1 Apr 2021 - Zainab Oyegoke, Communications and Campaign Manager

CIPD issues new guidance on the Race at Work Charter to support employers in tackling inequality and improving inclusion

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:

Appoint an executive sponsor for race
Capture ethnicity data and publicise progress
Commit at board level to zero tolerance of harassment and bullying
Make clear that supporting equality in the workplace is the responsibility of all leaders and managers
Take action that supports ethnic minority career progression

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.”

Guides