Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
    • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
    • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Latest News

B&Q survey reveals UK’s resistance to diversity

by Personnel Today 16 Dec 2003
by Personnel Today 16 Dec 2003

A detailed survey into ethnic
minority and cultural issues in the workplace commissioned by DIY retailer
B&Q has highlighted the resistance to ethnic diversity in the UK.

B&Q, which has an excellent
record of employing older and ethnically diverse workers in it stores, carried
out the survey to gain an insight into the issues its employees face.

Nearly 400 employees responded to the survey and these are the main
findings:

● More than a third (36 per cent) of employees with ethnic
backgrounds believe they face discrimination in their everyday lives.

● 50 per cent of those surveyed also believe that there is
widespread discrimination against minority people in British society generally.

● 10 per cent of those surveyed had experienced discrimination from
customers at B&Q.  The company
intends to address this issue by training managers on how to deal with
discriminatory behaviour by customers.

● 49 per cent of respondents claim they have personally encountered
barriers to employment during their working lives as a result of the ethnic
background.

● 72 per cent of the total sample said that they spoke languages
other than English.

● More than two-thirds (68 per cent) of those respondents said they
used these languages in-store, demonstrating that a culturally diverse
workforce can have a positive impact on customer relationships and the bottom
line of the business.

● Black/black British respondents were significantly more confident
about finding work than Asian or Asian British respondents – 69 per cent
compared with 53 per cent thought they would definitely or probably get a job
in the future.

● 77 per cent of Asian/Asian British respondents believed there was
widespread discrimination in British society generally, compared with 68 per
cent of black/black British respondents.

Sue O’Neill, B&Q’s social
responsibility manager (diversity), says that as one of the UK’s biggest
employers, it is important for B&Q to know how its diverse workforce is
feeling, what the company is doing well, and in which areas it can improve.

"The survey throws up no
real surprises, and reassures us that, while there is always room for
improvement, our staff value working in teams made up of people from different
cultures and backgrounds," she said.

"Creating a culturally
diverse workforce is certainly commercially viable for B&Q. We want to
continue to get it right and ensure that we reflect the local communities in
which we operate, and keep our staff and customers satisfied."

By
Quentin Reade

Avatar
Personnel Today

previous post
TUC condemns ‘back-to-front’ approach to workplace disputes
next post
Female directors narrow the gender pay gap

You may also like

Quarter of workers feel unsupported after bereavement

1 Jul 2022

Employment law changes for 2022 and beyond: update...

1 Jul 2022

BT workers vote for strike action over pay

1 Jul 2022

Chief financial officers now more involved in HR

1 Jul 2022

Top 10 HR questions June 2022: Former employees

1 Jul 2022

Pay all care workers a £10.50 hourly minimum...

30 Jun 2022

Royal Mail managers vote to strike over restructure

30 Jun 2022

Give wellbeing a board seat: Prof Sir Cary...

30 Jun 2022

One in five workplaces lack LGBT support policies

30 Jun 2022

Christian doctor loses transgender pronoun case, but beliefs...

29 Jun 2022
  • NSPCC revamps its learning strategy with child wellbeing at its heart PROMOTED | The NSPCC’s mission is to prevent abuse and neglect...Read more
  • Diversity versus inclusion: Why the difference matters PROMOTED | It’s possible for an environment to be diverse, but not inclusive...Read more
  • Five steps for organisations across the globe to become more skills-driven PROMOTED | The shift in the world of work has been felt across the globe...Read more
  • The future of workforce development PROMOTED | Northumbria University and partners share insight...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2022

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2022 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
    • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+