How Is Workplace Diversity Affecting the Work of Human Resource Professional - Essay Example

How is workplace diversity affecting the work of human resource professional working for an organization in a major such as London? University Date of Submission 1. Introduction The purpose of this paper is to comprehensively explore the notion of how workplace diversity has been impacting the roles, responsibility and work of human resource professionals that render their services to various organizations and companies that are operating in a major city such as London. In order to critically evaluate the consequences and implications of increasing workplace diversity within the business environment, the focus of this analysis is specifically directed towards First Bus. As a part of FirstGroup Plc, which is recognized as the foremost transport company that serves more than 2.5 billion passengers on an annual basis and provides employee to over 120,000 workers, the UK bus division of the organization amasses a fleet of 7,400 buses and caters to 2.3 million commuters on a daily basis (FirstGroup Plc., 2014a). 1.1 Definition of Workplace Diversity According to Daft (2007, p. 333), workplace or workforce diversity refers to “a workforce made up of people with different human qualities or who belong to various cultural groups”. The assessment of this definition entails promoting an understanding of those specific traits, aspects or factors that comprise of diversity and contribute towards the creation of distinguishing features amongst individuals in a workplace setting. As suggested by Esty, Griffin and Hirsch (1995), the dimensions that aid the classification of employees on the basis of certain features also allow individuals to gain access to a minority group. This group is created when employees are not able to identify with the majority group that functions or exists within the workplace. In accordance with this observation Esty, Griffin and Hirsch (1995, p. 3) outlines ten dimensions of workplace diversity which include 1) sexual orientation 2) class 3) ethnicity 4) age 5) race 6) hierarchy/status 7) gender 8) religion 9) physical ability/disability and 10) family situation. An interesting observation that has been made by Daft (2007) with regards to workplace diversity in the present day and age is defined as generational diversity that is becoming a major concern for human resource professionals in current business settings. This cause emerges due to the consequence of multiple generations operating in the same working environment, where the drastic variance in mindsets, perceptions, thinking, beliefs and experiences is a challenge with regards to assimilating the said factors to achieve desired results and attain organizational objectives (Daft, 2007). 1.2 Employment Policy and History in the United Kingdom According to the report published by CIPD (2013), the dynamics of UK employment, economy and industrial growth have been strongly associated with the impact of migrant workers. Even though, migration has always remained one of the critical factors to influence the formulation of UK employment and labor statistics, its impact has grown drastically over the course of the past ten years. CIPD (2013) cites the results of the Labor Force Survey (ONS) which suggests that the rise in employment rates that has been reported in the previous decade is largely attributable to the participation of migrant workers in UK’s labor force. The great significance of migration statistics to this discussion in addition with describing the history of UK’s employment policy is that, the influx of foreign employees invites with itself a diverse array of ethnicities, languages, family backgrounds, religious views and social differences that are dominant characteristics of workplace diversity. Considering the fact that migration has always been a critical component of the UK economy, it is not surprising that the nation’s employment practices and policies have readily catered to this factor. As noted by Paludi (2012), the United Kingdom protects the rights of employees by the implementation of a number of important regulations and legal protections, such that if any company or organization is found guilty of violating these obligations then it is bound to be penalized under the country’s judicial system. Various examples of employment policies and acts that aim to safeguard the rights of employees include the regulations that the country must abide by under the 2003 European Union (EU) Employment Directive (Paludi, 2012). More recently, the UK Parliament has enacted the Equality Act 2010, which aims to govern the cases and scenarios that are associated with acts of discrimination, racism, stereotyping and prejudice that are directed towards a specific individual or community. The stipulations of this Act also extend to the workplace setting and business environment that comprises of employees that belong to various differing backgrounds. 2. Workplace Diversity at First Bus Given the large-scale operations of the firm, it is apparent that it is faced with workplace diversity issues that must be handled effectively by its Human Resources (HR) department. According to First Group Plc. (2014b), the company strictly enacts workforce policies that demonstrate a compliance with its diversity policy. However, due to cultural differences of the society that exists within the United Kingdom there is a possibility that the company may not be able to equally represent all communities in its UK bus division. The following section of the discussion assesses the specific HR issues at First Bus in order to evaluate a human resource professional’s critical role in resolving them. 2.1 Cultural Issues at First Bus CIPD (2013) reports that for the period between 2002 and 2012, the reported rise in overall employment in the United Kingdom has stood at 1.7 million; however, a critical point of observation in this scenario is that this trend is not attributable to the participation of UK-born workers for their presence has continued to be static. On the other hand, the ratio of non-UK workers within the overall level of employment has rise to 14% from 9% between 2002 and 2012 (CIPD, 2013). In terms of conducting a comparative analysis, it can be declared that the growth in UK-born worker participation in the economy has risen by 1.5% from 2011 to 2012; however, the increase in non-UK worker participation in the economy has been greater than that at 5% (CIPD, 2013). Linking this statistical data to the core of this discussion, it can be suggested that the state of UK migration poses the risk of greater cultural issues in both large and small organizations due to the presence of vast cultural differences. As demonstrated by the data for First Bus, an ethnic analysis of the UK Bus divisions highlights the apparent cultural issue as it highlights the fact that 75.51% of workers that are rendering their services to the company are White, while, 5.51% are Black, 8.04% are Asian, 0.06% are Chinese, 0.45% are Mixed Race and 9.99% have chosen not to declare their ethnic affiliations (First Group Plc. 2014c). The cultural issues at the company can be addressed from the perspective of linguistic differences, racism and the cultural implications of employee training. Linguistic differences that are posed by cultural issues comprise of variations in language and speech patterns including pronunciation. Lehtonen and Karjalainen (2008) highlight that diversity in language has become an important part of today’s workplace because of diversity, and this observation is not applicable with regards to the use of English. While, it is beneficial for employees to be fluent in two or more languages, being a UK-based company First Bus must train its employees to grasp the basics and fundamentals of English language in order to assist their commuters and passengers who are locals. This task can be achieved by introducing language training programs that are designed on a progressive basis – beginner, secondary and advanced in order to assist the eventual language development of employees who are not proficient in English. As it has already been established that the UK is a diverse society which welcomes individuals from across the globe, having a diverse workforce can be beneficial for a company (Barak, 2000). Having stated that, diversity can also lead to the increase in racist attacks and instances of racism because the workplace accommodates a number of ethnicities that may not always be tolerant of each other. In order to effectively address this issue and ensure that First Bus is free of racism and discriminatory practices, the company readily enacts its Equal Opportunities and Diversity Policy. As per the recommendations of this policy, the company aims to maintain a productive and friendly environment where every individual is treated with dignity and respect and no one is discriminated upon on the basis of their personal characteristics and traits (First Group Plc., 2014d). 2.2 Health and Safety Not only associated is workplace diversity associated with cultural and social implications, having a growing number of employees who belong to diverse backgrounds implies that their health and safety needs and expectations are also comprehensive in nature and therefore, these requirements are expected to be catered to in an effective manner by organization’s human resources professionals. For example, in case of female employees, the company must put into place a health policy that regulates their work during pregnancy and ensures that such employees are assisted by the organization within the highest capacity possible at all times. Similarly, the family orientation of employees is also a key factor in this case. For example, workers who belong to a South-East Asian background tend to have larger families with more dependent children. Therefore, the human resource professional must keep in view the family structure of an employee when the policy is being enacted. Research conducted on an employee’s perception of safety measures in the organization stipulates that in situations when employees are aware that their company is observing strict measures to promote safety then this aspect leads to an increased rate of safety performance (Griffin and Neal, 2000). When discussing the matter of health and safety regulation at First Bus, it must be highlighted that First Group Plc. follows a comprehensive health and safety policy that is executed at all divisions of the group. Apart from providing general guidelines this regulation encompasses the monitoring and reporting of health and safety progress at the workplace as well as the adoption of injury prevention principles to minimize and eventually eliminate the incidence of accidents involving employees within the workplace (First Group Plc. 2014e). Moreover it is also important to understand that the matter of safety at work is not only linked with physical safety and minimization of accidents, as is with their physical requirements employees also need to have completely healthy state of mind to execute their tasks in an effective fashion. Therefore, the aspect of job security must be addressed by a human resource professional in the company at all times because this factor is linked with higher motivation levels (Burke, Fitzroy and Nolan, 2002). 2.3 Gender Problems As demonstrated by the data that has been collected by the company, the UK bus division of First Group Plc. is characterized by a lack of diversity in comparison with other divisions including UK rail. The recent statistics that demonstrate this issue suggest that 91.24% employees in UK Bus are males while, only 8.76% are females (2014c). In terms of ethnic representation, the UK Bus also falls behind other departments which is an alarming situation for the firm. The resolution of this issue lies in establishing a transparent system of recruitment and selection that does not discriminate on the basis of gender or other personal characteristics. According to the company’s equal opportunity policy, it is important for the organization to eliminate from its recruitment process any policies that may favor the hiring of males over females (First Group Plc., 2014d). Furthermore, the company also abides by a sex equality statute that makes it mandatory for companies to set an equal pay for equal work whether the work or task has been performed by a man or woman. These policies are conducive to the creation of a professional working environment at the firm. In addition with these considerations, the notion of flexible working is also significant along with the policies of monitoring and reviewing employee performance. First Bus operates a career page on its official website to launch job opportunities, highlight job requirements and specifications to attract potential employees who are suited for the job. 3. Conclusion The Equality Act, 2010 is a milestone in the history of employment policies and regulations that have been passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The clauses of this Act aim to eliminate the presence of stereotypical, discriminatory and racist attitudes within the workplace environment that pose a threat to the progress of minority groups which otherwise have the potential to execute their tasks effectively and achieve career growth in their job on the basis of merit, skill and talent. The analysis of the First Group Plc.’s UK Bus division suggests that while; the group in its entirety promotes the recruitment of diverse employees the UK Bus department needs to address critical concerns with regards to the matter. By promoting workplace equality the company will be able to benefit from a wide range of idea, skill sets and experiences to aid the development of its business. By demonstrating abidance to the Equality Act, 2010 in all areas of operation the company can protect and safeguard the rights of all its employees to create a professional, motivating and positive workplace environment. References DAFT, R. L., (2007). The leadership experience. Mason, Ohio, Thomson/South-Western. ESTY, K. C., GRIFFIN, R., & HIRSCH, M. S. (1995). Workplace diversity. Holbrook, Mass, Adams Publ. CIPD (2013). The State of Migration. Retrieved from [7th February, 2014] FIRST GROUP PLC. (2014a). Our Company. Retrieved from [7th February, 2014] FIRST GROUP PLC. (2014b). Diversity. Retrieved from [7th February, 2014] FIRST GROUP PLC. (2014c). Diversity and Inclusion. Retrieved from [7th February, 2014] FIRST GROUP PLC. (2014d). Equal Opportunities. Retrieved from < http://www.firstgroup.com/equal_opportunities.php> [7th February, 2014] FIRST GROUP PLC. (2014e). Health and Safety Policy. Retrieved from < http://www.firstgroup.com/corporate/cr/overview/h_and_s_policy.php. [7th February, 2014] PALUDI, M. A. (2012). Managing diversity in todays workplace: strategies for employees and employers. Santa Barbara, Calif, ABC-CLIO. LEHTONEN, T., & KARJALAINEN, S. (2008). University graduates’ workplace language needs as perceived by employers. System, 36(3), 492-503. BARAK. , M. E. M (2000). The inclusive workplace: An ecosystems approach to diversity management. Social work, 45(4), 339-353. GRIFFIN, M. A., & NEAL, A. (2000). Perceptions of safety at work: a framework for linking safety climate to safety performance, knowledge, and motivation. Journal of occupational health psychology, 5(3), 347. BURKE, A. E., FITZROY, F. R., & NOLAN, M. A. (2002). Self-employment wealth and job creation: the roles of gender, non-pecuniary motivation and entrepreneurial ability. Small Business Economics, 19(3), 255-270. Read More