Review of how employers help ethnic minorities to progress

The government has ordered a review of how well employers are helping ethnic minorities to progress in the workplace.

The new study will assess what steps businesses have taken to remove barriers highlighted in the recent McGregor-Smith Review into black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) participation and progression in the workplace.

It found that the economy could benefit from a £24 billion-a-year boost if BAME people had the same opportunities as their white colleagues.

The review also called on companies with more than 50 employees to publish a breakdown of their workforce by race and pay band.

The new research will show what action employers are taking to prevent bullying and harassment of BAME people and whether companies are reporting their ethnicity pay gap.

This will help to establish whether any further action is needed to ensure workplaces are inclusive.

Business Minister Andrew Griffiths said: “It is unacceptable that people are being held back in the workplace because of their ethnic background – we want to make sure that the economy works for everyone.

“This new research will establish what steps employers have taken to haul down workplace barriers and harness the talent of a diverse workforce, helping us to assess if further action is needed.”

Sandra Kerr OBE, Race Equality Director of Business in the Community, which will carry out the review, said: “We received an overwhelming response to the original survey in 2015, which highlighted that this is an issue that people want to talk about.

“Now we will see if the recommendations we made in 2015 are being put into practice by employers and what impact that is having on BAME employees across the UK.”

We shall keep employers informed of developments.

Please contact Robert Bedford if you would like more information about the issues raised in this article or any aspect of employment law.