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Developing staff disclosure A guide to collecting and using equality data
Foreword
© Equality Challenge Unit
October 2009
Contents
Equality Challenge UnitDevelopingstaffdisclosureAguidetocollectingandusingequalitydata
1 Abouttheproject 1
2 Understandingthecaseforcollectingdatafromstaff 4
3 Consideringhowtoencourageandenable staffdisclosure 10
4 Planninghowtousethedatacollected 21
5 HEIcasestudies 28
AppendixA:ChecklistforHEIswhendevisinganactionplanonstaffdisclosure 45
AppendixB:Actionplantemplate 46
AppendixC:Referencesandresources 48
HEI case studies
2 Developingstaffdisclosure
ContentsForeword ii
Executivesummary 1
Introduction 3
Section A 4
1. Termsofreference 4
2. Language 8
3. Themedicalandtheoreticalexplanationoftranssexualism 84. Thelegalframework 10
Section B 165. Generalgoodpractice 16
6. Supportingamemberofstafforstudent 22
7. Discussingtransitionwithothers 25
8. Thedayoftransition 279. Post-socialtransitionsupport 27
10. Bullying,harassmentanddiscrimination 28
11. Monitoring 29
Annexes 32
A Suggestedformatforpolicystatement 32
B Anexampleofthetransitionprocess 34C Transrespect 35D Checklisttoconsiderwhendiscussingtransition 36E Indicatorsofsuccessfulpolicies 40
F Usefuladdresses,publicationsandwebsites 41
ContactStuartMoore,PolicyAdviserEmail:[email protected]
Written and compiled by Stuart Moore with contributions from ECU colleagues.
AcknowledgementsEqualityChallengeUnit(ECU)wouldliketothankthehighereducationinstitutionsthathavecontributedtothisprojectthroughtheresearchstageanddevelopmentofdisclosureinterventions,andespeciallycolleaguesfromthefollowinginstitutionswhopilotedinterventionsandprovidedcasestudiesincludedinthisguidance,namely:
AstonUniversity
UniversityofBirmingham
CanterburyChristChurchUniversity
UniversityofHull
UniversityofLeeds
OxfordBrookesUniversity
UniversityofSalford
SheffieldHallamUniversity.
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1Developingstaffdisclosure
1 About the project1.1 IntroductionThisguidanceprovidespracticaladviceforhighereducationinstitutions(HEIs)onencouragingandenablingthedisclosurebystaffmembersofequality-relateddata(forexampleinformationabouttheirgender,ethnicorigin,disabilitystatus,sexualorientation,religionorage),andprovidesinformationonhowthesedatacanandshouldbeused.Inthisdocumentwerefertothisareaofworkas‘staffdisclosure’.
Theguidanceisstructuredasfollows:
Section1explainsthebackgroundandmethodologyusedinECU’sstaffdisclosureproject.
Section2setsoutthemainreasonsforcollectingdataandexplainstheimportanceofHEIscreatinganinclusiveandsupportiveworkplaceinwhichstaffmembersfeelcomfortabletodiscloseequality-relatedinformationaboutthemselves.Italsodiscussessomeofthekeydifferencesbetweenstaffdisclosureissuesastheyrelatetodifferentequalitystrands.
Section3discussessomeofthepracticalmethodsHEIscanusetoenableandencouragestaffdisclosure.
Section4providespracticaladviceforHEIsonhowtomakeuseofthestaffdisclosurestatisticsthatarecollated.
Section5presentsillustrativecasestudiesfromHEIsthathavecontributedtoECU’sdisclosureproject.
Wealsoprovidefurtherpracticalinformationandcasestudiesintheappendices:
AppendixAisachecklistforHEIstousewhendevelopinganinstitution-wideactionplanonstaffdisclosure
AppendixBisatemplateforsuchanactionplan
AppendixCprovidesavarietyofreferencesandresourcesthatarerelevanttoissuesofstaffdisclosure.
1.2 BackgroundIn2007ECUconductedresearchtoinvestigatestaffdisclosureinHEIs(ECU,2008a,2008b).Thisworklookedatthesupportreceivedbydisabledstaff,barrierstheyexperienced,andthefactorsinfluencingwhetherornotstaffdisclosetheir
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2 Developingstaffdisclosure
About the project
disabilitystatus.Inaddition,otherobservationsanddevelopmentshaveledECUtoidentifytheneedformoresupporttoHEIsonthesubjectofstaffdisclosure.Theseinclude:
thesignificantproportionofstaffinmanyHEIswhochoosenottodisclosetheirethnicoriginordisabilitystatusinthedatareturnedannuallybyHEIstotheHigherEducationStatisticsAgency(HESA),whichaffectsthestatisticalsignificanceofthedata
thelevelofinterestinstaffdisclosureissuesonthemainequalityanddiversityonlinediscussiongroupforthehighereducationsector(theADMIN-EOmailinglistaccessedviawww.jiscmail.ac.uk)
mediacoverageofdifficultiesinvolvedinstaffdisclosure
discussionswithunionpartners
theobservationthatotherguidanceondisabilitydisclosureinhighereducationhastendedtofocusonstudentratherthanstaffdisclosure
agrowingemphasisonensuringequalityanddiversityworkisproperlyevidenced
arecommendationfromtheCommissionforDisabledStaffinLifelongLearning.
1.3 Methodology
Research stageECUconductedaliteraryreviewofexistingpublicationsrelatingtostaffdisclosure,analysingthesourcedpublicationsforrecommendationsandusingthese,alongwithECU’spreviousresearch,asabasisforconcentratingonarangeofdisclosureinterventions.Theinterventionsweredividedintofourcategories:
improvingclarityondisclosureanddataquality
improvingcommunicationandengagementindisclosureandequality
implementingequalityinrecruitmentandretention
achievingbehaviouralandculturalchangethroughdevelopingsupportivestructures.
TheresultsofthisliteraryreviewarepublishedinInterventions for staff disclosure in higher education: background paper 2009(ECU,2009a).
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Developingstaffdisclosure 3
Development stageInApril2008,ECUputoutacallforexpressionsofinterestfromHEIsinterestedinimprovingtheirdisclosureratestoparticipateinaprojecttopilotarangeofECU-identifiedinterventions.ECUreceivedagoodresponsetothisrequest,andstafffromtheHEIswereinvitedtooneoftwomeetingsinsummer2008,atwhichtherewereconstructivediscussionsonthebarrierstostaffdisclosureinhighereducation.
ECUinvitedtheHEIstopilotinterventionsanddevelopanactionplan,detailing:
theinterventionsbeingpiloted
actionsplannedtodelivertheinterventions’outcomes
thedatebywhichtheinterventionwouldbeimplemented
whowouldberesponsibleforensuringthis
whatthemeasuresofsuccesswouldbeafterimplementation.
Piloting stageOfthosewhoattendedthemeetings,eightHEIsvolunteeredtopilotinterventions.ThisphaseoftheprojecttookplacebetweenSeptember2008andJune2009.Withlimitsontimeandavailableresources,theindividualHEIsdidnotpilotallinterventions,butchoseoneormoreinterventionsfromeachcategory.
ECUconvenedameetinginspring2009todiscusstheachievementstodate,andthebenefitsandchallengesthathadbeenidentifiedthroughpilotingthechoseninterventions.InJunetheHEIssubmittedtheirfinalreports,updatingontheprogresstheyhadmade.Section5ofthisguidancepresentscasestudiesoftheparticipatingHEIs.
Althoughtheprojectinitiallysetouttolookatdisclosurerelatingtodisability,ethnicity,religionandsexualorientation,thepilotHEIswereconcernedprimarilywithimprovinglevelsofdisabilitydisclosure.Asaresult,thecasestudiesandpracticaladviceinthisguidancepredominantlyfocusondisability.However,wherepossiblethispublicationlooksbeyonddisabilityissues,andmanyofthegoodpracticeexampleswouldbeeasilytransferabletootherareasofstaffdisclosure.
ThepilotHEIsproducedarangeofoutputsduringtheprojectwhichareavailableontheECUwebsiteatwww.ecu.ac.uk/inclusive-practice.
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About the project
4 Developingstaffdisclosure
2 Understanding the case for collecting data from staff2.1 Benefits for staff members and HEIsForanyHEIlookingtoworktowardsimprovingitsstaffdisclosurerates,itisimportanttounderstandwhydisclosureisbeingsought.Itisalsoimportanttoconsiderthebenefitsthatcanbeachievedforboththeinstitutionandtheindividualstaffmemberthroughgreaterdisclosure.
Forstaff,thebenefitsindisclosingequality-relatedinformationaboutthemselvesinclude:
scopeforpromptingadiscussionwiththeiremployeraboutdisability-relatedreasonableadjustmentsorotherworkplacesupportthattheymightrequire
theabilitytoreceivetargetedinformationaboutsupportorpositiveactioninitiatives,suchasdevelopmentprogrammesforstafffromunder-representedgroups
contributingtoapoolofinformationthatwillhelptheinstitutionmeetthediverseneedsofstaff(forexampleinrelationtoprovisionofcateringoptionsorfacilitiesforprayerorcontemplation).
Staffmayalsoreceiveincreasedlegalprotectionbydisclosingsuchinformationtotheiremployer:insomecasesanemployermaybeplacedunderanincreasedobligationtoprotectstafffromdiscriminationifithasreceiveddisclosureinformationfromastaffmember,forexampleabouttheirdisabilitystatus,orholdsbroaderevidenceofthediversityofitsworkforce.
CertaintypesofmonitoringorstaffdisclosureproceduresarecompulsoryforHEIs,eithertosatisfylegalrequirementsortomeetthereportingrequirementsoforganisationssuchasHESA.Inaddition,proactivelycollectingdisclosuredatafromitsworkforcecandelivermanyotherbenefitsandadvantagesforanHEI.Theseinstitutionalbenefitsinclude:
aclearpictureofthecompositionoftheHEI’sworkforce–toassistwithplanningoffacilities,supportstructuresorstaffnetworksandtoenabletheHEItomeetthediverserequirementsandexpectationsofitsworkforce
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Developingstaffdisclosure 5
high-qualitymonitoringdata,whichcanbecross-referencedwithotherstaffdata(e.g.trainingattendancedata,salaryinformation)toprovideanindicationofwhethersomegroupsofstaffarepotentiallybeingdisadvantaged
aclearindicationofwhichindividualstaffmembersshouldbeofferedadiscussionaboutdisability-relatedsupportoradjustments
theabilitytotargetparticulargroupsofstaffmemberswithinformationaboutrelevantpositiveactioninitiativesorstaffnetworks.
EffectivemonitoringanddisclosureprocesseswillalsosendasignaltostaffandpotentialjobapplicantsthatanHEIiscommittedtoequalityandtosupportingadiverseworkforce.
2.2 Key differences between equality strandsWhenanHEIconsiderswhatitspriorityactionsare,itisimportanttobeawareofthekeydifferencesbetweenequalitystrandsinrelationtostaffdisclosureissues.Itwilloftenbeappropriatetomonitorthekeyequalitystrands(age,ethnicity,disability,gender,religionorbelief,andsexualorientation)inthesameway,toavoidinadvertentlysendingamessagethatanHEIhasahierarchicalapproachtoequalityanddiversity.However,ECUrecognisesthatsomeHEIshaveconcernsaboutaskingstaffforinformationinsomeoftheseareas.
Thissectionprovidesanintroductiontosomeofthekeydifferencesbetweenthedifferentequalitystrands.Section3.4providesfurtherguidanceonusinginclusivelanguagewhenframingdisclosurequestions.
AgeInHEIs,itislikelythatcomprehensiveagedatawillbeavailableandreliableforcurrentstaff,ashumanresources(HR)systemsgenerallyrecordpeople’sdateofbirth.Whenanalysingdatabyage,itisusualtogroupthedatainto,forexample,five-orten-yearblockstomakeiteasiertodrawconclusions.Inmanycases,itcanalsobeusefultodevelopaninstitution-wideapproachtowhichgroupingswillbeusedwhenworkingwithagedata,toensurethecomparabilityofdifferentdatasets.Whencollectingagedatafromjobapplicants,HEIsmayhaveasysteminplaceforextractingageinformationfromthedate-of-birthquestiononapplicationforms;and/orHEIsmaydecidetoincorporateadate-of-birthoragequestionwithinaseparateequalitymonitoringform.
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Understanding the case for collecting data from staff
6 Developingstaffdisclosure
Reviewingtheinformationthathasbeencollectedonstaffagegroupingscanbeextremelyhelpfulinidentifyingsupportthatstaffrequirethroughdifferentstagesoftheiremploymentlifecycle,forexample,take-upoftraininganddevelopment,flexibleworkingopportunities,ortheprovisionofoccupationalhealthsupporttoolderworkers.Profilingstaffexpectationsbyagewillbecomeincreasinglyimportantasthegovernmentreviewsthedefaultretirementageof65in2010.
DisabilityAskingstaffaboutwhetherornottheyaredisabledisimportantintermsofdeliveringdisabilitymonitoringdatatoinformpolicyordecision-making.AskingthisquestionwillalsobecrucialintermsofenablingHEIstocontactindividualdisabledjobapplicantsorstaffmemberstoofferthemanopportunitytodiscussanydisability-relatedadjustmentsorsupporttheymayrequire.ItisimportanttonotethatdisabilitymonitoringisarequirementofthespecificdutiesoftheDisabilityEqualityDutycontainedwithintheDisabilityDiscriminationAct1995(asamended)(HMGovernment,2005a),andsetoutintheDisabilityDiscrimination(PublicAuthorityStatutoryDuties)Regulations2005[SI2966](HMGovernment,2005b).
Aswithalldisclosuredata,itisvitalthatemployersareclearandstraightforwardaboutthewaysinwhichdisabilityinformationaboutindividualswillbeused.Otherwise,forexample,astaffmembermaydiscloseadisabilityandreasonablyassumethatthedisclosurewillpromptadiscussionaboutdisabilitysupport,wheninfactthedataarebeingusedonlyforanonymousmonitoringpurposes.
Whenaskingaquestionaboutdisabilitystatus,itiscommontoprovideacleardefinitionofdisability(perhapsbasedonthedefinitioncontainedwiththeDisabilityDiscriminationAct1995),asmanypeoplemaynotbeawareofthebroadnatureofthisdefinitionorthefactthatitwillcovermanypeoplewithconditionssuchasdyslexia,long-termmentalhealthconditionsorlong-termmedicalconditions.
Aswellasaskingstaffwhetherornottheyconsiderthemselvestobedisabled,manyHEIsaskafurtherquestionofthosewhodiscloseadisabilityinordertoseekmoredetailedinformationaboutthenatureoftheperson’sdisability(asking,forexample,whetherthepersonisblindorpartiallysighted,hasaphysicalormobilityimpairment,etc.).
Understanding the case for collecting data from staff
Developingstaffdisclosure 7
EthnicityIncludingquestionsonethnicityforjobapplicantsandcurrentstaffisfairlystandard,particularlysince,undertheRaceRelations(Amendment)Act2000(HMGovernment,2000),dutiesareplacedonHEIsandotherpublicbodiestocarryoutethnicmonitoringinarangeofdifferentareas.Framingaquestiononethnicitycanbedifficult,particularlygiventhatthewayinwhichsomeoneviewstheirethnicorigin,colourornationalidentitywilloftenbeindividualtothem.Whilethereisnoperfectquestiontousewhenaskingstaffabouttheirethnicity,thereisoftenmeritinadoptingthesamequestionthatisusedwithintheten-yearlynationalCensus,toenablemeaningfulcomparisonstobemadebetweenthecompositionofanHEIworkforceandlocalornationalpopulationstatistics.ItisnotuncommonforHEIs,whenanalysingethnicitydata,togroupthedataintobroadercategories,suchas‘blackandminorityethnic(BME)staff’,oftentoensuresamplesizesarelargeenoughtobesignificantandalsotoavoididentifyingindividualstaffmembersinreports.However,suchbroadheadingsarenotusuallyfeaturedinthemonitoringquestionsthemselves.IfyourHEIgroupsdatatogetherinthiswayduringanalysis,itisalsoimportanttobeawarethatthismaydisguisesignificantvariationsbetweenindividualethnicgroups.
Gender and gender identityAswithage,manyHRsystemscontainfairlycomprehensiveandreliablestaffdataongender.HEIshavelegalobligationstomonitorgenderundertheSexDiscriminationAct1975(asamended)(HMGovernment,2008)andtheEqualityAct2006(HMGovernment,2006).
HEIsshouldalsoconsiderwhetherandwhentoaskstaffabouttheirgenderidentity.Questionsaboutgenderidentityshouldbeaskedseparatelyfromquestionsaboutgenderorsexualorientation.ECU’spublicationExperience of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans staff and students in higher education: research report 2009(ECU,2009b)providesmoreinformationaboutwhenandhowtomonitorgenderidentity.Bymonitoringgenderidentity,HEIswillbeabletolearnmoreabout,andbettermeet,theneedsoftheirtransstaffandstudents.
Religion or beliefAswithageandsexualorientation,thereisnospecificlegalrequirementtomonitorreligionorbelief;however,itisoftenimportantforHEIstohaveaccesstoworkforcedataonreligionorbelieftohelpinformpolicy-anddecision-
Understanding the case for collecting data from staff
8 Developingstaffdisclosure
making.Suchdatawillassist,forexample,whenplanningtheprovisionofcateringservicestomeetthediverserequirementsofstaff,establishingspacesforprayerorcontemplation,orselectingkeyreligiousholydaystoincludeinanonlinecalendar(recognisingthatlevelsofreligiousobservancevarybetweenindividuals).Consultingreligionandbeliefworkinggroups(consistingofstaffandstudentsofdifferentreligionandbelief,andnone)andstaffandstudents’unionscanassistHEIsindesigningaquestionthatmeetslocalneeds.TheremayalsobemeritinreferringtothequestionusedintheCensusortheannualBritishSocialAttitudessurvey,asusingthesamequestionenablescomparisonstobemadewithpopulationstatistics,whilebearinginmindthatthereisaverybroadspectrumofreligionandbelief.Religionandbeliefisnotstatic,andtheremaybemeritinmonitoringthisregularly,andgivingstaffampleopportunitytodisclosetheirreligionorbelief.
Sexual orientationAskingstaffforsexualorientationdatacanprovideanimportantmeansofassessingwhetherlesbian,gayorbisexualstaffmembersareatapotentialdisadvantage–forexample,inrelationtocareerprogression,pay,etc.–comparedwithheterosexualstaff.MonitoringsexualorientationcanalsohelpanHEIshowthesamelevelofcommitmenttolesbian,gayandbisexual(LGB)equalityasitdoestootherequalityissues,especiallyiftheHEIisseentorespondtoanyissuesthatariseinamonitoringexercise.
Aswithotherareas,suchasdisabilityandreligion,ECUencouragesHEIstomonitorsexualorientationiftheyhaveprovidedasafeenvironmentinwhichtodisclose,andareconfidentthattheyhaverobustandconfidentialmechanismsforrecordingtheinformation.Itisimportanttoexplainclearlytostaffhowinformationabouttheirsexualorientationwillbestoredandused.HEIsmayfindtheyreceiveahigherresponseratewhenaskingstafftodisclosetheirsexualorientationinthecontextofaconfidentialandanonymousstaffsurvey,ratherthanonrecruitmentmonitoringforms.However,HEIsareincreasinglyreportinggrowingresponserates,andaverypositiveimpactontheirworkplaceculture,afterseekingsexualorientationdatafromtheirstaff.
Understanding the case for collecting data from staff
Developingstaffdisclosure 9
Other areasHEIsoftenrequestinformationfromstaffinrelationtootherareas–suchasmarital/civilpartnershipstatus,orchildcareandothercaringresponsibilities–andsuchquestionscangenerateveryusefuldata.OtherinformationstoredonHRsystems–suchasinformationaboutstaffmembers’part-timeorfull-timestatus,fixed-termorpermanentcontractstatus,orearlycareerresearcherstatus–willalsobeusefulasmonitoringdatatoenableHEIstoexplorewhetherpatternsofpotentialdisadvantageordiscriminationmayexist.
Understanding the case for collecting data from staff
10 Developingstaffdisclosure
3 Considering how to encourage and enable staff disclosure3.1 Creating a positive culture for staff to encourage disclosureForanyHEIcommittedtoimprovingstaffdisclosureofequalitydata,itisimportanttorecognisetheneedforaninclusiveandsupportiveworkplaceculture.Takingvisiblestepstocreateapositivecultureandpromoteawarenessandunderstandingcanmakeasignificantcontributiontoanindividual’sdecisiontodisclose.Interventions for staff disclosure in higher education: background paper 2009(ECU,2009a)recommendsstepsthatcouldbeimplementedbyHEIs.Theseinclude:
fosteringvisibleleadership;developingmanagerswhounderstandthebenefitsofequalityanddiversityandhaveaproactiveapproachtoachievingit
developingaworkplaceculturethatissupportiveandrespectstheindividualityofallstaff
providingequalityanddiversitylearningopportunitiesforallstaff
involvingstafffromequalityareasinpolicy-makingandotherdecision-makingprocesses.
Box1providesanexampleofthestrategyofanHEIthatparticipatedinECU’sdisclosureprojectandworkedtoencourageaninclusiveculture.
Box 1 University of Leeds: Progressing a culture change
Aspartofitsworktoimprovedisclosure,theuniversityworkedonraisingdisabilityawarenessandintroducedpoliciesthataresupportiveofstaffneeds.
Leedsdevelopedabooklet,Building disability confidence – supporting disabled staff at the University of Leeds(UniversityofLeeds,2009),detailingthesupportavailabletodisabledstaff,anddistributedittoallstaff(www.equality.leeds.ac.uk/downloads/staff_leaflet/disabled-staff-leaflet.pdf).
Aflexibleworkingcharter,whichwaslaunchedatastaffbenefitsfair,demonstratesLeeds’commitmenttotheprinciplesofflexibleworking.Theuniversity’sequalityserviceiscurrentlydeliveringequalityanddiversitytrainingto1700staffmembers,focusingontheneedtotakeaflexibleapproachtothemanagementofthediverseworkforce.Itisanticipatedthatthiswillbenefitdisabledandethnicminoritystaffaswellastheobvioustargetaudienceofstaffwithcaringresponsibilities.
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Developingstaffdisclosure 11
Itshouldbeacknowledgedthatforcertainreasons–negativeattitudes,higherriskofdiscriminationandgeneralacceptancebysociety–staffmaybemorelikelytodisclosetheirequalitystatusinsomeareasthanothers.Staffmaybemoreinclinedtodisclosetheiragethantheirsexualorientation;anindividualwithmultipleimpairmentsmaydiscloseavisibleimpairment,suchasbeingawheelchair-user,withoutdisclosinganimpairmentrelatingtomentalhealth.
Box 2 Mental health disclosure
DuringtheirinvolvementinECU’sdisclosureproject,OxfordBrookesUniversityandUniversityofHullhighlightedissuesrelatingtomentalhealthdisclosure,suchasthecontinuingstigmaofbeinglabelledwithamentalhealthcondition.Somestaffcommentedthattheywereinitiallyreluctanttodisclosedetailsoftheirmentalhealth,butoncetheyhadformedarelationshipoftrust(suchaswiththestaffdisabilityadviser),theyweremorelikelytohavetheconfidencetodisclosesuchinformation.
OxfordBrookeshasdevelopeddetailedguidanceoninterviewingdisabledapplicantsduringrecruitment.ThisinvolvedinputfromthelocalMencapgroupandwaspilotedinatrainingsessionforthelearningresourcesseniormanagementteam.
High-profileeventsorinitiativesthatindicatesignificantbuy-infromseniorleadersandmanagerswithinanHEIarealsocrucialinmakingstafffeelmoreconfidentaboutrespondingtodisclosurequestions.
Box 3 Oxford Brookes University: Love and Justice Month
OxfordBrookesUniversityheldaLoveandJusticeMonthofequalityeventsinFebruary2009,onthethemeofdiversityandhumanrights,tocoincidewiththeannualHumanRightsFilmFestival.
Eventsincludedworkshopsforlinemanagersonflexibleworkingandwork–lifebalanceandonsupportinganinclusiveworkplace;andaphotographyandpoetrycompetitionwhichelicitedsomeinterestingcreativeresponses.
Widespreadpublicity,includingdistributingabrochurethroughthelocalpaperandradiointerviews,ensuredgreaterawarenessthroughoutthecommunityandacrosstheuniversity.TheChancellorandVice-Chancellorbothtookpartinevents,sendingastrongmessageofsupport.
Considering how to encourage and enable staff disclosure
12 Developingstaffdisclosure
AnHEI’sintranetcanalsoprovideaneffectivechannelforpromotingvisiblesignsofwhatanHEIisdoingtocreateaninclusiveandsupportiveculture.Thismightincluderaisingawarenessofnewstaffsupportresourcesorforthcomingequalityevents.Ahigherprofileofequalityissueswillofteninfluencedecisionsonwhetherastaffmemberfeelsconfidentindisclosing.TheUniversityofBirminghamwasoneHEIthatlookedattheuseofintranetduringtheECUproject(seesection5.5).
3.2 Creating practical opportunities for disclosureWhenplanningastrategytoincreasedisclosure,animportantpriorityistoconsiderwhethercurrentpolicyandpracticeforcollectingstaffequalitydatawillcreateanybarriersthatmayhaveanegativeimpactonindividualdecisionstodisclose.ECUhasproducedguidanceonconductingequalityimpactassessments(ECU,2007),whichcontainsatoolthatmaybeausefulmechanismtodeterminewhetherapolicyresultsindifferentialtreatmentand/orhasanegativeimpactonsomestaffgroups.
DisclosureproceduresshouldsupportongoingopportunitiesforstafftodisclosethroughouttheiremploymentattheHEI.Somestaffwillwithholddisclosureofparticularinformationwhenfirstjoininganinstitution.However,offeringarangeofdisclosureopportunitiesmayfacilitatethesestafftodiscloseatalaterdate,aswellasenablingotherstafftodisclosechangesinpersonalcircumstances.
Opportunitiesthatcouldbeconsideredforcapturingequalitystatusinformationinclude:
jobapplication
interview
medicalscreening(beforeandduringemployment)
induction
developmentandperformancereview
staffsurvey(includingannualsurveys,pulsesurveysandequalitymonitoringsurveys)
HRself-servicesystem
promotionorprogressiontoanotherrolewithintheHEI
sicknessabsenceinterview
disabilityleaverequest
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Considering how to encourage and enable staff disclosure
Developingstaffdisclosure 13
requestforflexibleleave
requestforreasonableadjustmentorotherformofworkplacesupport,suchasAccesstoWork
carparkingpermitrequests(e.g.BlueBadgeparking)
fireevacuationplans(toidentifythosewhomayrequireapersonalemergencyevacuationplan–themobilityimpaired,pregnantwomenandolderstaffmembers)
exitinterviews.
Ademonstrationofanemployer’scommitmentto,andawarenessof,equalityissuesinjobvacancies,interviewsandinductioneventswillencouragedisclosureatanearlystage.Thiswillobviouslybeofbenefitinplanningandanticipatinganysupportneedsthatmayarise.
Box 4 University of Birmingham: Staff induction programme
TheUniversityofBirminghamhasrevieweditsstaffinductionprogrammeanddevisedanewone-daywelcomesession,whichincludesinformationonrightsandresponsibilitieswithregardtoequalityanddiversity;guidanceandsignpostingonsupportfordisabledstaff;andinvitationstojointhestaffdisabilitygroupandBMEstaffgroup.
Thestaffdisabilityadviserattendsthewelcomesessiontotalkabouttheimportanceofequalityanddiversityasaninstitutionalvalue.
Invitationstothewelcomesession,whichisheldinanaccessiblevenue,askexplicitlyifstaffneedadjustments,andstatearrangementsforalternativetoursofthecampuswherestaffcannotundertakethewalkingtour.Feedbackfromtheinitialwelcomesession,heldinApril2009,indicatedanoverallsatisfactionscoreof79percent.
Althoughongoingopportunitiesfordisclosurecanbeeffective,itisimportanttofindabalancebetweenimprovingdisclosurelevelsandnotoverwhelmingstaffwithrequestsforinformation.Unlesscarefullymanaged,staffmaybecomefatiguedandloseinterestincooperating,whichcouldleadtoadropinresponserates.
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Considering how to encourage and enable staff disclosure
14 Developingstaffdisclosure
Technologycanplayausefulroleineffectivemonitoringandsupportingtheneedsofstaff.Aspartofadisclosurestrategy,HEIsshouldlookatareaswheretheycanintroduce,ormakebetteruseof,informationtechnology.
Human resources self-service systemsSelf-serviceonlinesystemsareincreasinglybeingusedinHEIs’HRdepartments.Theseprovidestaffwithaconvenientwaytoaccessandupdatetheirpersonaldetails.Staffareabletodisclosewhenevertheywishwhilekeepingcontroloftheirpersonalequalitydata,confidentthatonlyselectedstaffintheHEIwillhaveaccesstothedatatheydisclose.Withconsentfromstaff,HRdepartmentscanuseequalitydatatoconductworkforcemonitoringandplanhowtosupportandaccommodatediverseneeds.
Asopposedtoapaperrecord,oralesssecureITsystem(suchasanExcelspreadsheet),whichcouldpossiblybeaccessedbyanymemberofstaff,thesecuritythatawelldesignedHRself-servicesystemcanoffergivesstaffincreasedconfidencetodisclose.ThesesystemscanalsobenefittheHEI,astheycanproducestatisticsonthediversityoftheworkforceandenableimprovedtarget-setting,workforceplanningandmonitoringofequalitykeyperformanceindicators–whichmaybeparticularlyusefulconsideringthedirectionoffutureequalitylegislation.
Box 5 Aston University: Encouraging disclosure through IT
AstonUniversityencouragedallstafftodisclosetheirdisabilitystatusthroughthecompletionofanewonlinemonitoringform.Ofthosewhohaveresponded,76peoplehavedisclosedthattheyhaveadisability,anincreaseof22peopleonpreviousrecords.Thismeansthatthedeclarationrateformonitoringpurposeshasgoneupfrom3.6to5.5percentofthecoreworkforce.
WhenconsideringorplanningIT-basedsystemstocapturedisclosureinformationfromstaff,itisimportanttoensurethesesystemsthemselvesareaccessible.Forexample,whendesigninganonlineequalitymonitoringformtobeusedbyjobapplicants,itisimportanttoensuretheformcanbecompletedbythosewhoaccessthewebusingscreen-readersoftwareorotherassistivetechnology.Otherwise,someofthemostrelevantstaffmaybeunabletoprovidetheinformationyouseek.FurtherinformationforimprovingwebsiteandsoftwareaccessibilityispublishedbyJISCTech-Dis(2007).
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Developingstaffdisclosure 15
Data protection and privacy issuesCollectionofstaffdisclosuredataisessentialtoensureHEIs’compliancewithHESArequirementsandthevariouspublicsectordutiesplacedonthembyanti-discriminationlegislation.Atthesametime,theDataProtectionAct1998(HMGovernment,1998b)requiresHEIstocomplywithanumberofimportantprinciplesregardingprivacyanddisclosurewhenhandlingpersonaldata.Theseprinciplesincludeensuringsuchdataareprocessedandusedforlimitedpurposes,andthatthedataareaccurateandup-to-date.TheActalsoallowspeopletofindoutwhatpersonalinformationisheldaboutthembymakingasubjectaccessrequest.TheDataProtectionActcategorisescertaintypesofdata,includingequalitystatusdata,as‘sensitivepersonaldata’,andsubjectsthesetostricterconditionsofprocessing.
TheHumanRightsAct1998(HMGovernment,1998a)providesarighttoprivacythat,inpractice,allowsstafftorefusetodisclosepersonalinformation.ItisthereforeimportantforHEIstorespecttheirdutyofconfidentialityanddemonstratetostaffwhyequalitydataarebeingcollectedandhowtheywillbeused.Ifstaffareconfidentofthebenefitsofdisclosing,theywillbemoreinclinedtoprovidepersonalinformation,particularlywhereitmay,forexample,leadtobettersupportarrangements.
3.3 Communicating the case for disclosure to staffEffectivecommunicationisacriticalelementofencouragingstaffdisclosure.ItisimportantforHEIstospendtimeunderstandingwhytheyareaskingdisclosurequestionsofstaff,andpre-emptinganyconcernsorquestionsstaffmayhaveabouttheinformationthatisrequested.
WheneveranHEIisconsideringrevisingorintroducinganewmethodofseekingstaffdisclosuredata,itisimportantthatthosedeliveringthisworkaskthemselvesthefollowingquestions.
Howwillweexplainthepurposeofthesedisclosurequestionstostaff,toensurestaffmembersunderstandhowthedatawillbeused?
Howwillwereassurestaffaboutthewayinwhichthedatawillbestored?Inparticular,howwillwecommunicateanysafeguardsthatexisttoprotectstaffmembers’confidentialityandprivacy?
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16 Developingstaffdisclosure
Howwillwemakeitcleartostaff,whentheyareansweringadisclosurequestion,whethertheinformationtheyprovidewillbeusedsolelyforstatisticalmonitoringpurposes,orwhethertheinformationislikelytopromptsomecontactonanindividualbasis(e.g.adiscussionwiththeirmanageraboutdisability-relatedadjustments)?Ifsomequestionsinadisclosureformwillbeusedsolelyforstatisticalmonitoringpurposesandothersmightpromptcontactfromsomeone,howwillwemakethisdifferenceclear?
Whatcommunicationworkdoweneedtodotomakethosewhohaveaccesstodisclosuredata(e.g.staffinHRdepartments)awareofhowtohandlesuchdataappropriatelyandrespectpeople’sconfidentiality?
WhatHEI-widemethodswillweusetocommunicatethebenefitsofdisclosuretoallstaff(e.g.publishingfrequentlyaskedquestionsaboutdisclosureontheHEI’sintranet,orpublishinginformationaboutchangesthathavebeenmadeinresponsetodisclosuredata)?
Havewesoughtappropriatebuy-infromstaff(possiblyviastaffnetworks,suchasadisabledstaffnetworkoranLGBstaffnetwork)and/ortheirrepresentatives(e.g.tradeunions)inrelationtoanychangesweareproposing?
ECUrecommendsthatHEIstakeaconsideredbutconfidentapproachtoissuesofdisclosure.HEIsareincreasinglyfindingthatanyinitialconcernsaboutintroducingnewformsofdisclosure(suchasconcernsaboutintroducingsexualorientationorreligionmonitoringquestions)canbemanagedeffectively,providedthereisaclearrationaleforthesechanges,andeffectivecommunicationisinplacetoexplainthisrationaletostaff.Itisalsoworthpreparingforanycome-backbythinkingthrough,inadvance,whatcommentsmightbereceivedaboutanynewdisclosureinitiative.HEIsmayevenpredictcriticismsthatmaycomeforwardfromstaffanddraftsampleanswerstothem,asthiscanhelpmakeHEIsfeelmoreconfidentabouttheworktheyaredoinginthisarea.
Boxes6to8illustratesomeinnovativemethodsforpromotingdisclosuretostaff.
Box 6 Oxford Brookes University: Promoting through payslips
OxfordBrookesUniversitysentoutaletterattachedtoJanuary2009payslipsencouragingallstafftoreviewandrevisetheirdisclosedequalitystatusdata.SinceFebruary2009,31percentofstaffhaverevisedtheirdata.
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Box 7 Using websites
AstonUniversity,theUniversityofBirminghamandCanterburyChristChurchUniversityaredevelopinginformationforstaffondisabilitydisclosureandthesupportservicesthatareavailabletopublishonline.DisabledstaffatOxfordBrookesUniversityhavealsoproposeddevelopinganonymisedaccountsoftheirexperiencesasaweb-basedresourceformanagers.
Box 8 University of Salford: Involvement of the staff disability network
Inworkingtoimprovedisclosureandcreateamoreinclusiveculture,theUniversityofSalfordhasseentheimportanceofinvolvingitsSalfordUniversityDisabledStaff(SUDS)Network.SUDShasprovedaveryhelpfulbridgeincommunicatingwiththerelevantstaff,ashavetheotherstaffnetworks.
3.4 Drafting disclosure questionsWhilereviewingexistingpoliciesandpractices,itispossiblethatHEIswillidentifyissuesinrelationtotheuseoflanguagewithinthedisclosurequestions.Knowingthebestwayinwhichtoframedisclosurequestions,anddefiningequalitytermssuchas‘disability’,canbedifficult.Itisimportanttospendsometimeconsideringtheseissues,asthewayinwhichaquestionisaskedcanhaveasignificanteffectonthenumberofstaffchoosingtodisclose.Thissectionshouldbereadinconjunctionwithsection2.2,whichhighlightssomekeyissuesrelatingtoindividualequalitystrands.
Itisimportantthatdisclosurequestionsarewrittenusinginclusivelanguage.QuestionsshouldbeeasytounderstandanddesignedtofacilitatethecaptureofdatathatindicatewherestaffmaybedisadvantagedbybarrierstheymayencounterwhileworkingintheHEI.Forexample,ifanindividualisassuredthattheyarebeingaskedforinformationabouttheirdisabilitystatusbecausetheHEIwantstobuildaninclusiveenvironmentfordisabledstaffandputadjustmentsinplacetodeliverequalityfordisabledandnon-disabledstaff,theymaybemorelikelytodisclosethanifthequestionappearstoaskforinformationaboutdisabilitystatuswithnoindicationofhowtheinformationwillbeused.SomeusefulsuggestionsonframingquestionsareincludedinthepublicationDo you have a disability – yes or no? Or is there a better way of asking?(Rose,2006).
Considering how to encourage and enable staff disclosure
18 Developingstaffdisclosure
Consistentuseofinclusivelanguageacrosstheinstitutionshouldalsobeencouraged.Equalityterminologyiscontinuallyevolving,anditisimportanttoensuresuchdevelopmentsaremonitored.ECU,theAssociationofUniversityAdministrators(AUA)andtheHigherEducationEqualOpportunitiesNetwork(HEEON)haveproducedanA–ZGuide(ECU,AUAandHEEON,2008),whichmaybeusefultoconsultwhendesigningquestions.
Awelldevisedequalityquestionnaireshouldlookforstafftodisclosetheirequalitystatus,butshouldalsohavesupplementaryquestionsthatshowthattheHEIiscommittedtosupportingallstaff.Suchquestionscouldbeframedas:
Doyouwishtodiscussyouraccessrequirementswithanappropriatememberofstaff?
Wouldyouliketoreceiveinformationonaparticularstaffnetwork?
Wouldyouliketoreceivefurtherinformationonequalityevents?
Doyouconsideryourselftohavebeendiscriminatedagainstwhileatwork?
Wouldyoubeinterestedinparticipatinginapositiveactiondevelopmentprogramme?
DuringtheirparticipationintheECUproject,AstonUniversityandUniversityofHulldevelopednewstaffsurveyforms(seewww.ecu.ac.uk/inclusive-practice/staff-disclosure-of-equality-data).
3.5 Developing an institution-wide action plan on staff disclosureECUrecommendsthatHEIsconsideradoptinganactionplanapproachtodisclosure.Anactionplanprovidesastructurefordevelopingandworkingoninterventionsthatwillimprovedisclosureandbuildasupportiveandinclusiveculturethatiswelcomingforallstaff.
HEIswillalreadyhaveactionplansinplacetosupportdeliveryofthepublicsectorequalityduties,whichmayincorporateactionsonimprovingequalitydisclosure.Alternatively,and/orinaddition,HEIsmaywishtoconsiderdevelopingaseparatedisclosureactionplan.AtemplateisincludedinAppendixBforHEIstoformulateanactionplan.
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WhenplanninganactionplanondisclosureforyourHEI,itisimportanttoinclude:
aims–theproblems,andwheretheprioritieslie
adescriptionoftheinterventionstobeimplemented
specificoutcomesthattheHEIwishestoachievetoimprovelevelsof(andcreateamoresupportiveculturefor)disclosuresetoutagainstarealistictimetable
measurableindicatorsofprogresstowardsthoseoutcomes
linesofaccountability–whowillberesponsibleforimplementinginterventions.
Incompletingtheactionplan,ECUadvisesHEIstorefertoInterventions for staff disclosure in higher education: background paper 2009(ECU,2009a)forideasonwhatinterventionstoinclude.
Therearedifferentwaysinwhichprogressonstaffdisclosureissuescanbeobservedormeasured.Obviouslyanincreaseindisclosurerateswillbeoneofthekeyindicatorsofprogress.DuetotheshorttimeframeavailableduringtheECUproject,itwasnotpossibletomeasureanysignificantimpactondisclosureratesattheparticipatingHEIs.
TheHEIswere,however,encouragedtodeveloparangeofotherindicatorstomeasureprogressonthedeliveryoftheiractionplansintheshort,mid-andlongterm.Examplesoftheseinclude:
revisionofnewequalitymonitoringforms
deliveryofequalityworkshopsforselectedstaff,suchasinHR
feedbackfromtraining(immediatelyfollowingtraining,andthenatalaterdatetodetermineiftraininghasledtoanincreaseininclusivebehaviour)
developmentofanewwebpageonthebenefitsofdisclosure
increasedopportunitiesfordisclosure
newguidanceonsupportingdisabledstaff
increasednumberofdisabledstaffapplying,shortlistedandappointedforemployment
increasednumberofreasonableadjustmentrequestsandreferralstoAccesstoWork
developmentofanelectronicdatabaseformanagingworkplaceadjustments
morestaffreviewingtheirequalitydataviaHRself-servicesystems.
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3.6 Sustainability of approachAninclusivecultureandimproveddisclosureratescannotbeachievedintheshortterm;HEIswillneedtocommittosustainingworkontheseissues,andcontinuetomonitorandimprovethesituationwithregardtostaffdisclosure.
Ascanbeseeninsection5,withthelimitedtimeandresourcesavailable,theHEIsparticipatingintheECUprojecthavehighlightedanumberofactionsthattheywilllooktodeliverinthelongerterm,forexample,furtherworktoimprovedisclosureofsexualorientation.
Box 9 Sheffield Hallam University: Supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) staff
SheffieldHallamUniversityiscommittedtodevelopingasupportiveandinclusivecultureforLGBTstaff.PartoftherationalefortheirparticipationintheECUprojectwastodevelopstrategiesforexploringtheviewsoftheinstitution’sLGBTcommunity.
SheffieldHallamplanstoexploreappropriatemeansofreviewingtheexperiencesofstafffromLGBTgroups,andtodeveloptheinstitution’semployeeopinionsurveytocollectdiversitymonitoringdata.
Tosustainthisworkfurther,collaborationisplannedwiththeLGBTstaffforumandotherkeystakeholderstoexplorethemesforfurtherresearchandeffectivemeansofengagingwithLGBTgroups.
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4 Planning how to use the data collected4.1 Using data to inform policy- and decision-making and target your equality workStaffdisclosuredatawillbeextremelyvaluableinprovidinganHEIwithadetailedpictureofequalityissueswithintheorganisation,andalsoinenablingpositiveactioninterventionsandprojectstobeproperlytargeted.
Atthemostbasiclevel,anHEIcanusestaffdisclosuredatatounderstandthecompositionofitsworkforceandthereby,forexample:
exploreareasofunder-representationofspecificgroupsofpeopleatparticularlevelsorinparticularroleswithintheorganisation
assessthepotentialdemandforinclusiveservices,suchascateringservicesfordifferentreligiousgroups,spacesforprayerorcontemplation,orthepotentialdemandforanLGBTstaffforum
identifywhichkeyreligiousfestivalswouldbemostrelevanttoincludeinanonlinecalendar.
StaffdisclosuredatabecomeevenmoreusefultoanHEIwhentheyarecross-referencedwithotherinformationinordertoprovidegreaterunderstandingoftheexperienceofdifferentstaffgroups.Forexample,anHEIcancross-referdisclosuredatawith:
informationaboutsalary,overtimetake-uprates,performance-relatedpayschemes,etc.,toinformathoroughequalpayaudit
informationaboutpromotionandprogressionratestoexplorewhetherpotentialbarrierstopromotionexistforparticulargroupsofstaff
informationaboutaproposedrestructuringtoexplorewhethertheproposalsarelikelytohaveadisproportionateimpactonanyspecificequalitiesgroups
otherresponseswithinastaffsurvey,toassesswhetherparticulargroupsofstaffaremoreorlesslikelytoreportbullyingorharassment,receivethetrainingtheyfeeltheyrequire,etc.
Staffdisclosuredataarealsoaveryimportantingredientforeffectiveequalityimpactassessmentwork.IfanHEIisproposinganewpolicyorprocedure,oramajormanagementdecision,thenstaffdisclosuredatawilloftenbeessential
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toenableaproperanalysistobemadeastowhethertheproposedchangesarelikelytohaveadisproportionateimpactonanyspecificequalitygroup.ForfurtherinformationseeECU’sequalityimpactassessmentguidance(ECU,2007).
Box 10 University of Birmingham: Review of policies, processes and procedures for disability disclosure
TheUniversityofBirminghamconductedareviewofprocessesfordisclosingadisability.Thisindicatedthatmultipleopportunitieswereavailableformallytodisclosedisabilitystatussothatitwouldbeenteredonanindividual’spersonalrecord.
However,thereviewindicatedthatonceadisabilityhadbeenformallydisclosednostandardpracticewasinplaceastohowthisinformationwouldbeusedandwhatsupportstaffcouldexpecttoreceive.Asaresult,staffexpectationsofsupportfollowingdisclosurewerenotalwaysbeingmet.Thereviewalsofoundthatthelanguageusedtodefinewhatwasmeantby‘disability’focusedonthemedicalmodelofdisability.
Asaresultofthisreview,thefollowingactionshavebeentaken.
Aself-servicepersonalrecordssystemiscurrentlyunderdevelopment,whichwillenablestaffdirectlytoupdatetheirpersonaldetails,includingtheirdisabilitystatus.Inconsultationwiththeuniversity’sstaffdisabilitygroup,anewdefinitionofdisabilityhasbeendevelopedandwillbeused.ThiswillincludethesocialmodeldefinitionofdisabilityalongsidetheDisabilityDiscriminationAct’sdefinition.
Inconjunctionwiththestaffdisabilitygroup,ithasalsobeenagreedthatwhenadisabilityisformallydisclosed,thisinformationwillbesharedbytheuniversitywithcertain‘keystaff’,toensuredisclosureresultsinappropriateworkplacesupport.Thekeystaffarestilltobedefined,butwouldincludethestaffdisabilityadviser,whichisanewpostfromSeptember2009.
Oncethisprocesshasbeenfinalised,apolicyondisabilitydisclosurewillalsobedeveloped.
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Box 11 Aston University: Benefits of working on disclosure
AstonUniversityhasfoundthatworkingactivelytoincreasedisclosurehasgreatlyimprovedgeneralawarenessofthesupportavailablefordisabledstaff.Theprojecthaspresentedanopportunityfordisabledpeople,orthosewithmedicalconditions,tocomeandtalkthroughtheissuesthatconcernthem,includingwhetherdisclosureisappropriateandsafeforthem.TheprojecthasprovidedaplatformonwhichAstonwillbeabletobuildbetterawarenessofwhattheuniversity,asanemployer,canofferstaff.
4.2 Using data to prompt discussions about adjustments and support for individual staff membersPlanningandrespondingtorequestsforadjustmentsandsupportisonepurposeofencouragingdisclosure,asanHEImaywishtousedisclosuredatatotargetparticularstaffgroupswithinformationaboutspecificsourcesofsupport.Disclosuredatamight,forexample,enableanHEItosendouttargetedinformationaboutapositive-actiontrainingeventforwomen,orinformationaboutadisabledstaffnetworktoparticulargroupsofstaff.
IfanHEIisplanningtousedisclosuredatatocontactindividualsinthisway,itisessential,fordataprotectionreasonsandtoensuretransparency,toconsiderwhetherornotstaffmembersconsentedtotheirinformationbeingusedinthiswaywhenthedatawerecollected.Justbecauseastaffmemberdisclosedtheirreligionorsexualorientationonamonitoringform,forexample,thisdoesnotnecessarilymeantheyhaveconsentedtoreceivinglettersoremailsaboutspecificsupportnetworksoreventslinkedtoreligionorsexualorientation.
SometimesitcanbeusefulforanHEItoaskstaffaseparatequestiontoidentifystaffwhowouldbeinterestedinreceivingsuchinformation.Includingasectionalongthefollowinglinesinamonitoringformmightbeworthconsideringforthesepurposes.
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24 Developingstaffdisclosure
The questions on our monitoring form will be used only for statistical purposes, to help us to check the effectiveness of our equality and diversity policies. We will treat this information sensitively and in a way that does not identify you personally. Your answers to the above questions will not prompt any contact from HR or other departments.
However, if you are interested in receiving information in future about any events or initiatives for staff that relate to any of the equality areas listed below, please tick the relevant box:
Age
Disability
Ethnicity
Gender
Religion and belief
Sexual orientation
If you are a disabled member of staff and would like HR to contact you for a confidential discussion about any disability-related adjustments you might require at work, please tick the box below:
I am a disabled member of staff and would like HR to contact me to discuss the support that I might require.
Theabovewordingisadraft,andwouldneedtobeadaptedtosuitthecontextofanindividualHEI.However,thisgeneralapproach–whichmakescleartostaffwhatkindofcontacttheyarelikelytoreceiveaftertheyanswerdisclosurequestions–canmakepeoplefeelmuchmoreconfidentaboutprovidinganswers.
OneareainwhichHEIsfrequentlyusedisclosuredatatocontactindividualmembersofstaffrelatestodisability-relatedsupport.DuringtheirinvolvementintheECUproject,CanterburyChristChurchUniversitytookaparticularinterestincreatingacentralbudgetandadatabasetorecordandsupportadjustmentsintheworkplacefordisabledstaff.
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Developingstaffdisclosure 25
Box 12 Canterbury Christ Church University: Managing and funding adjustments
CanterburyChristChurchwaskeentointroduceacentralisedapproachthatwouldsupportalldisabledstaffconsistently,whileensuringnodepartmentorfacultywouldbedisadvantaged,financiallyorotherwise,inmeetingdisabilityequalityresponsibilities.
Theuniversitysignificantlyimproveditsdisabilitydisclosureratesthroughadatavalidationexercise,inwhichthequestionabout‘disability’wasphrasedinamuchmoreopenwaythanhadpreviouslybeenusedinequalopportunitiesmonitoringandstaffrecordforms.
Theprinciplesofthecentralisedapproachare:
workplaceassessmentsareundertakenbytrainedstaff(mainlyinHR)whoeitherprovidedirectadviceormakeuseofadditionalsupportservicessuchasoccupationalhealth,adetailedworkplaceassessmentbyaqualifiedphysiotherapist,advicefromaninternalassistivetechnologyspecialist,orreferraltoAccesstoWork
thecostofworkplaceadjustments(beyondthosethatshouldbeprovidedbythedepartment)arefinancedfromacentralbudget,withreclaimofcostsfromAccesstoWorkwhereappropriate
alladjustmentsarerecordedonadatabasetotrackactivityandprovidearecordofequipmentandresources.
Thecentralbudgetanddatabaseforworkplaceadjustmentshashadthefollowingbenefits:
theresponsetotheneedforworkplaceadjustmentsisappropriate,timelyandmoreconsistentacrosstheinstitution
thereisaflexibleapproachtodealingwithawiderangeofworkplacehealthanddisabilityissues,bothtemporaryandlonger-term
thedesignofthedatabasewillallowittofunctionasapoolofinformationaboutvarioustypesofadjustment
staffcanshareexperiencesand‘test’possibleadjustmentoptionsbeforecommittingtonewequipmentand/ortraining
frequentlow-costadjustments(e.g.wirelessmice,ergonomickeyboards)canbeapprovedwithoutformalassessment
thedatabaseencouragessharingofknowledgeandgoodpractice.
continued
Thefollowingchallengeshavebeenencounteredinestablishingthissystem:
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26 Developingstaffdisclosure
Box 12continueddesigninganappropriatedatabasehasbeenamatteroftrialanderror,andhasbeentime-consuming
obtainingapprovalfortheideaofacentralisedbudgetwaschallenging,asnodataexistedtohelptopredicttheleveloffinancialsupportrequired;atpresentthisisbeingreviewed
implementingthenewsystemhasimplicationsfortheworkloadofstaffinHR.
Followingrecentinterventions,theinformationprovidedtodisabledstaffisbeingrewrittenandwillbepromotedviathewebsiteandprintedbrochures.
Access to WorkAccesstoWork(www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople/Employmentsupport/WorkSchemesAndProgrammes/DG_4000347)isagovernmentschememanagedthroughJobcentrePlus.Itprovidespractical,individuallytailoredadviceandsupporttodisabledpeoplewhoarein,orseeking,work.Insomecases,AccesstoWorkwillprovidefullfundingforadjustmentsthatastaffmembermayrequire;inotherstheemployermaybeexpectedtocontributetowardsthecosts.
OnereasontoencouragedisclosureofdisabilitystatusfromstaffmembersasearlyaspossibleistoensurestaffmembersobtainasmuchsupportaspossiblefromAccesstoWork.ItisgenerallyagoodideaforadisabledstaffmembertomaketheirfirstAccesstoWorkapplicationwithinthefirstsixweeksafterstartingworkataparticularHEI,asinthesecircumstancesAccesstoWorkwillbemorelikelytocoverupto100percentoftheapprovedcostsoftherequiredadjustments.
Foradisabledmemberofstaff,AccesstoWorkfundingmaybeavailableinrelationtopayingcoststowards:
providingequipmentthatmaybeneededwhileatwork
adaptingpremises
providingasupportworker
gettingtowork(iftheindividualisunabletousepublictransport)
meetingcostsforcommunicationatjobinterviews.
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Box 13 University of Birmingham: Access to Work guidance
TheUniversityofBirminghamhasdevelopedguidanceonhowtogetsupportfromAccesstoWork(www.equality.bham.ac.uk/policy/Policies/Access_to_work_guidelines__April_2009_.pdf).
ThiswasproducedinconjunctionwiththeDepartmentforWorkandPensions’AccesstoWorkteamandtheHEI’sstaffdisabilitygroup.Considerationofreasonableadjustmentshasalsobeentakenacrossintootherpoliciesandguidance,suchasonrecruitmentandselection,absencemanagement(forexample,absenceasapossibleindicatorthatadjustmentsareneeded),andstaffperformancereviews(e.g.underperformanceasapossibleindicator).Theaimistomakeconsiderationofdisabilityandreasonableadjustmentspartof‘businessasusual’whenmanagingstaff.
Accurate,up-to-datestaffdisclosuredatacanalsobeimportantinenablingHEIstomeethealthandsafetyrequirements,forexamplebyidentifyingstaffwhomayrequireapersonalemergencyevacuationplan.
4.3 Using the heidi equality online tool to benchmark performanceheidi(www.heidi.ac.uk)isadatamanagementtoolthatenablesHEIstoaccessabroadrangeofdataabouttheirownworkforcesandstudentbodiesandtocomparetheseresultswiththoseofotherinstitutions.HEIsneedtosubscribetoheidiinordertouseit,andmostalreadydosubscribetotheservice.
ECUandHESAhaveaddedanewequalityfunction,heidiequality,totheexistingdatabase.heidiequalityincludesstudent,staffanddestinationdataforyears2006/07and2007/08.Aswemoveforward,datafromfutureyearswillbeaddedintoheidiequality.ThisinformationcomesfromthestatisticalreturnsthatHEIsmaketoHESAeachyear.Datacanbedisaggregatedbydisability,ethnicity,genderandage.heidiequalityallowsuserstocollaterelevantequalitydataandproducetablesandchartsthatbenchmarktheperformanceofoneHEIagainstothers,oragainstthewholehighereducationsector.
AlthoughheidiequalityisownedandmanagedbyHESA,ECUhasproducedabriefing(www.ecu.ac.uk/publications/introducing-heidi-equality)tohighlighthowequalityanddiversitypractitionersandotherstaffinHEIscanusethistooltoprovideanevidencebaseforequalitywork.
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28 Developingstaffdisclosure
5 HEI case studiesBetweenSeptember2008andJune2009,eightHEIspilotedarangeofinterventionsfromECU’sInterventions for staff disclosure in higher education: background paper 2009(ECU,2009a).ThissectionlooksateachHEIandgivesdetailson:
staffinvolvedinimplementinginterventions
rationaleforparticipationintheproject
keyaimsandobjectives
interventionsimplemented
progressmadeoneachintervention
benefitsandchallengesidentifiedinimplementingtheinterventions
futureactionsplannedtoimprovedisclosure.
5.1 Aston UniversityStaff roles involved in the project:
equalityanddiversityadviser
membersofequalityanddiversityforum
jointunionsconsultativecommittee
HRsystemsmanager
disabilitycoordinator
fireofficer
UniversityandCollegeUnionequalityrepresentative.
Rationale for participation in the project:
toimprovethedisclosureratefordisabledmembersofstaff
toincreaseopportunitiestogathermorerobustqualitativemonitoringdata
tobeabletotailorsupportmoreappropriately,andwithgreatersensitivity,totheneedsofdisabledstaff.
Key aims and objectives:
improveclarityforstaffaboutdisclosure
improvethequalityofdata
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raisemanagementawarenessofemploymentissuesrelatingtodisability
raiseawarenessofbenefitsofdisclosurefordisabledstaff
furtherdevelopsupportivestructuresfordisabledemployees
improvecommunicationaboutsupportivemeasures.
Interventions implemented:
Thefocustodatehasbeenontryingtoimprovethedisclosureratebygivingbetterinformationaboutwhatisinvolved,andprovidingongoingopportunitiesforpeopletodisclosethroughthecompletionofanonlinemonitoringform.
Staffhavebeenofferedtheopportunityto:
submittheirmonitoringdata
disclosetheirdisabilitystatustotheuniversity
makeanappointmentwiththeequalityanddiversityadviser
haveapersonalplanforemergencyevacuationofthebuilding
joinadisabilitynetwork.
Progress made on each intervention:
Astonsentouttwoemailstoallstaffandsubsequentlywrotepersonallytoallthosewhohadnotreplied.Inadditiontotheincreaseinstaffdisclosure(seeBox5),thestaffsurveyhasfound:
threemembersofstaffwhoneedpersonalemergencyevacuationplans
sevenpeoplewhohaveaskedtocomeanddiscusstheircircumstanceswiththeequalityanddiversityadviser
ninepeoplewhowishformallytodisclosetheirdisabilitytotheuniversity
sixpeoplewhowouldliketobepartofaface-to-facedisabilitynetwork
tenpeoplewhowouldliketojoinanonlineforum.
Benefits and challenges identified in implementing the interventions:
Benefits:
clearimprovementintheawarenessofdisabledstaffwithintheuniversity
opportunitiesfordisabledpeopletocomeandtalkthroughtheissuesraisedforthem,ortotalkaboutwhetherdisclosureisappropriateandsafeforthem
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30 Developingstaffdisclosure
aplatformonwhichtheuniversitycanbuildbetterawarenessofwhatit,asanemployer,canofferstaff.
Challenges:
thelimitedtimeavailableintheprojectdidnotprovideanopportunityfortheuniversityfullytoimplementitsactionplan;however,theworkbeingconductedbytheuniversitywillbesustainedinto2010andbeyond
complexdefinitionsofdisability,whichAstonwillneedtoconsidercarefullywhendecidinghowmuchinformationshouldbecommunicatedtostafftoensurethatallinformationisclearandtransparent,yetnotoverwhelming
technicalissueswiththerecentlyintroducedHRsystemthathavehadanimpactonthedeadlineforgettingthefacilityfullyoperational;anewformatwebsitehasrecentlybeenintroduced,whichwillhopefullygivemorescopefordisplayingandpromotingrelevantinformation
stafffatiguewithquestionnaires,andhowtoensureallmembersofstaffaresupportedinrespondingandthatanyissuesraisedaredealtwithappropriately.
Future actions planned to improve disclosure:
developmentandlaunchofablackboardsitefortheonlinedisabilityforum
widepromotionoftherelaunchedface-to-facestaffnetwork
distributionofprintedsurveystoallthoseexcludedfromtheonlinequestionnaire
revisionofleafletsaboutthesupportavailablefordisabledmembersofstaff
arrangementofongoingmeetingswithsomedisabledmembersofstaff.
5.2 University of BirminghamStaff roles involved in the project:
diversityadviser(staff)
HRprojectmanager–implementingrevisionstodisabilitydefinitions
staffdevelopmentconsultant–reviewofinductioncontent.
Rationale for participation in the project:
Theuniversityhasahighdisclosurerate,with96.9percentofstaffdisclosingtheirdisabilitystatus,100percenttheirgender,and99.1percenttheirethnic
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origin.However,itwasacknowledgedthatthepercentageofstaffdisclosinganactualdisabilitywaslowat2.2percent.Thiswasnotconsideredtobeatruerepresentationoftheproportionofdisabledstaff,sotheuniversitywasinterestedinwaysofimprovingdisclosure.
Key aims and objectives:
Tocreateaworkplaceculturethatencouragesandsupportsthedisclosureofdisability,inwhichdisabledstaffreceiveappropriatesupportandsocandeveloptheirfullpotential.
Interventions implemented:
reviewandrevisionofpolicies,processesandproceduresfordisclosure
developmentofstaffmonitoringformsthatencouragedisclosure
useofstaffinternetsitestoprovideinformationondisabilitydisclosureandsupportavailable
developmentofequality-relatedliteratureininductionmaterialsandanequalitymoduleininductioncourses
developmentandpromotionofguidanceonprovidinganticipatoryandreasonableadjustments
introductionandencouragementofappropriatemechanismstoensurethevoicesofdisabledstaffareinvolved,heardandsupported.
Progress made on each intervention:
reviewofprocessesfordisclosingadisability
developmentoftheinternetsiteoncetheguidanceondisclosureandhowinformationwillbeusedisfinalised
creationofaone-daywelcomesessionfollowingreviewofthestaffinductionprogramme–thisincludesinformationonrightsandresponsibilitieswithregardtoequalityanddiversity,guidanceandsignpostingonsupportfordisabledstaff,andinvitationstojointhestaffdisabilitygroupandBMEstaffgroup;invitationstothesessionexplicitlyaskifstaffneedadjustmentsandstatearrangementsforalternativetoursofthecampuswherestaffcannotundertakethewalkingtour–feedbackfromtheinitialsessionindicatedanoverallsatisfactionscoreof79percent
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guidanceonAccesstoWork
consultationwiththeuniversitystaffdisabilitygrouponthedevelopmentofinitiativesunderthisproject.
Benefits and challenges identified in implementing the interventions:
Benefits:
Therehasbeenanincreaseintheproportionofstaffsystemsandprocessesthathavehadtheinvolvementandapprovalofdisabledstaff.
Challenges:
TheuniversitywasfortunatethattheECUprojectcoincidedwithseveralotherprojects–suchastheintroductionofthestaffself-servicepersonalrecordssystemandthereviewofinduction–thatsupportedtheinterventionswewantedtointroduce.Itmayhavebeenhardertointroduceinterventionsiftheyhadnotcoincidedwithbroaderreviewcycles.
Future actions planned to improve disclosure:
AsnotedinBox10,apolicyisbeingdevelopedonstaffdisabilitydisclosurethatwilladdressissuessuchaswhystaffshoulddisclose,andhowtheirinformationwillbeused.
5.3 Canterbury Christ Church UniversityStaff roles involved in the project:
ProVice-ChancellorwithresponsibilityforEqualityandDiversity
equalityanddiversitymanager
assistantdirectorofhumanresources
humanresourcesofficer(employeerelations)
computingliaisonofficerwithspecificknowledgeofassistivetechnology.
Rationale for participation in the project:
tolearnaboutwhatotherHEIsweredoingandthedifficultiestheyhadencounteredinimprovingdisclosure
tobenefitfromtheinteractionfacilitatedbyECU
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tohaveanexternalspurtoguaranteethemomentumoftheimplementedinterventions.
Key aims and objectives:
improvesupportforandengagementwithdisabledstaffattheuniversity
improvethedisclosureofdisabilityattheuniversity
learnabouttheexperienceofotherHEIsandusethisininformingtheuniversity’sowninterventions.
Interventions implemented:
creationofacentralbudgetforworkplaceadjustments
developmentofadatabasetorecordandmonitorworkplaceadjustments–thedesignofthedatabasewillallowittofunctionasapoolofinformationaboutvarioustypesofadjustment
communicationofinformationaboutthenewarrangementstoallheadsofdepartmentsandmanagers,andallstaff
trialofamoreopenlyphrasedquestionaboutdisabilityinthestaffsurveycomparedwiththatonequalopportunitiesorstaffrecordforms.
Progress made on each intervention:
Alltheinterventionslistedhavenowbeenundertaken.
Benefits and challenges identified in implementing the interventions:
Benefits:
staffandmanagersknowwheretogoforinformationandsupport
theuniversity’sresponsetotheneedforworkplaceadjustmentsisappropriate,timelyandconsistentacrosstheinstitution
frequentlow-costadjustments(e.g.wirelessmice,ergonomickeyboardsandsoon)canbeapprovedwithoutformalassessment
thedatabaseallowstrackingofwhathasbeenprovided
thedatabaseencouragessharingofknowledgeandgoodpractice.
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Challenges:
designinganappropriatedatabasehasbeenamatteroftrialanderror,andhasbeentime-consuming
establishinganinitialbudgetwaschallenging,astheuniversitydidnothavedatatopredicthowmuchwouldberequired
implementingthenewsystemhasincreasedtheworkloadofstaffinHR.
Future actions planned to improve disclosure:
promotionofrewritteninformationfordisabledstaffviathewebsiteandprintedbrochures
assignmentofanamedcontactfordisabledstaffintheHRdepartment.
5.4 University of HullStaff roles involved in the project:
staffdisabilityadviser
marketingdepartmentandoccupationalhealthstaff
HRmanagersandadvisers
facilitiesdirectorate,students’unionandfacultyofhealthandsocialcare
diversityadviser.
Rationale for participation in the project:
toimprovethequalityandclarityofdatarelatingtodisabledstaff
toraiseawarenessofdisability,encouragingdisclosure
toprovidesupporttodisabledstaffwhereneeded.
Key aims and objectives:
developstaffmonitoringformsthatencouragedisclosureofdisabilityinordertoimproveclarityandqualityofdata
continuetoofferdisabledpeopletheopportunitytogainsomeworkexperienceattheuniversity
explorefeasibilityoffinancingreasonableadjustmentscentrallysothatnosection,departmentorfacultyisdisadvantagedfinanciallyorotherwiseinmeetingdisabilityequalityobjectives.
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Interventions implemented:
Amonitoringformandquestionnairehavebeendistributedtoallstaff.
Progress made on each intervention:
theuniversityiscurrentlyintheprocessofdatacollectionandmakingadjustmentstotheHRdatabasewithregardtothereportingofdisabilitystatus;thisworkisyettobecompleted
therehasbeensomeresistancetowardstheothertwoobjectives,whichcouldbeduetothecurrenteconomicdownturn.
Benefits and challenges identified in implementing the interventions:
Benefits:
raisedawarenessandunderstandingofdisabilityleadingtoanincreaseindisclosure–thenumberofstaffwhohavedisclosedtheirdisabilitystatusisnow165,6.8percentofthetotalnumberofstaff;somestaffwhohavedisclosedsubsequentlyrequestedadditionalsupportoradjustments
anumberofstaffwhohadnotconsideredthemselvesdisabledorneedinganytypeofsupportwerehappytoregistertheirimpairment(s)againsttheHESAcodes,whichmayindicatethattherearefewernegativeconnotationsandlessstigmaassociatedwithdisabilitythaninpreviousyears.
Challenges:
somereluctancebystafftodisclosementalhealthproblems,whichindicatesthatthereisstillastigmawithmentalhealth
somequestionnaireshavebeenreturnedwithnonameormixedmessages,inwhichcasethedatacannotbeused.
Future actions planned to improve disclosure:
Disclosurequestionnaireswillbegiventonewmembersofstaffandinformationwillbeprovidedviatheoccupationalhealth/staffdisabilityservice.Positiveattitudestowardsdisabledpeoplewillbepromoted,anddisability-relatedtraining,informationandadvicewillbeprovided.
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5.5 University of LeedsStaff roles involved in the project:
equalityanddiversitymanager
HRprojectmanager
disabilityadviserinthestudentdisabilityteam,whohassubsequentlytakenontheroleofstaffdisabilityadviser.
Rationale for participation in the project:
toexploregapsindatathatwereidentifiedthroughrecentwork
toprovidebenefittotheprojectfromongoingideasonhowtoimprovedisclosure.
Key aims and objectives:
Todisseminateanyusefullessons,oranyusefulideasandinitiatives,tohelpotherHEIsthatmightbenefit.
Interventions implemented:
developmentofabooklet,Building disability confidence – supporting disabled staff at the University of Leeds,whichhasbeendistributedtoallstaff
reviewandrevisionoftheuniversity’srecruitmentdocumentationtoensurestatementsinvitingprospectiveemployeestodiscloseadisabilityareappropriatelysupportive,andaddinganinvitationtoprospectiveapplicantstocontactHRinconfidencetodiscussanyaccessrequirementstheymighthavefortheinterviewprocess,oranyadjustmentstheymightneediftheirapplicationissuccessful
amovetowards‘employeeself-service’–certainaspectsofamemberofstaff’spersonaldataontheHRandpayrollsystemscanbeamendedbystaff,whichwillencouragethemtoreviewtheirmonitoringdata,completeanygaps,andamendtheirdeclarationifappropriate
developmentofadisabilitydisclosureprocessforstaffiftheircircumstancesalter,linkedtoaprocedureforrequestingreasonableadjustments–oneofwhichcouldberequestsfordisabilityleave(whichiscategorisedseparatelyfromannualorsickleave)
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launchofaflexibleworkingcharterdemonstratingtheuniversity’scommitmenttotheprinciplesofflexibleworking,withassociatedtrainingformanagersonthebenefits.
Progress made on each intervention:
distributionoftheBuilding disability confidencebooklettoallcurrentstaff;newstaffareadvisedofitsexistencewiththeirletterofappointment
amendmentoftheapplicationformandsupportinginformationasdescribed
pilotworkonemployeeself-servicehasbeendelayed,soithasnotbeenpossibletomonitoranyimpactondisclosure
adisabilitydisclosureprocedure,reasonableadjustmentsrequestform,anddisabilityleavepolicyareindraftandcurrentlyunderconsultationwiththecampusunions;initialresponseshavebeenpositive
launchofaflexibleworkingstatement,withasupportingstatementfromtheVice-Chancellor,atarecentstaffbenefitsfair,whichisbeingwidelypublicisedacrosstheuniversity
theequalityserviceiscurrentlydeliveringequalityanddiversitytrainingto1700staffmembers,focusingontheneedtotakeaflexibleapproachtothemanagementofthediverseworkforce;itisanticipatedthatthiswillbenefitdisabledandethnicminoritystaffaswellastheobvioustargetaudienceofstaffwithcaringresponsibilities.
Benefits and challenges identified in implementing the interventions:
Benefits:
Alltheinterventionshaveformedpartofastrategytodevelopanddistributepracticalsupportandguidanceformanagersandstaffonequalityanddiversityissuesacrossthewholespectrum.Thishashelpedtoraisetheprofileoftheserviceandtoraiseawarenessofequalityanddiversityissuesgenerally.
Challenges:
Themajorchallengehasbeentoprogresssomeoftheinitiativesinthetimescalefortheproject,someofwhichhasbeenoutsideofthecontroloftheequalityservice.
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Future actions planned to improve disclosure:
continuationofworkondisabilitydisclosureandassociateddocumentsthroughtheconsultationprocessuntiltheyareformallyadoptedbytheuniversity,afterwhichtheywillbewidelypublicised
continuationoftheemployeeself-servicefacility–theequalityservicewillcontinuetoworkwithHRtoensureequalitydataarereviewedandrevisedtoreducethegapsinthedataasfaraspossible
aspartoftheworktodevelopasingleequalityscheme,theuniversityhasheldfocusgroupswithstafffromallequalitystrands,andconsiderationwillbegiventotheestablishmentofstrand-relatedstaffforumswhichmayimprovetheconfidenceofstafftodisclosetheirethnicity,sexualorientationordisability.
5.6 Oxford Brookes UniversityStaff roles involved in the project:
equalopportunityanddiversitycoordinator
staffdisabilityadviser
HRteam
businesspartnershipmanager(equalopportunityanddiversity)
Rationale for participation in the project:
toaddresstheunder-representationofdisabledstaffattheinstitution
tostartmonitoringforsexualorientationandreligionandbelief
toactontheinstitution’scorevalueofincreaseddiversity
tosharelearningwithcolleaguesinthesectoraboutwhatworksandwhatdoesnot.
Key aims and objectives:
increasedisclosureformonitoring
improvedataqualitybyintroducingnewHESAcategories
promoteequalityinrecruitment
increasestaffunderstandingofdiversityandpromoteasupportiveculture.
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Interventions implemented:
revisionoftheequalopportunitiesmonitoringformusedinrecruitmentandselection
revisionofonlineandpapermonitoringforms
lettersenttoallstafftopromptthemtocompleteonlineorpaperversions
revisionofrecruitmentandselectiondocumentationandprocedures
implementationofactionsarisingfromequalityimpactassessmentsofrecruitmentandselectionwithindirectorates
revisionofcurrentrecruitmentandselectiontraining
setupofastaffdisabilitynetwork
introductionofmonitoringofrequestsforflexibleworking
introductionofaLoveandJusticeMonthofequalityeventsinFebruary2009,onthethemeofequalrights,tocoincidewithannualHumanRightsFilmFestival.
Progress made on each intervention:
newmonitoringformintroduced
letterwassentoutattachedtoJanuary2009payslipsencouragingallstafftoreviewandrevisetheirdisclosedequalitystatusdata;31percentofstaffhaverevisedtheirdatasinceFebruary2009
actionsarisingfromequalityimpactassessmentsofrecruitmentandselectionhavebeenimplemented,althoughitmaybetooearlytomeasuretheeffect
increasedownershipofdiversityissuesindirectorates–wordingofnewjobdescriptionsandpersonspecificationshasbeenimprovedtoensuretheyarenon-discriminatoryandbasedmorecloselyontherequirementsoftherole
detailedguidanceoninterviewingdisabledapplicantsdrawnup,withinputfromthelocalMencapgroup,andpilotedinatrainingsessionforthelearningresourcesmanagementteam
firstmeetingofthestaffdisabilitynetworkheldinApril;sharedmailinglistsetuptohelpfacilitatecommunication,and28disabledmembersofstaffhavenowexpressedaninterestinjoiningthenetwork
disabledstaffhavebeeninvolved,throughaquestionnaire,ontheproposedrevisedparkingpolicy
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disabledstaffhaveproposeddevelopinganonymisedaccountsoftheirexperiencesasaweb-basedresourceformanagers
LoveandJusticemonthorganisedandwellreceived(seeBox3).
Benefits and challenges identified in implementing the interventions:
Benefits:
proceduresarenowinplacetocollectthereviseddatarequiredbytheuniversity,butfurtheractionisstillneededtoencouragemorestafftoupdatetheirdata
guidanceoninterviewingdisabledstaffhasbeendevelopedandincorporatedintraining–initialfeedbackisthatitisuseful
disabledstaffnetworkelicitedaverypositiveresponse–tomaintainthemomentumofthisgroup,OxfordBrookeswillneedtodevelopanelectronicmeansofcommunicationasitisverydifficulttofindasuitabletimeandplaceforalltomeetface-to-face
LoveandJusticeMonthwasthefirsttimetheuniversityhadtriedtorunaprogrammeofeventsonascaleofthatsize,andenabledtheuniversitytolearnalotaboutlarge-scaleplanningofaccessibleevents.
Challenges:
Increasingstaffdisclosureratesandunderstandingdatacontinuestobeacomplicatedarea.Forexample,inJanuary2009theuniversityhad3.5percentofstaffwithadiscloseddisability(4.0percentofsupportstaff,3.2percentofacademicstaff;zeromanagement).Thisoverallfigurewasadramaticincreasefrom2.8percentinDecember2008.Thisrepresentsanincreasefrom62staffto78.Thereasonsforthissuddenincreaseareunclear,anditisnotknownwhetherthisratewillbesustained.
Thestaffdisabilityadviserfindsthatpartialdisclosureiscommon.Frequentlytheinitialdisclosureisofavisiblephysicalimpairment,andwhenarelationshipoftrusthasbeendeveloped,furthermentalhealthissuesaredisclosed.
Future actions planned to improve disclosure:
useofsexualorientationandreligionandbeliefdatainfuturediversityreportstohelpreassurestaffabouthowthesesensitivedataareused
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affiliationwithDisabledGo(www.disabledgo.com),whichwillhostaccessinformationandjobadvertisementsonitswebsitetoencouragemoreapplicationsfromdisabledpeople
publicityaboutTexthelpassistivesoftware,whichcanbeinstalledonstaffPCsatnoadditionalcharge
liaisonwithstudentstopromoteasupportivecultureonLGBTissues;theuniversityhasbeenworkingwithoneveryproactivestudent,whohasrecommendedbooksforthelibrary,requestedlibrarydisplaystosupportOxfordPride,anddevelopedsuggestedwebpagesgivinglocalandnationallinks.
5.7 University of SalfordStaff roles involved in the project:
HRprojectsmanager
seniorassistantregistrarequalityanddiversity
SalfordUniversityDisabledStaff(SUDS)Network.
Rationale for participation in the project:
Theuniversityhasbeenawareoflowlevelsofdeclarationofdisabilityamongdisabledemployees,andsimilarlyamongotherequalitygroups.
Key aims and objectives:
tofindwaysofencouragingemployeestodeclaretheirpersonalequality-relateddatasotheinstitutioncanmonitorprogress,orthelackofit
toidentifybettertheimpactofpoliciesandpracticesonstaff.
Interventions implemented:
Theuniversityhasutilisedtheannualstaffdatachecktoencourageemployeestodeclareiftheyhaveadisabilityand/ortotickaboxandprovidecontactdetailsforaninformaldiscussion,iftheywish.
Progress made on each intervention:
Aconsiderablenumberofemployeeshaveprovidedtheircontactdetailsandrequestedaninformaldiscussionondisability.Atthetimeofwriting,itisnotknownifmoreemployeeshavetakentheopportunitytodeclareadisability.More
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declarationwillprovideamoreaccuratepictureofthepercentageofdisabledstafftheuniversityemploys,andhelpinplanningandundertakingactiontoimproveonthis.
Benefits and challenges identified in implementing the interventions:
Benefits:
moreemployeesthanbeforehaveengagedinthisissueattheuniversity
moreemployeeswilleitherreceivesupportintheworkplaceinrelationtotheirdisability,orwillhavepeaceofmindthatsupportwouldbeavailableifneeded
SUDShasprovedaveryhelpfulbridgeincommunicatingwithrelevantstaff,ashavetheotherstaffnetworks.
Future actions planned to improve disclosure:
Theuniversitywillimplementitssingleequalityschemeande-recruitment.Itwillmonitortheimpactoftheseactivitiesandpositiveoutcomesonitsequalityanddiversityagenda.
5.8 Sheffield Hallam UniversityStaff roles involved in the project:
wideningparticipationpolicyunitrelationshipmanager
diversitymanager
diversity,ethicsandwideningparticipationcoordinator,FacultyofArts,Computing,EngineeringandSciences.
Rationale for participation in the project:
tofacilitatereviewanddevelopmentoftheapproachtostaffdeclarationanddisclosureofdisability
todevelopstrategiesforexploringtheviewsoftheuniversity’sLGBTcommunity.
Key aims and objectives:
furtherdeveloptheprinciples,policiesandproceduresforstaffdisclosureofdisabilityandtheprovisionofreasonableadjustments,andpromotetheseeffectivelytostaffgroups
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informimprovementsinthecollectionanduseofmanagementinformationrelatingtostaffdisclosureofdisability
exploreappropriatemeansofreviewingtheexperiencesofstafffromLGBTgroups.
Interventions implemented:
amajoremphasisoftheprojecthasbeenonexploringtheuniversity’scurrentapproachtostaffdisclosureofdisabilityandtheprovisionofreasonableadjustments,whichhasresultedinaseriesofrecommendationsforfutureimprovementstoboththepracticesandprovisionofinformationandsupporttostaffmembers
developmentsintheemployeeopinionsurveyhaveenabledthecollectionofdiversitymonitoringdata,whichfacilitatestheexplorationoftheviewsofLGBTstaffgroups.
Progress made on each intervention:
areporthasbeenproducedfortheequalityanddiversitystrategygroup,containingrecommendationsforfurtherdevelopmentoftheuniversity’sapproachtostaffdisclosureofdisabilityandtheprovisionofreasonableadjustments,anditishopedthatthiswillencourageagreaterproportionofdisabledstafftodiscloseadisability,whereitisintheirbestintereststodoso
someanalysisoftheemployeeopinionsurveyhasbeeninitiated,andfurtherconsultationwiththeLGBTstaffforumislikelytoidentifykeythemesformoredetailedresearch.
Benefits and challenges identified in implementing the interventions:
Benefits:
identificationofsomeofthekeyissuesthatwerehinderingdisclosure
opportunitytoestablishasteeringgrouptoaddresstheseissues,anddeveloptoolsandguidancetosupportandfacilitatedisclosure.
Challenges:
ensuringasharedapproachwastakentoaddressinganissueforwhichresponsibilityshouldbesharedacrosstheinstitution
ensuringdisabledstaffmembersfeltempoweredtoshareconfidentialinformationabouttheirexperiences.
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Future actions planned to improve disclosure:
implementationofrecommendationsfromthereportonstaffdisclosureofdisabilityandtheprovisionofreasonableadjustments,inordertoimprovethequalityofthedisabledstaffexperience
furthercollaborationwiththeLGBTstaffforumandotherkeystakeholderstoexplorethemesforfurtherresearch,andeffectivemeansofengagingwithLGBTgroups.
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Appendix A: Checklist for HEIs when devising an action plan on staff disclosureThechecklistbelowliststhekeypointstoconsiderinadvanceandduringdevelopmentofthedisclosureactionplan,andprovidessignpostingtoparticularpartsofthisguidethatmaybeusefultorefertoforfurtherreading.
Point to consider Section in this
guidance
Whatsenior-levelcommitmentistheretoreviewingandimprovingtheHEI’smechanismsforcapturingandusingstaffequalitydata?
3.1
Whichequalitystrandshaveaparticularlyhigh‘noreturn/unknown’rate,andwhatcantheHEIlearnfromanymarkeddifferencesinreturnratesbetweenequalitycategories?
2.24
Howeasyisitforstafftoupdatetheirpersonalrecordsiftheirdecisiontodiscloseortheircircumstanceschange,andhowmighttheHEImakethiseasierforstaff?
3.13.2
WhatistheHEI’sunderstandingof(a)itsreasonsforcollectingstaffequalitydataand(b)howthisinformationwillbeused?
24
HowwilltheHEIensurestaffunderstandwhyequalitydataaboutthemisbeingcollected?
3.4
WhatnewmethodswilltheHEIadopttocommunicatetostaffthebenefitsofdisclosingequalitydata?
3.3
Howappropriatearethedisclosurequestionscurrentlybeingaskedofstaffintermsofhowtheyareworded?
3.4
HowrobustandconfidentialaretheHEI’sproceduresforstoringandmanagingequalitydata?
3.2
WhatstrategiesdoestheHEIhaveinplacetomakethebestuseofitsstaffdisclosuredatato(a)informitsequalityanddiversitywork,(b)targetindividualequalityanddiversityinterventions,and(c)benchmarktheperformanceoftheHEI?
4.13.54.3
46 Developingstaffdisclosure
Appendix B: Action plan templateSimilarinprincipletothoseproducedforsupportingdeliveryofthepublicsectordutiesforrace,disabilityandgender,adisclosureactionplancanbeausefultoolinprioritisingthekeystepstheinstitutionwilltaketoachievehigherratesofdisclosure.Pleaserefertosection3.5forfurtherinformation.
Therearesixelementstothetemplate,covering:
equality group–thegroupofstafftheinterventionisaimedatsupporting–disabledstaff,BMEstaff,LGBTstaff,andsoon
intervention objective–whattheuniversityhopestoachievebyintroducingtheintervention
actions–whattheHEIwilldotoachievetheinterventionobjective
by when–thekeydatesbywhichtheactionswillbeimplemented
responsibility–whowithintheHEIwillbetheleadforimplementingtheaction
success indicators–whattheHEIwillconsiderisneededtomeasurethesuccessoftheintervention.
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Developingstaffdisclosure 47
Date: Institution: Project coordinator:
Equality
group
Intervention
objective
Actions By when Responsibility Success
indicators
Action plan template
48 Developingstaffdisclosure
Appendix C: References and resourcesReferencesECU(2007)Conducting equality impact assessments in higher education.EqualityChallengeUnit,London.www.ecu.ac.uk/publications/equality-impact-assessment-in-he
ECU(2008a)Disclosure and support issues for disabled staff in higher education: Report 2008.EqualityChallengeUnit,London.www.ecu.ac.uk/publications/disclosure-for-disabled-staff-in-he-report-08
ECU(2008b)Disclosure and support issues for disabled staff in higher education: Survey findings 2007. EqualityChallengeUnit,London.www.ecu.ac.uk/publications/disclosure-for-disabled-staff-in-he-survey-07
ECU(2009a)Interventions for staff disclosure in higher education – background paper 2009.EqualityChallengeUnit,London.www.ecu.ac.uk/publications/interventions-for-staff-disclosure-in-he
ECU(2009b)Experience of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans staff and students in higher education: research report 2009.EqualityChallengeUnit,London.www.ecu.ac.uk/publications/lgbt-staff-and-students-in-he
ECU,AUAandHEEON(2008)A–Z Equality & Diversity.EqualityChallengeUnit,AssociationofUniversityAdministratorsandHigherEducationEqualOpportunitiesNetwork,London.www.aua.ac.uk/about/governance/workinggroups/equalityadvisorygroup/azguide.pdf
HMGovernment(1998a)HumanRightsAct1998.OPSI,London.www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1998/ukpga_19980042_en_1
HMGovernment(1998b)DataProtectionAct1998.OPSI,London.www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1998/ukpga_19980029_en_1
HMGovernment(2000)RaceRelations(Amendment)Act2000.OPSI,London.www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/ukpga_20000034_en_1
HMGovernment(2005a)DisabilityDiscriminationAct1995(asamended).OPSI,London.www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2005/ukpga_20050013_en_1.htm
Developingstaffdisclosure 49
HMGovernment(2005b)DisabilityDiscrimination(PublicAuthorityStatutoryDuties)Regulations2005[SI2966].OPSI,London.www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2005/20052966.htm
HMGovernment(2006)EqualityAct2006.OPSI,London.www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2006/ukpga_20060003_en_1
HMGovernment(2008)TheSexDiscriminationAct1975(Amendment)Regulations2008.OPSI,London.www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2008/uksi_20080656_en_1
JISCTech-Dis(2007)AccessibilityEssentialsSeries.JISCTech-Dis,York.www.techdis.ac.uk/index.php?p=3_20
Rose,C.(2006)Do you have a disability – yes or no? or is there a better way of asking?LearningandSkillsDevelopmentAgency,London.www.lluk.org/documents/Do_you_have_a_disability.pdf
UniversityofLeeds(2009)Building disability confidence – supporting disabled staff at the University of Leeds.EqualityChallengeUnit,London.www.equality.leeds.ac.uk/downloads/staff_leaflet/disabled-staff-leaflet.pdf
Further readingACAS(2004)Sexual orientation and the workplace – a guide for employers and employees.ACAS,London. www.acas.org.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=105&p=0
AccesstoWork–practicalhelpatwork.www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople/Employmentsupport/WorkSchemesAndProgrammes/DG_4000347
CommissionforDisabledStaffinLifelongLearning(2008)From compliance to culture change – disabled staff working in lifelong learning.NationalInstituteofAdultContinuingEducation,Leicester.www.niace.org.uk/projects/commissionfordisabledstaff
CRE(2005)Statutory Code of Practice on racial equality in employment – final RIA.CommissionforRacialEquality,London.www.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/ria_code_racial_equality_em1.pdf
DRC(undated)The medical or individual model of disability/The social or structural model of disability.DisabilityRightsCommission,London.http://83.137.212.42/sitearchive/DRC/citizenship/worksheets/PDFs/L3W2.pdf
References and resources
50 Developingstaffdisclosure
DRC(2004)Code of Practice: employment and occupation.DisabilityRightsCommission,London.www.equalityhumanrights.com/uploaded_files/drc_employment_code.pdf
DRC(2005)The duty to promote disability equality – Statutory Code of Practice.DisabilityRightsCommission,London.www.dotheduty.org/files/Code_of_practice_england_and_wales.pdf
DRC(2006)The Disability Equality Duty – guidance on gathering and analysing evidence to inform action.DisabilityRightsCommission,London.www.dotheduty.org/files/DRC_Evidence_Gathering_Guidance.pdf
ECU(2007)The production of single equality schemes.EqualityChallengeUnit,London.www.ecu.ac.uk/publications/files/single-equality-schemes-briefing.pdf/view
ECU(2008)Equality in higher education: statistical report 2008.EqualityChallengeUnit,London.www.ecu.ac.uk/publications/equality-in-he-stats-08
ECU(2008)Mapping equality data in the higher education sector.EqualityChallengeUnit,London.www.ecu.ac.uk/publications/mapping-equality-data-he
ECU(2009)Revising disability equality schemes.EqualityChallengeUnit,London.www.ecu.ac.uk/publications/files/Revising-disability-equality-schemes-briefing.pdf/view
EHRC(undated)‘Whatisthedisabilityequalityduty?’EqualityandHumanRightsCommission,London.www.equalityhumanrights.com/advice-and-guidance/public-sector-duties/introduction-to-the-public-sector-duties/disability-equality-duty
HEFCE(2008)Staff employed at HEFCE-funded HEIs: update – trends and profiles.Issuepaper2008/26.HigherEducationFundingCouncilforEngland,Bristol.www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/hefce/2008/08_26
InstituteforEmploymentStudies(2005)Non-disclosure and hidden discrimination in higher education - report to HEFCE, SHEFC, HEFCW.InstituteofEmploymentStudies,Brighton.www.hefce.ac.uk/Pubs/RDreports/2005/rd09_05
References and resources
Developingstaffdisclosure 51
DuringtheirinvolvementinECU’sstaffdisclosureofequalitydataproject,someoftheHEIshaveproducedwrittenpublicationsandmaterials.Theseareavailabletodownloadatwww.ecu.ac.uk/inclusive-practice/staff-disclosure-of-equality-data.
ECUaimstocontinuetoexpandtheresourcesavailableonthiswebpage,andwouldbehappytoreceivecasestudiesfromanyotherHEIsthathaveworkedonimprovingstaffdisclosure.
Aston UniversityHR Staff Disability Survey
Guidance for Personnel Staff and those arranging selection interviews – making interview arrangements for people with disabilities
Sheffield Hallam UniversityWorking with disabled staff: Sheffield Hallam University’s approach to disability disclosure and reasonable adjustments
University of BirminghamHuman Resources Access to Work Guidelines
University of HullStaffDisabilityDisclosureForm
University of LeedsBuilding disability confidence – supporting disabled staff at the University of Leeds
References and resources
www.ecu.ac.uk
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© Equality Challenge Unit. ECU’s publications are produced free of charge to the HE sector. Information can be reproduced accurately as long as the source is clearly identified. Alternative formats are available: E: [email protected], T: 020 7438 1010
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