Diversity, equality & inclusion

While much progress in gender equality and diversity and inclusion has been made in recent years, the impacts of COVID-19 threaten to undo all that hard work. Mark Fenton explains. As we experience our restricted lifestyle due to the pandemic, I have been reflecting on what impact this crisis is having on gender equality and diversity and inclusion (D&I). And I am worried. Will our new, abnormal future be an optimistic beacon of progressive inclusion and equal representation, or does it risk taking us back to a more traditional and less inclusive past? The world is not equal for men and women. We know that. Huge disparities exist around the world, not just in terms of workplace remuneration and working conditions, but also across access to professional development, sponsorship, and even basic education. Nevertheless, in many countries, significant progress has been made. In the UK, for example, a record number of women are in the workplace – 72.4% at the end of 2019. Furthermore, The Financial Times reported in October 2019 that the proportion of women on the boards of the UK’s most valuable 350 public companies exceeded 30% for the first time, having risen more than three-fold since 2010. Both men and women have had to organise their lives to support dual career families. Most organisations have made at least some progress towards supportive technology, policies, benefits and practices that enable more flexible models to ensure that every employee can be more effective and feel more included. A growing suite of empirical, global research now shows that this corporate strategy of D&I leads to significant, measurable impact on gender equality and on bottom-line performance. McKinsey recently reported on a global analysis of over 1,000 large companies which demonstrated that those companies with the most gender diversity are 48% more likely to have above-average profitability as compared to the least gender diverse organisations. In recent years, society has embraced a professional outsourcing model when it comes to the traditional support roles of childcare, cleaning, food preparation and socialisation. This has freed up many of us to pursue the career and life we desire. This new social model has been lauded as the non-level ground-breaking progress towards a more equal workplace and society at large. Then COVID-19 appeared, and everything changed. We live in a new reality of global home-working, social distancing and cocooning. The outsource model is gone – schools and crèches have been shut for months on end and are only now slowly opening up. Restaurants and bars remain boarded up and we are back to a time of self-sufficiency vis-à-vis home schooling, house cleaning, food preparation and general maintenance. With all these extra tasks, how has society divvied them up? Have we, as self-professed progressive supporters of equality, rationally and fairly allocated the day-to-day running of our home, our family, and our careers? Has the shift towards remote working and the full-armed embrace of tools such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, etc., delivered the expected growth in support of women and gender equality in general? The answer may depend on who you ask. And the reality should disturb you. There is evidence that society may have taken steps back to a more gender stereotyped and genderised division of labour. Many people report that it is women who are doing most (if not all) of the home-schooling activity, while continuing to do the lion’s share of cooking, cleaning, and the organisation of virtual socialising. This is often while attempting to succeed in a busy corporate role based at the kitchen table. Us men, on the other hand, have replaced our 8-10 hours in the office with a similar duration on Zoom calls based in the more bespoke environment of the attic office or study. We start early (before the home-schooling day begins) and surface for breaks and mealtimes, or perhaps a fun family activity in the late afternoon/early evening. Yes, it is hard to do our jobs via Zoom, but men have the benefit of supportive practices at home. Some, maybe even many, may disagree. An interesting article in the New York Times exposed the gap in pandemic-era domestic work. It was reported that while nearly half of men say they do most of the home schooling, only 3% of women agree. Furthermore, a third of men with children under 12-years-old claimed to be the person most responsible for housework or for childcare, while women agreeing with either statement did not even register above 2%. Why? Cultural expectations around roles and responsibilities remain and this crisis, by putting a short-term focus on securing/maintaining income and work opportunities, has allowed these expectations and implicit biases to flourish as women default to juggling – more than ever – schooling and household activity. We need to address this disparity quickly to avoid taking backward steps in the long journey towards gender equality and a more inclusive society. What this crisis has taught us is that we need to better collaborate as a society and be more inclusive and supportive. We need to value all the micro-actions that were easily discounted or outsourced before, but which are now viewed as important. Men must continue the spring forward they started and not step back from their modern role in family, work and society. The future is in our hands. We can emerge as a more connected, equal, and respectful society. Our difference is our strength. How we include these differences and each as a unit (a relationship, a family, a community, a society, a global world) is key to future success, whether individual, corporate or industrial. Mark Fenton is the Founder of MASF Consulting

Rachel Power, D&I Senior Manager at PwC Ireland, outlines how a robust diversity and inclusion strategy can help organisations cultivate a sense of calm and control amid the uncertainty. With over 60 nationalities and a 3,000 strong intergenerational workforce, PwC has long focused on diversity and inclusion. It undoubtedly features on the agenda of many organisations as employees, customers, and investors increasingly demand that the organisations they do business with model the values of equity and inclusion. Benefits are being seen, now more than ever, in terms of higher employee engagement, increased productivity, better problem solving, innovation, creativity, reputation and competitive advantage. The list goes on. COVID-19 has challenged us all to be more inclusive, even though most office-based employees will operate from a home office for the foreseeable future. While this makes inclusion challenging in one sense, it has also accelerated the need for organisations to think differently about diversity and inclusion, forcing us all to find new ways to connect. The core elements of PwC’s people strategy remain the same around inclusion, wellness and flexibility, although our delivery vehicles may differ. In fact, our longstanding diversity and inclusion values have helped us navigate this crisis. And we are not alone. COVID-19 and the overwhelming global response to Black Lives Matter earlier this year have certainly elevated the need for organisations to do better. In a recent PwC Global Survey across 40 countries with over 3,000 responses, we found that organisations are investing at unprecedented rates in diversity and inclusion programmes with 76% now citing it is a value or priority. More important than ever Several things already high on PwC Ireland’s strategic agenda have helped us transition relatively seamlessly to the remote working world, where building on our culture of inclusion and belonging is vital. Our focus for diversity and inclusion before COVID-19 was on three areas, and they will persist into the future: Nurturing an environment of inclusion and belonging; Living our values, putting wellness and flexibility at the core; and Leveraging tools and training for the future. We set these objectives before the pandemic, but they remain relevant. Why? Transforming workforces and the way we work requires diverse, talented people from different backgrounds; people who have different experiences and who bring innovation, creativity and fresh perspectives. But having these people is only half the battle, it is inclusion and giving our people a voice and a sense of belonging that brings the true benefits to the fore. Connection and belonging are areas of focus right now, not least because we know that a sense of belonging can reduce stress levels. When we feel that we have support and are not alone, we often cope more effectively with difficult times in our lives – something we want to support our people with as we navigate these uncertain times. While many worked flexibly before the crisis, the approach to flexibility has been taken to a new level. It’s all about balance and finding ways to make it work. Again, this comes back to having inclusive and values-based leaders, who ensure that the right conversations are had to find ways to make it work for everyone. There is undoubtedly more to do, and the end to this pandemic is far from sight. But values, strategic direction and technology will guide us through the uncertainty and continue to strengthen diversity and inclusion in organisations throughout the world.

In March, organisations had to act quickly to create a remote working culture in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Now, they need to consider what the next phase of work will look like, and how and where work will be done into the future. Kevin Empey explains. COVID-19 has prompted a lot of discussion about the next phase of work and working life. For many, the pandemic has provided an unwelcome but informative and possibly pivotal experiment in how and where we work. It has also accelerated trends and practices in world of work that were already happening, bringing them firmly into the mainstream. Most agree that we will not return to pre-COVID ways of working, nor will we see continue with this pandemic model of work we have experienced in recent months. The next phase of working life will be some form of a blended approach that historically carries a variety of labels such as remote working, flexible working and smart working. Whatever label we choose for it, employers (and employees) now have an opportunity to create a broader working culture – beyond the provision of ad-hoc flexible, technology-enabled, remote working practices which, on their own, may miss a much bigger message and opportunity. Levels of flexible working There is a clear spectrum of strategies or ‘levels’ that employers have taken in relation to flexible working. While health and well-being concerns are clearly dictating short-term return-to-work approaches, these different levels of flexible working are now informing more deliberate, ambitious and strategic workforce options that employers are considering for the longer-term. The choice of strategy comes down to whatever best suits the future business model, culture, and talent strategy for each organisation. The choice of approach should also complement other transformation objectives and not just be a stand-alone, isolated initiative.   Tactical levels – focused mainly on employees only Level 0 – Little or no flexible working offered or actively promoted. Level 1 – No formal guidelines but some ad-hoc, isolated and unstructured practices have evolved over time and are allowed. Mainly based on informal agreements and accommodating some work-life balance arrangements. Level 2 – Formal guidelines do exist but limited based on certain clear parameters e.g. Fridays optional for remote working or 80% expected in the office etc. Specific arrangements that are role specific and not universal across all job types. Strategic levels – focused jointly on the business and the employee Level 3 – Formal guidelines and principles exists as part of a wider workforce strategy. More freedom and discretion allowed at local business, team, and individual level. Parameters exist based on business and customer needs, but they are kept to a minimum. Remote working seen as part of a deliberate and wider agile working culture and integrated with other programmes and people priorities, e.g. diversity and inclusion, talent and skills strategy, recruitment etc.  Level 4 – Maximum level of freedom and choice provided. Clear business rationale (e.g. talent, efficiency, dispersed workforce, property benefits etc.) for optimal remote working offering and formally expressed as part of the organisation strategy.  Working remotely accepted as the normal practice with variances based on business need to be in the office for certain activities. These COVID times are presenting a once-in-a-generation opportunity to ‘reset’ a vision for how work will be designed in the future. This will help not only to increase organisational agility and future-fitness, but it will also distinguish employers in the battle for top talent who will be watching your next move with huge interest. Talent that will have higher expectations regarding how and where they work than they have ever had before. Kevin Empey is the Managing Director of WorkMatters Consulting.