Trevor Phillips has begun a debate on where in organisations the responsibility for diversity is located by challenging its location within HR
In a head to head Dianah Worman and James Traeger argue the case for and against. Funnily, both agree on the point that diversity should be built “into their very fabric” of organisations.
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Submitted by karamat on Sun, 2007-11-11 20:48.At some time or other equality organisations have fallen foul of the same legislation they have tried to enforce on others. I am sure there was such a case in the now defunct EOC.
It was reported that most of the staff of the CRE have not moved onto the new Equality and Human Rights Commission which has replaced it. Furthermore, they are claiming the CRE is guilty of race discrimination. This won’t do the new body’s reputation much good especially as it is chaired by Trevor Phillips who was the Chair of the CRE. He is being asked to put his own house in order.
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Submitted by karamat on Thu, 2007-11-08 19:16.The Sunday Times recruiter Forum provides an excellent article on the subject. Although its focus is on the situation of women with young children, much of it applies to employees across the board.
Men and women with young children or other caring responsibilities or indeed with a wish to balance work-life would be interested in such flexibility.
Another helpful article from the Forum related to flexible working was on Home Working and how managers should manage it.
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Submitted by karamat on Wed, 2007-11-07 09:12.As we approach the festive season, organisations are beginning to think whether to celebrate Christmas and if so, how. Business Doctor offers useful advice including accommodating the needs of those who don’t celebrate Christmas or don’t drink.
In this respect there now is also controversy generated by the leaking of report from IPPR which seems to recommend that all faiths should be treated equally. This was with reference to whether it was ok to celebrate Christmas.
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Submitted by karamat on Mon, 2007-11-05 17:38.Can a black person call another black person “monkey” and say “go back to your country” and in turn be called “white”? This is exactly what happened in the case of Ian Wright who has had a run-in with a black traffic warden. Well, read the details for yourself
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Submitted by karamat on Mon, 2007-11-05 11:10.I thought the Guardian Leader comment was pretty stupid. It seemed to be raising expectations of ethnic minority writers which would never be raised in relation to any other mainstream artist.
I can't imagine anyone would come up with a better response than the one from Hari Kunzru
Also worth reading are contributions from Peter Bradshaw and especially from the book’s author, Monica Ali. She reminds us that if she and other writers were expected to be "authentic" then taken to its extreme this would mean men could not write about women and women about men; one would have to work in the City to write about those who work there etc etc
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Submitted by karamat on Sun, 2007-11-04 17:48.Clarence Thomas the well known US judge who was accused of sexual harassment during his appointment has stated in his memoir that the treatment he had received was a modern form of the appalling treatment black people used to experience at the hands of racists: “The mob I now faced carried no ropes of guns. Its weapons were smooth tongued lies spoken into microphones and printed on the front pages of America’s newspapers..But it was a mob all the same, and its purpose – to keep the black man in h
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Submitted by karamat on Wed, 2007-10-17 18:37.First we have an opt-out clause for Muslim staff working at Sainsbury’s so that they don’t have to handle alcohol. Unless it’s already happened, we will probably have a similar ruling about pork and other meats in the not too distant future.
Then there has been the case of the airport worker wanting to keep her job while wearing a nose stud
Earlier we had the accountancy worker complaining that a comment about her having an arranged marriage was covered by laws on religious discrimination.
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Submitted by karamat on Mon, 2007-10-15 19:23.For those old enough may recall the late 70s when RAR started life and changed the cultural space in this country. I don’t know about you but those of us from a visible minority background like me, it was extremely significant to see so many white young people coming out so visibly to oppose racism. I certainly appreciated the movement for that is what it was.
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Submitted by karamat on Sun, 2007-10-14 18:07.Minette Marrin participated in a debate to answer this question. However, I believe this seems to be the wrong question. What we should be asking of ourselves is: what is important to us in terms of values and who actively believes in those values. We are then more likely to find a helpful answer.
Anyway her contribution is quite thought provoking.
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Submitted by karamat on Sun, 2007-10-14 18:05.