Equality Advice Centre 

 Case study: B&Q 

The company has removed all age restrictions surrounding recruitment and promotion and no longer sets a compulsory retirement age (its oldest member of staff is 89). Over 21% of its workforce are over 50 and many older staff act as mentors to younger colleagues, sharing life skills and knowledge.

B&Q first explored the benefit of employing older workers in 1989, at a time of large expansion and low unemployment. To see how well older workers would cope with the physical and technical demands of the job, a branch staffed entirely by people over 50 was opened in Macclesfield, Cheshire. Over 600 people applied for the 50 positions available. The normal pre-store training period was extended by two weeks to allow for additional I.T. training, but this extra time proved unnecessary.

A comparison with four other stores over a six-month period showed that Macclesfield's profits were 18% higher than average, staff turnover was six times lower while absenteeism was down 39%. B&Q also found that customers reported improved perceptions of service.

The company continues to focus on the value of diversity, and is currently developing a Diversity Strategy that goes well beyond the requirements of employment legislation. Each store also has its own 'diversity champion' to concentrate on issues of disability, age, cultural diversity and sexual orientation and gender. B&Q recognises that it can utilise the different skills and experiences that people to bring to the job, and make each store a 'great place to work and shop'.

Flexible Working

A private UK firm that specialises economic advice and consultancy underwent a high profile review of their flexible working policy. Prior to the review the main focus was on mothers with children, but the company felt uncomfortable about restricting access to a small group of staff. The message was that flexible working would be welcomed by other groups of employees so the option was extended.

They round that the most attractive flexible arrangement was the reduced hours option. Under the scheme staff can drop their hours to a minimum of 25 per week for a period of up to five years while preserving benefits such as pension and cars. Around 5% of employees are using this option and most of them are the mothers returning to work after maternity leave.

Age Positive

One of the leading supermarkets tries to employ staff base that reflects the local population. The actively encourage recruitment of older workers so that they can reflect the local customers base more closely and provide better customer service. The store believes to make the most effective use of staff skills, and believe that employment decisions should be made simply by asking 'who is the best person for the job?'

The store hires for attitude and trains for skill. They provide over-50s workshop in conjunction with the local Jobcentre Plus, which is designed as a guide and skills session for anyone attracted in applying for paid work, not only those who may consider a job with the supermarket store.

They recognise that staff over 50 can make a huge contribution to the business. The store offers flexible hours and benefits such as Benidorm leave, which is 3 months unpaid leave between January and March, and Grandparent leave, a week off unpaid after the birth of a grandchild. The company regards that the older workforce offers maturity, commitment and knowledge which the customers value.

Age Positive case study 2

Another leading supermarket is committed to providing a better working environment, where staff feel valued, respected and able to contribute to the business, and to employing a workforce that's recognises the significance of diversity within the organisation.

The supermarket targeted older workers as early as 1986 to fit in with the demographic challenge of the ageing population. The supermarket felt that the flexible working policy was the best way forward. They were keen to adopt the retirement scheme which did not encourage discriminatory practice at any stage of the recruitment process. They identified that older colleagues (50+) would want to reduce their time at work, but did not want to manage on a part-time wage and also didn't want their pension to be affected. In acknowledgment of this, the supermarket presented a retirement plan and pension protection procedure, allowing members to draw moderately on their pension to top up a reduced salary. Workers can reduce their hours without drastically reducing their net income and their pension will continue to contribute to their pension till the age of 75.

The supermarket added that some of the benefits to their good practice were a mixed-age workforce, a flexible workforce, a better motivated workforce that feels valued and therefore more willing to contribute to the business and reduced business cost through increased productivity.

Recruitment ad

A major public sector organisation had problems attracting women who had the soft skills for a specific role. The skills they required were empathy, compassion and understanding. This recruitment advert required a non-traditional response and broke most of the rules of recruitment advertising. The ad read like a synopsis on the back of a paperback book and described a real life story which described the emotions and skills needed for the role. This was a success story both for the organisation and the advertising agency. Over 5,000 women applied, over 2,000 got through to the initial screen assessment stage and 635 were shortlisted to around 250 positions. The advert was such a success that it was entered into the 2003 D&AD Awards.

Diverse Culture

A large manufacturer in household brands regards diversity as a key component in its strategic plan for sustainable increase. The company made significant improvement in addressing equal opportunities for women - with a steady growth in maternity returnees and an increase of women in senior positions from 10% to over 30%. However, they faced a greater challenge of analysing diversity in a broader way rather than focusing just upon gender.

In August 2000, the senior management of Unilever UK signed a wide-ranging commitment to diversity. This commitment includes guidelines for measuring Unilever's progress in this key area. Within their diversity statement, the company has referred to diversity as being "a rich mix of people, skills and cultures that can enable a greater range of inputs, viewpoints and experiences, all of which will generate more ideas, more challenges to traditional thinking and more chances of coming up with winning solutions". This statement has been signalled as the company's personal commitment and has been distributed to all staff.

Work-life policies

A creative company with a high percentage of female employees has a board that consists of 50% women. The business is fully committed to diversity in every sense in all activities.

Although this company dominates the non-fiction market, competitive market forces necessitate 'the best' in terms of creativity: the best ideas and authors, the best publishing, and the best relationships with key customers. Therefore, to enable creativity to flourish the company see work-life balance as vital and provides a range of benefits and support that will facilitate delivery of 'the best'. The company has a set of diversity principles backed up with a four year plan and annual action plan. They operate a number of initiatives including a summer internship programme for ethnic minorities, have diversity champions lead and to use their influence, authority and charisma to effect real and lasting change within the organization. Their diversity plan included undertaking outreach recruitment work to attract diverse candidates at entry level; ask key diversity questions and diversity training in employee opinion surveys; and provide mandatory training for all staff. Some of the company's work-life benefits include good maternity and paternity leave and childcare allowance.

Work Life Balance

A medium sized UK charity has encouraged work-life balance right from the top. The charity has recently created positions of job-share chief executive. The job share has been designed so each partner works one half of the week and they have an overlap day together on a particular day.

The charity has a domestic and special leave policy which staff can access to deal with emergencies or crisis at home, or within their families. Although the policy states that up to five days will be paid, managers have the discretion to extend this or to look at other arrangements that may suit the employee and help them deal with particular issues. The organisation can accommodate a range of different ways of working, including job-sharing, home working and term time working.

The organisation also has a fantastic maternity leave policy that is responsive to the needs of individual employees. The organisation allows up to one year leave and will pay salary for six months. However, this can be paid as and when the employee needs it throughout the whole of the maternity leave.

Changing Attitudes

An editor of a city newspaper decided to put together a relaxed discussion group to advise the local media. Some of the attendees included police, leader and chief executive from a city council, local radio station and local TV. The group was formed in September 2001 and have met on a regular basis and is becoming an unofficial monitoring body for the community.

The group discussed the threat to the city's continuing multicultural growth posed by the rousing up of racial tensions in the recent general election campaign. The group also discussed possible methods to counter such problems, for example a 'rebuttal squad' to speak positively on multicultural issues.

A group works with the local newspapers and challenges any bad publicity on newer ethnic minority communities. As there has been so much negative coverage in the news the group work with the local media to encourage them to highlight examples of the communities working well together. Many people have used the group as good sounding boards and representatives of youth groups and the city's growing Somali community has recently joined the group.

Due to the groups hard work the tensions and hostility between young people from different racial groups have been reported in a non-racial way and coverage on deprivation in local areas has been sensitive to the need to challenge negative perceptions of areas.

A mutually beneficial agreement

A large car manufacturer is helping support wealth creation through enterprise in ethnic minority communities, by supporting African Caribbean owned businesses by going into partnership with another organisation. The car manufacturer first became involved with its partners by sponsoring their awards for excellence in 2000. Its support shows that the company wants to succeed as a world class organisation and to do this must stay focused and committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce as part of reaching various and global markets.

The car manufacturer has supported its partner's events and encourages its suppliers and dealerships to show their loyalty as well. It is also promoting local suppliers from ethnic minority businesses and senior staff has offered to help local community groups linked to the partner. In turn, the partner has benefited the car manufacturer with its diversity programme.

Attracting a local workforce

In 2001 a large retailer opened a new warehouse store in a predominantly Muslim area. Their recruitment operation was aimed at increasing the local Muslim employees to reflect and serve the local population.

They held an event for the local community leaders to publicise their campaign, they did this through contacting the area's ethnic minority business centre, local Jobcentre and local council. The jobcentre also held an open day which attracted lots of interest and recruited 12.5% of its staff from local ethnic minority communities. The campaign also helped the store raise its profile. To make the customers feel more welcome all the employees wear language badges so customers can choose employees that speak their own language.

The company believe that due to the campaign it's increased their customer base, and also raised interest in retail careers. They have taken a lot from what has come of the campaign and lessons learnt have also been integrated into its general HR practices.

Promoting a positive image

A steering group was set up to manage a campaign encouraging businesses to promote community cohesion in the town. This group was set up due to disturbances in 2001 in the north of England.

The local media provided support and positive coverage to raise the campaigns profile. The campaign included open days by local employers to encourage job applicants from under-represented groups, themed events on buses, and a sporting performance supported by the local football club.

The future of the campaign may be to set up a separate body to work on improving stability, while representing the wider interests of local businesses. The campaign has been effective at engaging the private sector in a common purpose to improve community relations.

Managing Diversity

A transport company is running a Managing Diversity Competence Programme (MDCP). This programme is to convert its organisational culture and workforce structure to one that welcomes and includes women in all jobs at all levels.

The project as a whole aims at changing managers behaviours and actions so they display ability in managing diversity effectively, and maximising the contribution towards the company's equality goals.

The six month evaluation stage is underway but there has been significant behaviour change and improved pro-activity in management. Women also reported change in their male managers, resulting in a more friendly culture for them.

Recruitment Initiative

A company has worked with another organisation on recruitment initiatives to create new employment opportunities for family carers and disabled people. Through the initiative it has resulted in 180 people being recruited, 45% have a disability or health condition. The company has benefited as it has attracted people who are highly skilled and motivated.

Due to the success of the programme, the company is now expanding on the recruitment programme by attracting people from a range of backgrounds, including people with learning disabilities. They also offer further work such as preparation and interview training before welcoming candidates from specific backgrounds for interviews.

Breaking Barriers

A major communications network has developed an initiative to increase the number of disabled workers employed by the network. The network is encouraging its agency suppliers to remove barriers and directly speak with people who have disabilities and health conditions about vacancies.

The reasons behind the venture was to explore previously untapped labour market, the individuals recruited are highly motivated and have good attendance record and finally the workforce reflects the diverse world we live in.

Work experience

One of the leading retailers has started a programme to help provide opportunities of work experience for people of all ages and backgrounds, helping them get ready for the world of work. This will help 2,500 people who face barriers getting a job, such as people with disabilities and health conditions.

Disability into Work

A full time worker for a manufacturer in Cheshire joined a programme through his local Jobcentre which supports people with disabilities get into employment. The manufacturer took a partnership approach to support the worker, which in time grew his confidence and his work attitude was better than others. The manufacturer were one of the winners in the Cheshire County Welfare to Work partnership's Positive awards for Business scheme, in the supportive colleagues class.

Workplace Impact

A leading provider of telecommunications in the UK is recognising the significance of equality and diversity and has been establishing the business case for diversity. The customers and suppliers of this provider are from a wide variety of ethnic groups and cultures, male, female, gay, lesbian etc. Because they have such a diverse customer base they are continually developing their products and services that relate to the lifestyle requirements of their customers.

Diversity Award

A public limited company employing more than 200,000 staff aims to create a diverse culture where everyone feels valued and respected and where employees can reach their full potential no matter what their race, religion, gender or sexual orientation is. The company actively sought after applications for employment from groups that were under-represented in the workforce. Due to this policy and diverse workforce the company has gone from a loss-making business to a profit-making one, a key factor contributing to this turnaround has been the formation of a more inclusive workplace.