The answer to Question 1 ‘Which of the below actions show that an employer prioritises diversity?‘ is ‘an employer that prioritises diversity will recognise different backgrounds, knowledge and skills, and value them‘.
The other actions described in the answers to the question: ‘hiring people with protected characteristics so that they have visibility in the workplace’ and ‘ensuring that those classed as a minority group are given the best roles and talks’ are discriminatory. This type of activity is called ‘positive discrimination’. There is more explanation on this at the bottom of the page.
The answer to Question 2 ‘Which of the below actions show an employer prioritises inclusivity?‘ is ‘an inclusive employer will make sure their employees feel valued and accepted in the team and organisation‘.
Mandating Christmas party attendance could be regarded as discriminatory since some members of the workforce may not celebrate Christmas, others might have childcare responsibilities or other priorities. The final answer, ‘sharing all information and communications with the whole workforce’, would not work since some information will be confidential – however an employer will want to make sure that recruitment and promotion opportunities are shared with everyone.
The answer to Question 3 ‘Which of the below activities show an employer values equity?‘ is ‘acknowledging that advantages and barriers exist and making changes to address them’.
Ensuring that all employees are provided with bespoke tools to achieve success is not practical in most workforces which require a one-size-fits-all approach to many initiatives. ‘Not providing extra resources to minority groups since this might be perceived as favouritism’, could be favouritism but may also be proportionate. See the below section on positive action and positive discrimination to find out more about what constitutes proportionate and disproportionate activity.
A last word on positive action and positive discrimination
Positive action describes ‘proportionate’ steps taken by an employer to lessen any disadvantage or remove barriers or obstacles that it believes are faced by people with protected characteristics.
Positive discrimination, which is any activity that unduly favours a minority or under-represented group, is illegal in this country. Examples of this might be setting quotas, or giving people a job simply because they have a particular characteristic.