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
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • Maternity & Paternity
    • 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
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • Maternity & Paternity
    • 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+

Right to workNHSZero hoursEthnicityCoronavirus

Inquiry into ethnic minority health and social care virus risk

by Ashleigh Webber 5 Nov 2020
by Ashleigh Webber 5 Nov 2020 Shutterstock
Shutterstock

The Equality and Human Rights Commission, the UK’s human rights watchdog, has launched an inquiry into why lower-paid health and social care workers from ethnic minority backgrounds are more at risk of coronavirus infection.

It will seek to understand how certain ethnic minority groups in the lowest paid roles, such as care assistants, porters and cleaners, have seen a relatively high Covid-19 infection rate, and what work factors – including conditions, policies and training – may have contributed to this.

Workers more vulnerable to Covid-19

How should vulnerable workers feature in return to work risk asesments?

‘Covid age’ model helps determine virus risk, say researchers

Clinically vulnerable told to avoid workplace

It also hopes to establish whether immigration status or any protected characteristics other than ethnicity have had an impact on the likelihood of Covid-19 infection.

“The pandemic has exposed racial inequality across the country. We know that ethnic minority groups are over-represented in lower-paid roles and the effect of the pandemic on those working in these jobs in health and social care is a life and death issue,” said Rebecca Hilsenrath, EHRC chief executive.

“We need to understand the structural issues which have left people from a range of ethnic minorities at greater risk. This inquiry will help to answer those questions and make recommendations that can be applied to a number of other working environments where ethnic minorities are over-represented at the lowest paid levels.

“This includes those on the frontline who have been supporting all of us through the immense challenges we have faced this year.”

The inquiry will look at the experiences of ethnic minority workers from 1 January 2019 to date, considering a range of factors including employment status (whether secure, precarious or insecure); hours of work and breaks; access to information and equipment; policies including those dealing with sickness and grievances; statutory employment rights including eligibility for sick pay; workplace experience and culture; opportunities for training and progression; knowledge of workplace rights and access to support including managers, occupational health, complaints processes and trade unions.

The institutions that commission and run the services these workers provide, such as the NHS, local authorities, umbrella bodies and private sector firms, will also be considered.

A call for evidence and further details about the inquiry’s external advisory panel will be announced over the coming weeks.

Under the NHS People Plan for 2020-21, NHS employers are required to complete a risk assessment for all vulnerable staff, including black, Asian and minority ethnic workers, and take action to reduce the risk the virus poses to them.

HR opportunities in Healthcare on Personnel Today

Browse more HR opportunities in healthcare

Ashleigh Webber
Ashleigh Webber

Ashleigh is editor at OHW+ and part of the Personnel Today editorial team. Prior to joining Personnel Today in 2018, she covered the road transport sector for Commercial Motor and Motor Transport.

previous post
Staff at a Zizzi restaurant allegedly worked despite Covid fears
next post
Personnel Today Awards 2020: HR Technology Award shortlist

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

You may also like

Ethnic diversity: report highlights disparities in school leadership

18 May 2022

Ethnicity pay gaps: Not making reporting mandatory is...

16 May 2022

Record ethnic diversity in NHS, but barriers to...

8 Apr 2022

Working carers: ethnic minorities and lower earners face...

7 Apr 2022

Five steps to forming successful EDI committees

7 Apr 2022

Staff race networks: time to reinvigorate collective voice

30 Mar 2022

‘Urgent’ action needed to support mental health of...

25 Mar 2022

Two-year lockdown anniversary: Still challenges ahead

23 Mar 2022

Police forces must develop black talent, says racism...

22 Mar 2022

Ethnicity pay gap reporting will not be mandatory

17 Mar 2022
  • Apprenticeships are the solution to your recruitment problems PROMOTED | Apprenticeships have the pulling power...Read more
  • What it really means to be mentally fit PROMOTED | What is mental fitness...Read more
  • How music can help to ease anxiety at work PROMOTED | A lot has happened since March 2020, hasn’t it?...Read more
  • Why now is the time to plug the unhealthy gap PROMOTED | We’ve all heard the term ‘health is wealth’...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
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • Maternity & Paternity
    • 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+