Diversity and Inclusion Guidance for GLAA employees

Freedom of Information Act Request

Ref: FOI 21-22 42

Date issued: 22 April 2022

Subject: Diversity and Inclusion Guidance for GLAA employees

Question(s):

1.    Does the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority currently issue its new employees with any and or all the following....

a)    A language guide or similar which advises employees on the most appropriate words, phrases, and terms to use when writing to and or communicating with and or referring to their colleagues and or members of the public and or the organisation's clients/customers/service users and or representatives and employees in the organisation's stakeholder and partner organisations. Typically, such a guide will outline words, terms, and phrases to avoid for whatever reason while providing more acceptable words, terms, and phrases.   Such guidance could be included in a staff handbook (or similar) or it could be issued in the form of specific written advice.  Alternatively, it could be included on the organisation's intranet site and or it could be issued/held digitally and or it could be included in any training/induction video/film.

b)    A guide or similar which helps and encourages staff to promote diversity and inclusivity both in the workplace and or in their dealings with members of the public and or in their dealings with the organisation's clients/customers/service users and or in their dealings with employees in and or representatives of the organisation's stakeholders and any partner organisations. The guide will include but will not be limited to advice on best practice when it comes to diversity and or inclusivity and or anti-discrimination policies. It will encourage staff how to avoid discrimination on the grounds of race and or religion and or gender and or sexuality and or age and or disability and or political belief and or social class and or income and or social background. Such guidance could be included in a staff handbook (or similar) or it could be issued in the form of specific written advice. Alternatively, it could include on the organisation's intranet site and or it could be held / issued digitally and or it could be included in any training/induction film/video.

c)    A guide or similar which advises staff on the importance of respecting and using a person's preferred gender pronoun. That person could be a colleague and or a member of the public and or one of the organisation's customers/clients/service users and or an employee and or representative of a stakeholder or partner organisation. Such guidance could be included in a staff handbook (or similar) or it could be issued in the form of specific written advice. Alternatively, it could be included on the organisation's intranet site and or it could be held /issued digitally and or it could be included in any training/induction film/video. 

2.    If you have answered yes to any part (or indeed all of question one) can you please provide copies of the guidance irrespective of the form in which it is issued. 

3.    Since January 1, 2019, has the organisation issued any kind of guidance (as defined in question 1 a to c) to other employees other than new recruits. If the answer is yes, can you, please provide copies of the guidance irrespective of the form in which it is issued. 

Response:

1a) No, the GLAA does not provide this. However, we have provided Equality Diversity and Inclusion training for all employees to enhance understanding of all our obligations as employees and also under the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED). This is in addition to annual compulsory online e-learning provided through Civil Service Learning.

1b) Our Remuneration Committee has just approved an Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (ED&I) policy, which will be disseminated shortly and will provide some of this support to employees. We also have a dedicated page to ED&I on our organisation’s intranet to support our colleagues.

1c) Not currently enforced or addressed specifically.

2) N/A

3) All employees had to attend mandatory training on ED&I in Autumn 2021.