Interesting changes afoot and as usual ignored by just about everyone when it comes to the media.
Many businesses treat equality and diversity as an add-on, a bit like they sometimes treat health and safety. It is something you think about after the tender has gone in or you apply when you have finished putting the goods or services in place. It’s running the risk, because the chances of being caught out are perceived to be lower than the cost of actually doing something.
Your call – but lets look at the risk when it comes to equality and diversity.
Public Sector spending power is hugely important in this economic climate. Now you might not chase after those tenders yourself, you may be part of a supply chain or preferred partner that contributes to the fulfilment of a public sector contract….or hope to be one. The problem is that public bodies will be required, in some tenders to pass their equality duties down that chain. So if you want the work you may actually have to do something – or you may just run the risk and say you do….but don’t.
As a business you also have duties under the Equality Act so you have done something to address the issues – or you may just run the risk and do nothing.
After all what’s the chances of being caught!
Well the EHRC is ultimately responsible for enforcement and I know that name doesn’t make many businesses quake in their boots. It’s being restructured, transformed into a regulator so it’s not going to be looking at us – right! Well partially right, but it does have a cunning plan.
Lurking on the EHRC website is an enforcement toolkit which encourages individuals, pressure groups, charities and concerned bodies to hold the public sector to account and to challenge them on their equality and diversity duties. It even asks that if, having followed those steps; people are still concerned to report it to the EHRC for enforcement consideration.
Now a potential people’s army of potentially millions or several hundred motivated action groups challenging what is happening means that the odds just got worse. Those groups aren’t going to keep quiet. If they find something to worry about they will make a big thing about it and bad publicity sticks. That publicity is a reputational risk. It hurts commercially especially so if you want a public sector contract. People in the protected groups are also your customers so they may not be comfortable buying from you.
Maybe the risk isn’t worth it any more and it may be better business to do something about it.
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