How to set up an ERG for black and ethnic minority employees
Eight steps to help employers establish an employee resource group (ERG) for black and ethnic minority employees, including the business case for doing so
The CIPD has partnered with Business in the Community (BITC) to issue new practical guidance for organisations that have signed the Race at Work Charter
The CIPD and BITC’s Meeting the Race at Work Charter: an employer’s guide provides detailed, research-backed recommendations on how to meet each of the commitments in the charter, and signposts to further resources which support race inclusion.
BITC’s charter, set up in 2018 in collaboration with the UK Government, aims to ensure that ethnic minority employees are represented at all levels in an organisation and calls on employers to take practical steps to foster race inclusion by committing to five calls to action:
The CIPD was one of the first organisations to sign up to BITC’s Race at Work Charter and recognises the need to make workplaces more inclusive and diverse at every level.
Peter Cheese, chief executive of the CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development, said:
“We hope this new guide will be a useful supplement to help drive change and urge employers who have not yet signed up to the charter to do so. The pandemic and economic downturn has further highlighted the inequalities faced by ethnic minorities, and employers should play a key role in levelling the playing field.”
Sandra Kerr CBE, Race Director at Business in the Community, said:
“This guidance shows how signatories can stamp out racial inequality in the workplace by prioritising leadership, advocacy, allyship, transparency and accountability. The 630 signatories to the Race at Work Charter - covering over 5.5 million employees - are proof that more employers are getting serious about equality at work. I hope that this guidance helps them make that ambition a reality and that the CIPD's support inspires even more employers to take action and sign up to the Charter.”
Eight steps to help employers establish an employee resource group (ERG) for black and ethnic minority employees, including the business case for doing so
Explore the six principles the CIPD recommends to help you create a racially inclusive workplace