectively tap into the diverse talent pool. A workplace that demonstrates interest in workers as people first, then employees, can attract and retain a higher-quality workforce. By valuing every single employee, you improve the working environment for everyone. This often results in increased loyalty and reduced turnover rates. As well as saving on recruitment costs, EEO ensures a better return on skills investment and maximises corporate knowledge.

Continuous Quality Improvement

A workplace where the talents and contributions of all employees are included, recognized and valued is needed for continuous quality improvement.

Reduced Absenteeism

Case studies show that in numerous organisations where workplace policies relating to flexible time, leave and sickness are in place, there has been a reduction in absenteeism

.

Enhanced Company Image

Workplaces that encourage diversity are seen as good corporate citizens or "Employers of Choice". Doing the right thing with the right people for the right reasons often translates to higher average returns on investments.

Reduced Risk of Claims

Implementing a good EEO strategy helps create an open and non-prejudiced culture where discrimination is not tolerated.

Better Health and Safety

Workplace discrimination leads to stress for all involved, increasing the risk of health and safety issues. Equal employment opportunities and work-life initiatives aim to create a healthier work environment.

More than ever, successful organizations need employees with different backgrounds, beliefs, needs, lifestyles, and physical abilities. Failure to work together can destroy productivity and expose your business to expensive harassment and discrimination claims. Creating an equal employment opportunity workplace requires long-term planning and regular evaluation. But the rewards for such work, including a more comfortable and productive work environment for all employees, are significant enough to warrant the effort.

How do Implement Equal Employment Opportunities (EEO) in my Workplace?

Establish Management Commitment

Senior management commitment is required for any initiative to be successful. Without their commitment or demonstrated leadership, initiatives stall, fall substantially short of the expectation or just plain fail. Having a management team who is committed and consistent in their behaviour results in organisational change that is quicker, deeper and more sustainable. Management commitment is more likely to lead to:

You must work to actively help management discover and rediscover the value of EEO and Diversity. Talk to as many managers as possible and ask their opinions on EEO and Diversity. Ask what would help them be more involved and supportive of EEO programmes. Find out what they are most concerned about in their role. Find out what they consider to the indicators of their success. Then look at how EEO can meet their needs. Use specific, readable charts and graphs on areas that address their needs to communicate their value. You can obtain and keep management commitment by continually communicating how EEO is meeting their needs.

Make sure to keep them informed - your management team needs to understand what is going on at all times.

Develop Awareness

Aim to build an improved awareness and understanding of EEO and diversity by:

:

Review Systems, Policies and Procedures to Identify Barriers

Review and implement workplace arrangements, systems and procedures that promote EEO and diversity by:

Information Gathering and Analysis

Establish a clear picture of your staffing profile, practices and opportunities for improvement by:

Get in Touch with Jump

If you need help, or you answered no or unsure to any of the questions in the assessment tool, then Jump Business Solutions can help you. Phone us on +64 6 754 8987 or +64 27 450 5271 or email info@jump4biz.com and Jump will come to you, discover your needs, and develop a solution that will create real, long-term and positive change for you and your business.