October is Black History Month in the UK. A quick history: Black History Month was introduced in October by Akyaaba Addai Sebo in 1987. Sebo was a member of the Greater London Council and saw the racism and discrimination evident in 1980s Britain. Black History Month is a time to celebrate, highlight and reflect on Black history.
In light of Black History Month, The HR Dept South London wanted to highlight how to create an inclusive workplace.
An inclusive workplace is a space where employees can be their authentic selves and feel a part of team with a sense of belonging. The legality of racial discrimination is wildly understood as race is one of the nine protected characteristics in the Equality Act 2010. Yet inclusive workspaces extend beyond legality and rather hinge on clear communication and support. There are two types of inclusion: organisational and individual. Organisational inclusion is business wide and on a bigger scale whereas individual inclusion focuses on individual employees. Having this in mind when thinking about diversity and inclusion will enable you to have a more nuanced approach.
It is essential that managers receive diversity and inclusion training and that businesses have clear policies and processes if discrimination occurs at work. It is important that managers can have conversations that they may find difficult surrounding the topic of race and inclusion. These measures are key to both organisational and individual inclusion. Managers should also be aware of intersectionality, a term coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw which explains where discrimination occurs based on two or more overlapping social categories – for example, race and class. Being aware of intersectionality increases a manager’s understanding, which is key when having conversations on race and inclusion.
Additionally, an inclusive workplace is one built on trust, where employees can speak in an open and honest way surrounding inclusion and which acknowledges marginalised voices. This continues, as any feedback given during these conversations will be enacted on. It is important that managers recognise individuality and foster an environment where everyone can thrive. Also, an inclusive workspace avoids generalisations such as ‘BAME’ or ‘POC’ – the CIPD uses the terms black and ethnic minority and advises for employers to be as specific as possible.
In summary, an inclusive workplace is built on having understanding and clear communication. It is important to acknowledge that Black History Month has been criticised as black history is constant and always prevalent opposed to only being important in the month of October. With this criticism in mind, it is essential that diverse and inclusive workplaces are built and maintained throughout the entire year.
