A new report suggests that London may have significantly more diverse workplaces than the rest of England and Wales. As the report highlights, workplace diversity is an important way to tackle prejudice in wider society and, in a world where work-from-home measures are increasingly being used to combat the coronavirus, this impact may already be undermined.
The Study
The study, which was carried out in 2019 by the Woolf Institute, is of particular interest during the pandemic, which has forced many into homeworking. The report looks in particular at interfaith relations between Jewish, Christian and Muslim employees, with researchers questioning 11,701 people about their attitudes to religious, ethnic and national diversity.
Specific questions focused on diversity as it relates to marriage and friendship groups as well as the workplace. The data also provides insight into how attitudes vary in different areas of the UK. The technique used to assess regional variation is known as multilevel regression and post-stratification (MRPS).
MRPS combines data from the Office of National Statistics and the census with results from other large national surveys. This allows it to analyse the likely demographics of an area. Then the study can calculate how many people in certain demographics live in a specific region or locality, such as London.
Results
The results show a startling variation in the levels of diversity experienced between the employed and unemployed. Across the UK, around 75% of workers are employed in businesses where the environment could be considered diverse. Unemployed people, however, are 37% more likely to have a homogenous friendship group.
Region is one of the clearest indicators of disparity in workplace diversity, even allowing for other variables such as educational level or profession. If you live in London, you are 68% less likely to work in an entirely British workplace compared to the Northeast of England. These figures are reflected in the friendship data, which suggests those in the northeast are 150% more likely to have a friendship group comprised entirely of people of the same background.
The impact of the pandemic
One way in which government and business are attempting to manage the spread of coronavirus, especially in built up urban areas like London, is by encouraging remote working. Whilst it is essential in the current lockdown for Londoners to work at home, this does mean that workers are less likely to be spending time with a diverse range of people, which can and likely will have an impact over extended periods of time.
This is worrying as evidence shows that exposure to diversity is an important way to tackle misconceptions about other races and religions. The social isolation caused by the pandemic may be undermining attempts to reduce prejudice through diverse interactions.
The office is one of the best places to meet people of different races and religions. You can come together in a friendly, non-threatening setting where you may realise that your pre-existing prejudices may not be accurate. This is especially true in London, which has the most diverse workplaces in the UK. It also means, however, that the social isolation of the pandemic is possibly slowing or even having a negative impact on multiculturalism in the most multicultural cities on the planet.