At a time when the nation is either standing with Rashford for all the good he has done to feed children in poverty, or vandalising murals because he missed a penalty, diversity has yet again been highlighted as a huge issue within the UK which affects all aspects of our lives.

This is an incredibly important discussion for everyone, especially in the workplace. Across the UK just 1.5% of bosses are black, only 6 women run FTSE 100 companies and a third have no ethnic representation on their boards.

In Bristol, you can read on reports of the significant issues for equality and diversity: 

The average gender pay gap is 4.08% and the difference between the highest and lowest gender pay gap is 8.9%. 

The City Council is one of a small number of employers in the UK to publish the ethnicity pay gap. No employers have been identified who publish the disability pay gap.

The reported ethnicity and disability pay gaps rely on holding equalities information for all employees. 91% of the workforce have disclosed their ethnicity. 90% of the workforce have disclosed whether or not they have a disability. 

The average ethnicity pay gap is 12.06% and the difference between the highest and lowest pay gap is 17.56%.

The average disability pay gap is 1.97% and the difference between the highest and lowest gender pay gap is 3.25%

So how will employers go about doing this and what can you do?

Start doing ‘blind’ interviews – Pay less attention to the name and looks, no chance for the employer to find out their background prior to the interview so it is purely based on skills and not bias. 

Use gender-neutral job adverts that appeal to all, regardless of the role Gender Decoder: find subtle bias in job ads (katmatfield.com)

Employers should recognise their workforce needs diversity and set their own goals and targets but not do so just to tick a box

Hiring individuals with varying disabilities and experiences will not only help your team build a more diverse and inclusive environment but bring unique perspectives and ideas to help your company reach a wider market of customers and clients.

Research has found that some conditions, like autism and dyslexia, enhance an individual’s ability to recognise patterns, retain information and excel in math — all critical skills for any job.

Gender identity, expression and sex are defined by an individual and how they view themselves. Get rid of the stigma surrounding LGBTQ+ by using chosen pronouns, inclusive sessions and broadening tolerance to all

Improve mental health awareness, and the wellness support within offices. Many places will have a HR team who can offer support and counselling through the workplace, if they don’t we have our own Safeguarding websites you can visit such as kooth.com support for young people.

The list could go on, diversity and equality is personal, it’s great to discuss this with your colleagues and share your thoughts on these areas.