The Equality Act 2010 has become the framework for diversity understanding in the workplace. Every employer and organisation is responsible for maintaining a level of good practice; hanging over them is a serious threat of tribunal compensation and other legal expenses. So why don’t you do this because you want to – not because you have to?
Far greater benefit can be derived from following an equalities agenda than purely legislative compliance.
- It can support your business development and CRM strategies: do your partners and staff sufficiently reflect the depth and breadth of clients – existing and prospective?
- Are you wasting time, effort and resources in poor recruitment and promotional criteria – that result in you failing to deliver quality legal services?
- Are you confident you have no unconscious bias in all your dealings with partners and staff, through your performance management and remuneration?
- Do leaders and managers use emotive language – and how do you handle those incidents that could lead to grievances and complaints?
Getting this right is the benefit of an holistic and integrated Diversity Strategy. The SRA have given law firms till the end of September to submit diversity data about staff to improve transparency and diversity in the legal sector. How will you do this effectively?
At a recent Diversity for Law Firms seminar we discussed all these and many other areas with HR professionals from a range of sized law firms. If you would like to check whether you are on track, or would like to explore deeper implementation, contact us and either Michael Lassman and / or Patricia Wheatley Burt and we will come and discuss this with you. Contact us at patricia@trafalgarpeople.com .