In-work poverty, ethnicity and workplace cultures JRF Poverty & Ethnicity Programme Breakout session...
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Transcript of In-work poverty, ethnicity and workplace cultures JRF Poverty & Ethnicity Programme Breakout session...
In-work poverty, ethnicity and workplace cultures
JRF Poverty & Ethnicity Programme
Breakout session presentation for BTEG-Inclusion conference on
Increasing ethnic minority employment 4th February 2013
Research aims
• Relationship between in-work poverty, workplace cultures, ethnicity
• Informal work practices: shaping opportunities, winners and losers
• Discriminatory attitudes and behaviour• Employees’ attitudes and actions vs employers’• How to create change
Large Employer sample supporting exploration of cultures of progression
Private sector 1 Hotel2 Facilities management companies
HotelCo (urban area)FacilitiesCo1 (urban area)FacilitiesCo2 (urban/ semi-rural area)
Public sector 2 Councils2 NHS Trusts1 NHS good practice case study
Council1 (urban area)Council2 (semi-rural area)NHS1 (urban area)NHS2 (urban area)NHS3 (urban/ semi-rural areas)
Social enterprise sector
2 Housing organisations Housing1 (semi-rural area)Housing2 (urban area)
Low paid worker sample – 65 interviewsScotland (30), England (35)
Slightly more females than males
Majority aged 18-55
Migrant workers (31), BME (17) White British/Scottish/Irish (17)
31 ethnicities: Central + Eastern Europeans Black British, British Asian, African
17% Muslim, 26% Catholics
Three self identified as disabled
Typical jobs: domestics, cleaners, waiters, catering staff, support staff, carers, clerical roles
38 full-time workers and 26 part-time workers (17 women, 9 men)
Individual income: 5-25KLargest number: 10-15K
25 households income less than 25K per year
19 claiming at least one benefit (excluding child benefit)
7 claim Working Tax Credit + Child Tax Credit, 6 claim Child Tax Credit
Under claiming: esp migrant workers
The case studies and the business case for diversity
Number and range of initiatives
Clearly articulated business case for diversity Poorly articulated business case for diversity
And bcd specific to one business aim
And bcd related to multiple business aims
Least developed
FacilitiesCo2HotelCoHousing2
FacilitiesCo1 NHS2Council2
Most developed
NHS1Housing 1
Council1
Restructuring and equalities in supply chains
• Out-sourcing in public / social enterprise sector case studies
• Equal opportunities policies in procurement/ supply chains
• A window on supply chains: FacilitiesCo1 & FacilitiesCo2
Ethnic minority recruitment & progression
• Case studies in super-diverse urban areas–Progress in recruitment –Next step, progression gap (e.g. Council1)
• Case studies in diverse semi-rural areas –Working on recruitment and community
representation (e.g. Housing1)
Equal Opportunities? The gap between policy and practice
‘We need to understand that there may be a formal organisational culture proclaiming common values and beliefs, but behind this façade there are likely to be different informal subcultures reflecting distinct values and beliefs’.
(from Noon & Blyton, 1997, The Realities of Work)
LOW WAGE TRAPS
UNSUPPORTIVE LINE
MANAGEMENT
INEFFECTIVE PERFORMANCEDEVELOPMENT
REVIEWS
UNDER-EMPLOYMENT
LACK OF STEPPING STONES
LITTLE SCOPE FOR
HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT
The realities of low paid workLACK OF ADVICE,
COACHING, MENTORING,
WORK SHADOWING
LEARNING TO WORKEXPLOITATIO
N
RIGIDITY OF PROGRESSION
REQUIREMENTS
ETHNICITY AFFECTS
PRACTICES
STEREOTYPING
UNDER-EMPLOYMENT
BULLYING, HARASSMENT,
BANTER
Ethnicity & organisational subcultures
FAVOURITISM
CONFIDENCE, ESOL NEEDS, LACK OF ROLE MODELS
HOURS OF WORK & ACCESS TO ESOL
CLASSES
COMMUNITY LANGUAGE SKILLS, ESOL & SOCIAL NETWORKS
Management mindsets & behaviours
• Conscious and unconscious bias Impacts:
Morale, trust, aspirationReinforcing progression ceilingsPersistent underemployment and in-
work poverty
Key point: Additional layers of disadvantage for BME/ migrant
workersEthnicity affects progession ceilings
Wasted potential
‘The most deprived people are going to stay deprived, if there is no support, if there is nothing …to get them out of that. We do need extra support, we don’t have people in our families whose higher income can support us, so who do we turn to?...If we don’t get the right support, the right encouragement, we are just going to stay at the bottom.’ (Council2, low paid worker, Bangladeshi woman)
Acknowledging gap between official cultures & informal
cultures
• Closer organisational scrutiny of informal cultures
• Step 1? Appointment of Director of Culture change
Community engagement, worklessness & labour market progression
• Creative thinking & progression initiatives• Integrating equality?Example 1: Pre-employment programmesExample 2: Linking tenants with adult educationExample 3: Apprenticeship schemesExample 4: PATH Trainees/ positive actionExample 5: Talent Pools
Promoting career development among low paid workers
Awareness of subconcious bias and recognition of potential
“Working to learn, not learning to work”• Informal training/ coaching /mentoring • Work placements• Positive role models, good news storiesWidening social networks, workplace
interactions, horizons…Creative progression planning
‘I think it is the image they are projecting, it makes people feel like they can’t go for certain roles. So maybe they just need to have a different approach, better communication with their staff, that the opportunities are available for everyone…And maybe, when they are doing adverts or something, they should put a few black faces… Otherwise certain people will not go to certain places.’ (HR Manager, FacilitiesCo1)
Summary
• Gap between equal opportunities policy and reality for low paid workers– Low wage traps and progression ceilings–Wasted potential
• Changing management mindsets & behaviour–A more strategic organisational approach– Leadership and tailored approaches