Anti-Racist Workplace Week 2007

With the rapid change to society here with many new people coming to live, work and learn in Northern Ireland, the week seeks to stimulate and support workplaces to:

• Be free from discrimination and harassment
• Be welcoming to Black and minority ethnic (including Traveller & migrant worker) employees and customers
• Accommodate, make adjustments for and value cultural and linguistic diversity among employees and customers
• Take practical steps to achieve full equality in practice
• Communicate a message promoting greater equality within the wider community

This year´s annual Anti-Racist Workplace Week takes place during the week 5-11 November 2007. Anti-Racist Workplace Week 2007 is supported by the European Year of Equal Opportunities for All initiative.

Key themes

The key themes for the year include:

• Rights,
• Representation,
• Recognition and
• Respect

These are essential elements in ensuring that workplaces are integrated.

Benefits to society

The benefits to business’ and wider society of a diverse and integrated workforce are enormous including greater employee satisfaction and motivation, new business opportunities and a greater understanding of other cultures and experiences.

Taking Action During Anti-Racist Workplace Week 2007

We hope that organisations will take action during Anti-Racist Workplace Week to consolidate the development of an integrated workplace and so gain business benefits from equality and diversity.

What can you do?

Embed a focus on equality and cultural diversity

• Review your workplace policies and procedures to ensure that they take account of cultural and linguistic diversity and that they are made accessible to all;
• Review your equality policies and ensure that they adequately reflect a commitment to achieving full equality in practice for Black and minority ethnic employees.

Develop support for managers

• Provide training on promoting equality and managing cultural diversity for your line managers;
• Organise a workshop for line managers to explore and develop their capacity to implement equality and diversity strategies;
• Circulate materials on equality and cultural diversity developed by the Anti-Racist Workplace Week partner organisations.

Engage with the week

• Have a workplace event to celebrate and acknowledge cultural diversity.
• Develop long term initiatives across your organisation to promote the positive benefits of a fully integrated workplace where cultural diversity is respected and valued.
• Organise a briefing for employees on equality, cultural diversity issues and on operating in a context of cultural diversity.

More information

A range of support materials and resources are available from the Equality Commission website. These include suggested activities and initiatives to support enterprises to take action during the week.

For further information log onto www.equalityni.org or contact:

The Equality Commission
Equality House
7 -9 Shaftesbury Square
Belfast BT2 7DP

t: 028 90 890 890
f: 02890248687
w: www.equalityni.org
textphone: 02890500589