News Roundup: Diversity in Tech, World Mental Health Day, Black History Month & More…
There’s been a fair bit happening in the last couple of months and I wanted to share with you what’s been going on. So, let’s get stuck in…
Halifax Digital Festival:
The Halifax Digital Festival is a 3 day event which ran from the 18th-21st September 2019. With a number of free events running across the town, the focus was on raising awareness of the digital revolution and to educate people about the exciting movement taking place in Halifax.
Lloyds Banking Group supported the festival and hosted some sessions, including a ‘Diversity by Default’ event in the Trinity Road building.
The events focused on a number of different areas, including the importance of diversity in the workforce, the ways that technology is changing the nature of work and the ways that the workforce is adapting to the changing environment. One of the highlights of the event for me was the panel discussion with three LBG apprentices talking about their experiences within the bank so far and how diversity is important to them.
TSB — ‘Include Me’ Panel Discussion:
On the 24th September, Eversheds Sutherland hosted a TSB event and panel discussion on diversity as part of National Inclusion week. The event was billed as a celebration of Partners and their identities, and a way of sharing experiences. These were some of the challenges that were shared by the panel:
- The annoyance when people presume you are less committed to your family life because you’re a man.
- The anxiety of sharing your personal life, because most people around you are straight.
- The awkwardness when you get mistaken for someone else of the same ethnicity.
- The strain of feeling you are expected to do more simply because you don’t have children.
- The indignation when someone thinks you were promoted because you’re a woman.
The event was insightful, setting out the gauntlet for us to challenge our own biases and preconceived notions and to help everyone be their true authentic selves at work. Those in the room recognised that there was a conversation to be had and that it was important to spread the message to get others involved in the discussion about diversity & inclusion.
As well as the panel discussion, keynote speaker Kelle Bryan (singer/actress), talked to the audience about her overlapping identities as a black woman, as a mother, and as someone living with an autoimmune condition. She inspired those gathered to think more about the overlapping identities that we all have and to consider the micro-messages we send out.
Micro-Messages are small, subtle things we do or say that send messages to others. Mostly we do this unintentionally or subconsciously, but these communicatie our values or expectations. An example could be as simple as saying hello to everyone when we arrive in the morning, but missing out one person consistently.
There are two types of micro-messages; supportive messages (micro-affirmations) or negative (micro-inequities).
World Mental Health Day:
10th October was World Mental Health Day — you can read more about that in our blog post.
With the theme of this year’s awareness campaign being suicide prevention, the WAIT acronym has been shared widely.
If someone discloses to you that they are or have been considering suicide, it’s important to know what to do. We’re often afraid that intervening might make the situation worse, but with some simple steps you can make a difference.
Give the person your full attention, make them comfortable and respect if they don’t want to talk. This helps build trust that you are someone they can talk to. Be empathetic, ask open questions and listen without judging. Clarify what you’re being told and discuss appropriate steps by signposting to the right support (for example their GP, EAP, another trusted supporter, Samaritans etc). It’s really important that the person is empowered in what happens — don’t just call 999, first try to de-escalate the situation and gain their consent. If someone is in immediate danger, calling 999 or getting them to A&E might be the most appropriate action, but again getting consent is the best way to help. The person may also already have an existing crisis team or plan in place for these sorts of situations — ask them.
In other news on the topic of mental health…
In April, I wrote about some of the challenges of mental ill health, and in May, Lloyds Banking Group launched a new long-term mental health strategy with the strategic priorities to reduce stigma, increase understanding and empower wellbeing. Over a 3 year period, the bank intends to train and support 2,500 Mental Health Advocates. Accord has been following and inputting into the journey since its inception, and on the 10th October (World Mental Health Day), four of Accord’s Assistant Secretaries, and two of our senior reps, attended one of the Mental Health Advocates training sessions.
The programme has been developed with Mental Health UK, the bank’s current charity partner, and is aimed at supporting and educating colleagues.
Assistant Secretary, Chris Rimell, says:
“We’ve been talking to the bank for a long time about the prevalence of mental ill health within the business. Attending the course really brought to life the support that the bank is implementing. Accord needs to consider how we can better support our reps to ensure they’re better equipped for challenging conversations about mental health.”
Very recently the bank has improved the EAP offering through Validium, extending support to colleagues families. Following pressure from Accord, the bank has also reviewed its Bupa healthcare scheme and made some improvements. On 10th October, the bank launched a new resilience portal (well worth a look!). And there are many more changes to come including ensuring the wealth of support and information is easily accessible when it’s needed (everyone knows that sometimes finding the information you need on interchange or HIVE can be a chore). Things are looking up, and Accord will continue to keep the pressure on the business to address the sources of mental ill health.
Black History Month:
October is Black History Month, and there are many celebrations and events taking place right up and down the country. It’s an opportunity to celebrate the richness of diverse cultures and to learn about the too-often unheralded accomplishments of Black Britons throughout our history.
You can find out more about what’s happening in your area or follow the conversations on Twitter.
Bi Visibility Day:
Monday 23rd September was Bisexual Visibility Day. The TUC marked the day by launching some further analysis of the data obtained from the LGBT+ Sexual Harassment Report looking specifically at the experiences of bisexual workers and the impact workplace sexual harassment has had on them.
You can read full details on the TUC blog, but here are some headline statistics:
- 1 in 5 bisexual people report they have been sexually assaulted at work
- 1 in 9 (11%) said they had been seriously sexually assaulted or raped at work
- 1 in 4 bisexual people reported they had experienced sexual harassment and that it made them leave or want to leave their job, with 1 in 8 leaving as a result
- Twice as many bisexual workers (24%) reporting a detrimental impact on their health as a result of the harassment
The TUC are calling for a change in the law to better protect all workers from sexual harassment. They used bi visibility day to encourage people to sign the petition and join the campaign.
- Petition — www.megaphone.org.uk/petitions/uk-gov-act-to-prevent-sexual-harassment-at-work
- #ThisIsNotWorking campaign page — https://www.tuc.org.uk/ThisIsNotWorking
Sexual Harassment #ThisIsNotWorking
In May, the TUC launched the first report of its kind looking at harassment of LGBT+ workers, and in July they launched the #ThisIsNotWorking campaign. The TUC is continuing to keep the pressure on the Government to address the issue and to introduce a new preventative duty.
You can read the TUC’s response to a government consultation on the issue, and the online petition they launched (which Accord has signed up to). They have also launched a call to action for anyone interested to write to their MP on the issue.
If you’ve been affected by any of the issues that we’ve discussed here and you want to talk to us confidentially, or if you want to give us any feedback on what’s been happening in your workplace: contact us at equality@accordhq.org
