25/04/2008

Diversity takes centre stage

Sexism and the City, a new report published today by equality pressure group The Fawcett Society, outlines the harsh reality that mothers-to-be and new mothers experience the most discrimination in the labour market. The report is backed by Tessa Jowell, minister for the Olympics and London, and reveals that more than 30,000 women a year in Britain lose their jobs for simply being pregnant.

CIPD diversity adviser Dianah Worman welcomes the research but argues that changing deep-rooted workplace practices will take more than a politically expedient gesture. She calls for a diversity agenda to punch its weight through a national awareness raising campaign.

“The war for talent is a key preoccupation with top teams in business, yet so much talent continues to be wasted through the failure to provide fair and tailored working conditions for all. We need to make the business case for diversity and inclusion through a campaign that hits where it hurts - namely, the bottom line on the balance sheet.”

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