Workplace is where racial inequality can readily be addressed
by Teresa Oakley-Smith,
2016-03-18 06:34:14.0
LAST week was antiracism week in SA, yet it seems that businesses have been deafeningly silent on the matter.
This, in spite of the fact that the workplace has the potential to address both institutional and attitudinal racism. It is the place where inequalities in position and opportunity can be most readily addressed and it creates the most significant opportunities for people of different races to come together and talk.
If one looks at the latest Employment Equity Commission report it appears that these opportunities are not being optimised. There are still great racial disparities in appointments, promotions, advancement and even training from middle management to top management, with white males being preferred.
Though there has been movement towards demographic representativeness, mostly at junior management level, the progress is still far too slow. The new amendment regarding equal pay for work of equal value, also indicates the disparities that exist in the pay of black (African, coloured and Indian employees) and their white counterparts. Surely the Rhodes Must Fall voices will soon be heard in the factories and board rooms of our country.
Addressing racism in the workplace is not a "nice to have" but it is a bottom-line issue. Global evidence indicates that where employees are valued and treated fairly, productivity increases. The legislation is in place to promote equity through the Employment Equity Act and the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Act.
If the new codes are effectively complied with, they encourage and support the development of black employees through the skills development element, while the enterprise and supplier development element creates opportunities to set up and support black entrepreneurs. The new codes move away from the previous "philanthropic approach", where businesses could simply donate money to comply, and encourage the genuine development of black employees and black owned organisations.
However, compliance with the new codes is fairly arduous and demands commitment, and the development and progress of an ongoing strategy throughout the financial year. All too often scoring points becomes the last-minute incentive, as opposed to creating the real change that is required.
The leadership of organisations, CEOs and executive committees need to drive the eradication of racism through recognising and addressing it and communicating the organisations stance on ending it. A zero tolerance approach should be communicated and implemented and effective policies and procedures for the eradication of racism and other discriminatory practices should be developed as a foundation. Thereafter, managers should be thoroughly trained on the procedure for handling grievances involving racism.
Training and conversation on antiracism and diversity can be an effective support. However most organisations are reluctant to embark on any thoroughgoing training in this respect. All too often diversity and antiracism become a box-ticking exercise where employees are given a cursory introduction to only "cultural differences". Leaders of companies need to understand that like any training, antiracism needs to be embedded in the organisational culture through the implementation of a systemic process.
With antiracism week now behind us it is still not too late for companies to show their commitment to ending racism. In fact this should be a priority and an ongoing endeavour for all South African organisations if they wish to flourish in a changing South Africa.
• Oakley-Smith is founder and MD of Diversi-T
Picture: ISTOCK
LAST week was antiracism week in SA, yet it seems that businesses have been deafeningly silent on the matter.
This, in spite of the fact that the workplace has the potential to address both institutional and attitudinal racism. It is the place where inequalities in position and opportunity can be most readily addressed and it creates the most significant opportunities for people of different races to come together and talk.
If one looks at the latest Employment Equity Commission report it appears that these opportunities are not being optimised. There are still great racial disparities in appointments, promotions, advancement and even training from middle management to top management, with white males being preferred.
Though there has been movement towards demographic representativeness, mostly at junior management level, the progress is still far too slow. The new amendment regarding equal pay for work of equal value, also indicates the disparities that exist in the pay of black (African, coloured and Indian employees) and their white counterparts. Surely the Rhodes Must Fall voices will soon be heard in the factories and board rooms of our country.
Addressing racism in the workplace is not a "nice to have" but it is a bottom-line issue. Global evidence indicates that where employees are valued and treated fairly, productivity increases. The legislation is in place to promote equity through the Employment Equity Act and the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Act.
If the new codes are effectively complied with, they encourage and support the development of black employees through the skills development element, while the enterprise and supplier development element creates opportunities to set up and support black entrepreneurs. The new codes move away from the previous "philanthropic approach", where businesses could simply donate money to comply, and encourage the genuine development of black employees and black owned organisations.
However, compliance with the new codes is fairly arduous and demands commitment, and the development and progress of an ongoing strategy throughout the financial year. All too often scoring points becomes the last-minute incentive, as opposed to creating the real change that is required.
The leadership of organisations, CEOs and executive committees need to drive the eradication of racism through recognising and addressing it and communicating the organisations stance on ending it. A zero tolerance approach should be communicated and implemented and effective policies and procedures for the eradication of racism and other discriminatory practices should be developed as a foundation. Thereafter, managers should be thoroughly trained on the procedure for handling grievances involving racism.
Training and conversation on antiracism and diversity can be an effective support. However most organisations are reluctant to embark on any thoroughgoing training in this respect. All too often diversity and antiracism become a box-ticking exercise where employees are given a cursory introduction to only "cultural differences". Leaders of companies need to understand that like any training, antiracism needs to be embedded in the organisational culture through the implementation of a systemic process.
With antiracism week now behind us it is still not too late for companies to show their commitment to ending racism. In fact this should be a priority and an ongoing endeavour for all South African organisations if they wish to flourish in a changing South Africa.
• Oakley-Smith is founder and MD of Diversi-T
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