Top firms urged to join new diversity benchmarking system

The
Government has urged 500 of Britain’s top companies to join a new benchmarking
system, which allows businesses to evaluate the diversity of their workforce.

Trade
and industry secretary, Patricia Hewitt, today wrote to the companies to urge
them to join Race for Opportunity, which allows businesses to evaluate a number
of race-related issues, including how well race is integrated into the
business’s key performance indicators and how many ethnic minority employees
reach senior positions in the organisation.

Hewitt
also said she would like to see the number of FTSE 100 companies who are
members double over the next year.

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"Only
18 FTSE 100 companies went for benchmarking this year. Next year, I want to see
this double, or more," she said. "We’re determined to create a
Britain where everyone can reach their full potential; where racism is
unacceptable and is counteracted, and where racial diversity is
celebrated."

By Michael Millar