Managing diversity – good practice and the law

Overview

Whilst there is an important legal component to the issue, managing diversity in a positive way is simply common sense, as this very practical one-day course explains. If your HR team is spending a disproportionate amount of team resolving issues arising from questions of race, religion, gender, age, disability or sexuality this course will help them.

Training objectives

This course will help participants:

• Appreciate how a best practice approach to diversity can benefit the organisation
• Understand the key legal issues
• Get to grips with practical issues such as religious observance and dress codes
• Deal effectively with bullying and harassment
• Contribute to the development of appropriate policies and procedures
• Help ‘spread the word’ via the line managers

Audience

In this format, the course is intended for HR practitioners, but it can also be tailored to the needs of line managers, team leaders and supervisors.

Format

A highly-participative, practical and informative one-day course, presented in an outgoing, informal and relaxed style. Business examples, case studies and discussion briefs are used to stimulate participant interest and to cater for a range of learning styles.

Special features

This course can be tailored to the needs of line managers, team leaders and supervisors.

The expert trainer

Toni is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and a member with 15 years standing of the Employment Tribunal judiciary (the youngest member ever appointed). Formerly an HR Director within the BAA group of companies, she is an independent HR / employment law consultant of more than ten years' standing. She has worked with many organisations as a consultant, auditing HR policies, procedures and practices as well as managing complex and sensitive issues such as redundancy, TUPE transfer, reorganisations, etc. An author and trainer, she is also a lecturer for the CIPD graduate qualification.

The organisations she has worked with include, to name but a few, Orange, Ford, AXA Insurance, Westminster City Council, Zurich, OFT, CAFCASS, The White Company, Eurolink Group plc, RDF plc, Canute, BSS, IBIS Hotels, Vinci, British American Tobacco and Brunel Care.

Her programmes are both participative and highly enjoyable and the reaction from participants is always outstandingly positive, as shown by the following client feedback:

‘Exceptional. Feedback from our managers has always been second to none. Cannot be recommended highly enough.’
British American Tobacco

‘Can’t remember when I have enjoyed a day’s ÏworkÓ so much. It was extremely interesting and informative and it was also a lot of fun – I have spoken to the other delegates and they were of the same opinion. Toni was extremely knowledgeable on employment law and had a great sense of humour – many, many thanks and we look forward to seeing you for more training and development initiatives within Vinci.’
Vinci plc

Materials provided are excellent – far exceeded expectations. A great workshop, group energy was brilliant (not easy or expected), which is down to Toni. Great presenter, very knowledgeable and enthusiastic.’
The White Company

‘One of the best course presenters I have seen in some time.’
AXA Insurance

‘Toni recently ran a two day training programme for all of our middle/senior managers on a range of leadership skills. The feedback as always was outstanding. The training was informative, engaging and entertaining. Toni used a range of different techniques to ensure we were given the information and skills we needed to improve our coaching and leadership capability whilst inspiring us to adapt the methods to address our own specific issues. We learnt some very valuable skills and had a thoroughly enjoyable two days.’
Brunel Care

Course outline

1. Valuing diversity
   • Diversity in the UK – what is it?
   • Minority groups
   • Understanding the customer’s objectives / decision criteria
   • Bodies providing advice and guidance:
     – Commission for Racial Equality
     – Equal Opportunities Commission
     – Disability Rights Commission
   • Barriers to embracing diversity and how they can be overcome
2. Avoiding discrimination
   • Legal framework
     – Scope of the legislation
     – Direct and indirect discrimination
     – Genuine occupational requirement / positive action
     – Shifting burden of proof
     – Vicarious liability
     – Time limits
     – Statutory questionnaire procedure
     – Victimisation
     – Definition of ‘disability’
     – ‘Reasonable’ adjustments
     – Age discrimination
     – Remedies: claims in the Employment Tribunal and / or in other civil courts; compensation
     – Recent case law
   • Definitions in discrimination
   • Right to equal opportunity
   • Respecting difference
3. Awareness in the workplace
   • Christmas working, religious holidays, etc
   • Dress codes
4. Avoiding bullying and harassment
   • What constitutes ‘harassment’?
   • Investigating bullying, racial, sexual and other forms of harassment
5. Developing policies and procedures
   • Carrying out a diversity audit
   • Developing good practice guides for managers
6. Review and close