Diversity and inclusion in the modern workplace
Instilling a culture of diversity and inclusion is a key area of focus for employers. It is also one of the most important challenges. International Women’s Day is a day of celebration and awareness, but also a day of reflection.
Addressing the gender pay gap has helped organisations to go some way towards tackling inequality at work but it is only part of the issue. By focusing on pay, they risk missing underlying drivers and other discrepancies between binary and non-binary employees that contribute to an overall culture of inequality.
Gender binary definitions are rigid and rapidly losing traction. The reality is that we are living in an increasingly fluid world. How we define sex and gender is changing. Therefore, should we move away from inadvertently defining workplace policies, employee benefits or employee surveys around gender?
Inclusive employee benefits that support diversity
Inclusive employee benefits are the bedrock to a strong diversity and inclusion agenda. They can demonstrate your commitment to recognising and supporting your entire workforce. To design inclusive employee benefits, businesses must recognise demographic and sociological changes that impact how individual employees identify themselves.
With employees at centre of your employee benefits package, you can increase your sensitivity to what they need and how best to meet those requirements. You can tailor how your benefits are presented, communicated, and made accessible.
Without this attention to detail, you may find yourself unintentionally or unconsciously discriminating against certain groups or individual employees.
Why diversity, inclusion and equality matter at work
Fostering a culture of inclusivity encourages employees to bring their whole selves to work and enables them to succeed regardless of their background, gender, race. For businesses, it can enhance you employee value proposition, enabling you to better retain talent and attract candidates from a wider talent pool.
Inclusive employee benefits will help you achieve a more diverse workforce – one where all employees feel valued, motivated, and engaged, now and in the future.
