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Equality and Diversity

May 13th, 2014

The week that was…

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Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Equality and Diversity

May 13th, 2014

The week that was…

0 comments

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

In today’s The week that was: extension of right to request flexible working, ageing workforce may have implications for diversity, TUC publish guide on autism in the workplace and female graduates reluctant to enter male dominated industries.

From 30 June 2014, the right to request flexible working will be extended to all staff with 26 weeks of service. This does not imply an obligation to agree to all requests but means that all applications for flexible working are to be considered by employers. This might require prioritising competing requests. Acas recommends documenting how to prioritise competing requests in a flexible working policy and sharing that with the workforce.

The ageing public sector workforce may have implications for mobility and diversity in public sector organisations, warns Louise Tibbert of Public Sector People Manager’s Association (PPMA). A 2013 study from the Institute of Fiscal Studies found that only 1% of public sector workers were aged under 20, compared with 4% in the private sector. Employees retiring later may bring more experience and insight but may also restrict the entry of younger people into the workforce in the public sector.

TUC have published a guide on ‘Autism in the workplace’ to provide advice on how to support autistic staff to ensure they get the adjustments they may need and are legally entitled to. TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “All too often, people who are autistic can face challenges and obstacles at work due to ignorance and prejudice around their condition.” The guide also contains case studies.

Finally, a recent report suggests that over the last 10 years, the number of female graduates looking to enter male dominated industries has shown no significant increase. From 2003 to 2013, the proportion of female graduates applying for engineering jobs has increased by 2.4%. In utilities, the number has decreased by 1.1%. The most marked decrease has been in sports and recreation, where the number of female graduates looking to enter the sector is down by 6.3% to 25%.  The number of male graduates looking to work in female-dominated industries has also fallen.

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Equality and Diversity

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