We came across quite a few interesting posts last week, here are the highlights: RSA report says many managers view flexible working negatively, newspapers asked to publish number of over-50 women employees, an LSE alum becomes first woman to be on the FA board, and is Black Studies the answer to racial inequality in the academia.
Last week, we mentioned Zoe William’s article on why women shouldn’t feel guilty about working part-time and/or flexibly. This week we look at a report from the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) on flexible working. Entitle ‘The Flex Factor’, the report reveals that over half of managers view flexible working as something to be tolerated or ignored, while nearly 20% of them actively discourage it. 40% of employees also felt that people take advantage of flexible working. The Guardian’s Women in Leadership network held an online chat on the issue which received a number of interesting comments, ranging from suggestions about making flexible working available to all to rejoicing in life beyond work.
The Commission on Older Women, led by Harriet Harman, has written to editors of national newspapers to publish figures on the number of women aged over 50 they employ. Polly Toynbee has written in the Guardian about her own experience, as an older woman, of sexist and patronising abuse posted in comments below her columns. And yet, Polly Toynbee adds, “an older woman has no redress on sex and age together if a workplace has plenty of women (younger) and plenty of older people (men), but chases out older women” as Maria Miller, Women and Equalities Minister, has refused to implement the ‘dual discrimination’ provision under the Equality Act.
On a more positive note, an LSE alum, Heather Rabbatts, has become the first women to be on the board of the Football Assocation (FA). Originally trained as a barrister at LSE, Heather’s worked in leadership roles for the BBC, Lambeth Council, Bank of England, Royal Opera House and Millwall Football Club, among others. On her appointment to the board of FA, Harriett said, “As a mixed-race woman entering what has predominantly been the preserve of white men, there is a certain pressure – but I also feel proud to have been chosen for such a prominent position on the basis of what I can do.”
Out of 18,510 professors in the UK, only 85 or less than 0.5% are black and the total proportion of black academics stands at 1.6%. Deborah Gabriel, lecturer at University of Salford and founder of Black British Academics, argues that this underrepresentation cannot be addressed without introducing studies that are pertinent to the lives of black people. While Black Studies has been a growing field in the US for some time, a similar change in paradigm of curriculum has not been witnessed in the UK. Challenging cultural bias and institutionalised racism to further recruitment and progression of black academics is key too.
You can comment on these news stories in the box below. If you have something to add, we’d love to hear from you – Equality.and.Diversity@lse.ac.uk.
