Fairness at Work
The podcast “Fairness at Work” raises the discussion of the fairness in the workplace, especially after the introduction of the 2010 Equality Act. The discussion involves the Minister for equalities of Lid-Dem, Lynne Featherstone, Conservative M for Skipton, Julian Smith and the CIPD´s own Diversity advisor Dianah Worman. The focus of the agenda is the abolition of the retirement age and the on-going debate, related to the introduction of the flexible working hours. The participants of the debate raise some very important questions, which concern not only the notion of the fairness, which Lynne Featherstone, for example, defines as the simple opportunity “to get on, do your work and be promoted and earn anything”, but also the aspects of responsibility delegation and the challenges, which many businesses face with regards to bringing control and organization in the workplace with regards to diversity and equality (CIPD 2011). The point that should be made here that the responsibility for the equal opportunity employment and diversity awareness lies with all of us and not only with the government and the employees, as we often used to think. The reality is that as much as the government can lay some ground and build a framework for diversity and equality management, and the company can invest in building on shared thinking, it is, yet, each and every individual, who can make a difference and create corporate cultures, which can drive equality and diversity.
When it comes to the purpose of these policies, there are various angles, from which this aspect can be seen and analyzed. First of all, equality and diversity policies at work are a way to ensure organizational effectiveness and productivity. Secondly, responsible business practices are based on the recognition of diversity and equal opportunity employment, which makes clear and coherent diversity and equality policies necessary for any organization. Finally, these policies are a manner in which the organization can reinforce behaviors and climate in the workplace, which builds on individual motivation and satisfaction levels.
Fairness at work, as noted by Lynne Featherstone, is an opportunity. This opportunity should include personal and professional growth, understanding of the scope of the job and requirements for the candidates and fair remuneration. These elements build on the critical factors, which drive performance and commitment in employees. Organizations, which succeed in building on a comprehensive and open diversity and equality policies, enable an internal mechanism of performance management through indirect motivational system.
Looking at business responsibility, it is important to recognize that modern businesses are significantly influenced by external pressures from international human rights organizations and governmental bodies, concerned with the activities and fairness of business practices. Development and implementation of the diversity and equality framework in a given organization, therefore, is an essential response of the businesses to these external factors. Comprehension and openness of these policies not only create collaborative working environment, but build on strategic organization between public, non-profit and for-profit sectors.
Contemporary business environment places a lot of emphasis on the attraction, recruitment and retention of the talent in the organizations and building a competitive advantage through creating a working environment, driven by intrinsic motivation and fairness. With regards to this element, the role of diversity and equality policies is twofold. On one side it sets the expectations of personality traits and behavioral patterns on the corporate level and, on the other, it allows building on effective control systems over the compliance with the basic external regulations. These clarity and transparency create internal motivation in employees through building on the drive to bond and comprehend.
While the majority of the businesses realize the need and the role of the equality and diversity policies, in many situations it is possible to observe that companies fail to live up to these values. Manny reasons can drive this failure. First of all, many small and micro size organizations do not have own Human Resource Management (HRM) department and, thus, lack the critical focus on the development and, what is more important, implementation and control of these policies. Secondly, one could argue that the policies and regulations established by the governmental regulatory organs, often find themselves very dubious, and dual reading of the equality and diversity regulations leaves a lot of room for interpretation, resulting in organizational failures to live up to the standards. Finally, one of the critical elements of the business environment is the communication. Very often it is possible to observe that the companies develop a robust set of policies, which, when implemented can drive high performance culture, through diversity awareness and equality promotion. But the same organizations fail to build an effective communication channel, and these policies stay on the paper, never turning into the reality of the organizational culture. It is important to realize that, in spite of the fact that the question and interpretation of diversity and equality can be very complex; the secret of organizational success in implementation of these policies lies in the ability to simplify and narrow the scope of it among the employees.
Modern business environment is very dynamic, and this complexity and dynamism are explained by growing international mobility of the businesses and individuals. Diversity in its cultural, social, racial and other meanings is becoming an integral part of our daily lives and the question of equality, therefore, is more critical in the contemporary business context (Ely & Thomas 2001). It is the responsibility of the government to set the standards and build on the high level framework, the duty of the companies is to delegate, enhance and translate these standards to the corporate level and the obligation of each individual to comply and live up to these values.
References
CIPD (2011) Fairness at Work. Podcast CIPD53 with Philippa Lamb., viewed 25 June 2014, retrieved from http://www.cipd.co.uk/hr-resources/podcasts/53-fairness-work.aspx
Ely R.J. and Thomas D.A. (2001). Cultural Diversity at Work: The Effects of Diversity Perspectives on Work Group Processes and Outcomes. Administrative Science Quarterly. Vol. 46, Issue 2:229-273.
