While
employers have been quick to take on board new guidance on how to monitor the
ethnic origin of their staff, they appear less certain about how to deal with
religious beliefs and sexual orientation.
According
to research by Personnel Today’s sister publication, IRS Employment Review,
eight in 10 (81 per cent) respondent organisations monitor their workforce in
some way, 77 per cent monitor ethnicity and 73 per cent monitor gender.
The
next most commonly monitored characteristics are disability (62 per cent) and
age (60 per cent). Marital status is monitored by fewer than two in 10
employers (17 per cent).
But
one of the least-monitored workforce characteristics were those covered by new
areas of discrimination law. Religion/belief is monitored by less than one
organisation in 10 (9.3 per cent), and just 4 per cent of employers monitor
sexual orientation.
The
research is based on a survey of 75 HR departments, together employing 278,577
people.
IRS
Employment Review managing editor, Mark Crail said: “It is clear that employers
are struggling to get to grips with new areas of employment discrimination law.
In 2007, they will also have to cope with the potential minefield of a ban on
age discrimination.
There
are compelling reasons for HR managers to go back to their policy documents,
employee handbooks and contracts of employment to ensure that they are
thoroughly future-proofed.
“The
campaigning organisation, Stonewall estimates that by 2011, only 18 per cent of
the UK workforce will be white, male, able-bodied, under 35 and
heterosexual," said Crail.
"Public
sector employers are legally obliged to monitor their workforce but private
sector organisations can choose. By monitoring the characteristics of
potential, current and departing employees, organisations can get a clear
picture of the make-up of their workforce and identify problem areas where
particular groups appear to do less well and may be facing unlawful
discrimination.”
What
do employers monitor? Ranked in
order:
•
Recruitment applications 64 per cent
•
Selection: acceptances/appointments 57.3
per cent
•
Selection: job offers 44 per cent
•
Selection: shortlists 41.3 per cent
•
Resignations 33.3 per cent
•
Grievances 24.3 per cent
•
Dismissals 30.6 per cent
•
Disciplinary procedures 30.6 per cent
•
Access to training 28 per cent
•
Promotion decisions 22.6 per cent
•
Appraisal decisions 21.3 per cent
•
Pay decisions 12.1 per cent
•
Job evaluation decisions 13.3 per cent
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