NEWS STORY : Government Seeks Public Input to Dismantle Workplace Inequality
STORY
In a significant move to promote workplace equality, the UK government has launched a comprehensive call for evidence aimed at identifying and addressing barriers to opportunity in employment. This initiative is a pivotal component of the government’s broader “Plan for Change,” which seeks to ensure that individuals can succeed based on their talents, regardless of their background.
The Office for Equality and Opportunity, in collaboration with the Disability Unit, is spearheading this effort to gather insights from a diverse array of stakeholders, including businesses, trade unions, civil society organisations, and individuals with lived experiences. The feedback collected will inform the development of the forthcoming Equality (Race and Disability) Bill, slated for publication later this session.
Key Areas of Focus
The call for evidence invites input on several critical areas of equality policy:
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The prevalence of pay discrimination based on race and disability.
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Strategies to effectively enforce equal pay rights for ethnic minority and disabled individuals.
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Measures to prevent the outsourcing of services as a means for employers to evade equal pay obligations.
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The potential establishment of an Equal Pay Regulatory and Enforcement Unit, with trade union involvement, to enhance enforcement mechanisms.
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Initiatives to improve pay transparency across organisations.
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Strengthening protections against combined forms of discrimination.
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Ensuring comprehensive compliance with the Public Sector Equality Duty by all entities performing public functions.
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Creating and maintaining workplaces free from sexual harassment for all employees.
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The potential commencement of the socio-economic duty to address broader inequalities.
Minister for Equalities, Seema Malhotra MP, emphasised the importance of this initiative, stating, “Our goal is to understand how we can better remove barriers to opportunity and boost household incomes across the country so people can achieve according to their talents, irrespective of their backgrounds.”
Echoing this sentiment, Minister for Social Security and Disability, Stephen Timms MP, highlighted the government’s commitment to inclusivity: “I encourage people to take part and help shape plans that boost individual opportunity for disabled people.”
Engagement and Participation
The government is actively seeking contributions from expert bodies, employers, disabled people’s organisations, civil society groups, trade unions, public authorities, and individuals with direct experience of workplace inequalities. This inclusive approach aims to ensure that the resulting policies are well-informed and effective in promoting equitable opportunities for all.
This call for evidence follows the recent consultation on mandatory ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting, which is set to close on June 10. Both initiatives reflect the government’s ongoing efforts to address systemic inequalities and foster a more inclusive labour market,
Stakeholders and interested parties are encouraged to submit their evidence and views by June 30, 2025. Submissions can be made through the government’s official channels, ensuring that a wide range of perspectives are considered in shaping the future of workplace equality in the UK.
