[SOLVED] Impact of Unconscious Bias and Discrimination on Public Service Sector

The assignment provides an overview of the impact of unconscious bias, prejudice, and discrimination on employees working in public service organizations. It highlights the importance of understanding these concepts to develop a fair treatment approach in public services. The report also mentions various laws and regulations implemented by governments to prevent such biases and promote equality advisory services.

Equality, Diversity and
Fair Treatment

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
LO2..................................................................................................................................................1
P3 Range of legislation designed to implement equality, diversity and fair treatment in public
services........................................................................................................................................1
P4 Importance of understanding unconscious bias, prejudice and discriminatory behaviour in
the public services.......................................................................................................................4
M1 Role of Advisory service:.....................................................................................................5
D1 Impact of unconscious bias, prejudice and discrimination on individuals within public
service sector...............................................................................................................................5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6
.........................................................................................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION
Equality is all about ensuring that every individuals has an equal opportunity and are not
treated unfairly and are not discriminated on the basis of their characteristics. Whereas diversity
is about taking into account the differences between the people and the group of individuals and
placing a positive value on those variation. This presented report gives the brief about the range
of legislation designed to implement equality, diversity and fair treatment in public services.
Moreover the importance of understanding unconscious bias, prejudice and discriminatory
behaviour in the public services are also mentioned over in this report. Lastly, brief explanation
about the advisory services like conciliation and Arbitration services are also mentioned over in
this file. Lastly this file also focus on the equality and human right commission specially for the
right of women.
LO2
P3 Range of legislation designed to implement equality, diversity and fair treatment in public
services
Equality is all about promoting and fostering each individuals equally. In addition to this
its is a right to be different about to be free from discrimination, being valued as an individual.
Whereas the term diversity is about more than equality, it is all about creating a culture which
values individual quality and variety for the welfare of society, individuals and administration.
(Andrews, R. and Ashworth, R., 2015)
Moreover UK is legally required to adhere to certain practices so as to ensure that discrimination
factor is eliminated and exception about the equality factors is given more importance specially
in their work place so as to achieve the target that is being set. Each individual must be treated
equally and will be given the same set of opportunities regardless of their race, age,gender,
sexuality, disability, culture or anything else that might be discriminated against. The legislation
in place are in the existence so that to ensure that the individuals get inclusive working
environment. As well as the major purpose of legislation is to ensure that any form of differences
among the individuals should not prove to be an hindrance in the career progression of the
individuals and the organization.
There are variety of discrimination act which help to ensure about the fact that the system are
corresponding to the minimum standard, and indeed the legislation in place is broad ranging and
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encompassing. There are different types of act which helps in ensuring that there doesn't take
place any discrimination among the people and some of the act are mentioned below:
Equality Act 2010: This Act specifies about the law which protect the each individual from
being discriminated. It lays on the fact that discrimination and unfair treatment on the basis of
individual characteristics such as age, is now against the law specifically in all cases.
The equality Act(Greene, A.M. and Kirton, G., 2015) is basically applied to discrimination and is
based on age, race, Sex, gender reassignment, disability, religion on belief, sexual orientation,
marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity. All these are taken into consideration so
that each individual in public services are treated equally. In addition to this Equality Act also
means that public bodies, such as hospital trust, local authorities now emphasized on the fact to
prevent the public from being discriminated which is known as public sector equality service.
While rendering public service the need of people with protected characteristics including older
people must be taken into consideration so as to protect people from being discriminated. For
example if the local bus service is to be cancelled but it is used by much of elderly people to get
to national health services then all this need to be considered when the decision are being taken.
Human Right Act 1998: This Act is being passed by UK in 1998 which define about the public
service right in UK courts and compels public organization. It consist of government police and
local councils so as to treat everyone equally with fairness, dignity and respect. But thius Act
came into force on october2000. The act sets different types of human right in a series of Articles
and all are taken fro(Killen, M.2015) European Convention on Human Right(ECHR). This right
are also known as convention right. There are different types of human right some of which are
mentioned below:
 Right to life
 right to liberty and security
 Freedom from torture
 Freedom from degrading treatment
 Freedom of thought, belief and religion
Thus Human Right is practical to all the public sector services within the United Kingdom which
consider central governance, local authorities and sector exercising public role. Moreover
Human Right is not being applicable in parliament specially when its performs the activities
related to legislative capacities.
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Sex Discrimination Act: This is when the public is being treated differently just on the basis of
sex which is one of the situation which is covered under Equality Act. (Ravazzani, S., 2016) Sex
Discrimination Act is an Act which helps in protecting men and women from being
discriminating on the behalf of sex and marital status. This Act takes into consideration all the
aspects like Employment, training, education,harassment and side by side it also takes into
consideration the provisions of goods and services along with the disposal of premises.
The Sex Discrimination Act established Equal opportunities Commission(EOC) whose main role
were to work toward eliminating the discriminating factors and to promote and develop equality
opportunities among the sexes. In addition to this other major purpose of Equal Opportunities
Commission was to review on the workings of the sex discrimination Act and to render help to
public in cases to employment tribunals and to the government. Moreover the other major aim of
establishing this Act was to give practical direction and advice to the public who come out to
have complaint under this Act.
Race Relation Act 2000: This Act mainly contains two definitions, the first one represent about
indirect discrimination, depending on the evidence of discrimination. Mainly this Act defines the
fact that discrimination should be done on the basis of colour and nationality. It was just the
modification of Race Relation Act 1976. The Equality Act 2010 have receive imperial assent in
2010, the timeline for different types of Act to be brought into power is presently proposed as
follows:
 October 2010: The main area of the Act incidental to occupation, equal services,
educational activity, public association and equal pay has came into effect.
 April 2011: Social-economic duty, public sector equality duty, replaces the current public
sectors duties in the race relation(Amendment)act 2000 and Disability discrimination Act
2005.
 2012: There was a ban on age discrimination related to the provisions of goods and
services.
This Act banned racial discrimination in public places and in addition to this promoted hatred on
the basis of colour, race, cultural or federal origins. Moreover Race Act 2000 focuses on
demonstrating the procedure in order to adopt and forbid race discrimination are impressive.
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All over it can be said that the major purpose of Race Discrimination Act was to revise the
exemption under the Act specially for the Act done for the purpose of measure national security
and for connected function.
P4 Importance of understanding unconscious bias, prejudice and discriminatory behaviour in the
public services.
Unconscious bias: These are the individuals who are of social stereotypes from outside
their own intended awareness. Each individuals holds unconscious beliefs about cultural and
identity groups and such biases base(O'Brien, M., 2017) from one's propensity to organize social
worlds by categorizing. In addition to this such types of bias exist in individual brain and occur
automatically by triggering out the individual brains and makes the quick judgement.
Prejudice:This term refers to an emotional feeling toward a person or group of individuals based
exclusively on that individual's group relationship. In addition to this it refers to the
preconceived, usually adverse, feelings towards individuals just because of their sex, beliefs,
values, social class, age, disability, nationality, beauty and many more personal characteristics.
The term prejudice is also known as baseless beliefs or in may include senseless attitude that is
unusually tolerable to rational influence.
Discriminating behaviour: The term itself denote the differences made among the individuals
on the basis different aspect like on the basis of age, sex marital status and many more. In
addition to this it include race( colour, national origin), racial harassment (homosexuality,
bisexuality)etc..
Importance: It is important of understanding the unconscious bias, prejudice and discriminating
behaviour as when unconscious bias takes place in individuals the the people directly make the
snap judgement and assessment of people and situation without realizing about what the person
is speaking about. Though some time it may save time and energy but some time such type of
knee-jerk reactions of the individuals may lead to bad choices and even may hurt others. So it is
necessary to understand the concept of unconscious bias.
Secondly it is important to understand the concept of prejudice because it impede to prevent the
victim of racism from achieving individual fullest potential. Moreover it helps in preventing of
racism from making individual fullest contribution to society.
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So overall it can be conclude is is very essential to understand the concept of prejudice because if
racial prejudice is not reduced then it may lead to racism and if its is not addressed the it may
lead to more of prejudice.
Thirdly it is necessary to understand the concept of discriminating behaviour because it set out
the individuals characteristics that are protected by law and the behaviour that is unlawful. In
addition to this it is important so that individuals stop making differences among the individuals
just on the basis of sex, marital status and many more aspects.
M1 Role of Advisory service:
Advisory services are the one who give advices to the individuals in relation to the
equality, diversity and fair treatment in respect to public service employment. One of the
Advisory services is Advisor Conciliation and Arbitration service whose purpose is to improve
the organization and working life by facilitating and promoting strong relationship among the
public. This is mainly done by creating awareness about the importance of fair treatment and
equality among the public services for generating more of employment opportunities.
D1 Impact of unconscious bias, prejudice and discrimination on individuals within public service
sector
Public service sector engages in providing necessary services to society. Employees
working these organisations has to suffer from various discriminations due to which their
performance and productivity gets impacted. (Thompson, N., 201)In order to avoid this situation
of discrimination, government provides few legislations so that employees can be benefited.
Impact of these discriminations are discussed below:
Unconscious bias – This phenomenon is referred as the mind set of society by which they
pre analyse assumptions for a specific category of people. A general example to understand this
concept is that people usually thinks that women are bad drivers. Social service providing
organisations such as NHS, has to follow various laws and statutes which are developed by
government to avoid such type of bullying and partiality using unconscious bias.
Prejudice – This concept states the situation when people make opinions about someone
which are not even based on any reason or actual experience. Individuals working in public
service organisations has to be victims of this kind of mind set of society. There are various laws
developed for this kind of discrimination which sometimes impacts productivity of employees as
they are not satisfied with the decision.
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Discrimination - This concept refers to the partiality among the employees working in
public service organisation who has to face discrimination against their gender, race, religion and
many more. Government has developed various laws to evade these kind of discrimination such
as Minimum wages act etc.
CONCLUSION
Overall from the above report it can be conclude that awareness about the equality and
diversity among the individuals is must in order to develop the country. Each individuals must
understand the importance aspect of understanding unconscious bias and about discriminating
behaviour in the public services. Lastly it can also be concluded that in order to create awareness
about the fair treatment about the equality advisory services plays an important role.
REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Andrews, R. and Ashworth, R., 2015. Representation and inclusion in public organizations:
Evidence from the UK civil service. Public Administration Review. 75(2). pp.279-288.
Greene, A.M. and Kirton, G., 2015. The dynamics of managing diversity: A critical approach.
Routledge.
Killen, M., Elenbaas, L. and Rutland, A., 2015. Balancing the fair treatment of others while
preserving group identity and autonomy. Human development. 58(4-5). pp.253-272.
O'Brien, M., 2017. Social work and the practice of social justice: An initial overview. Aotearoa
New Zealand Social Work. 21(1-2). pp.3-10.
Ravazzani, S., 2016. Understanding approaches to managing diversity in the workplace: an
empirical investigation in Italy. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal.
35(2). pp.154-168.
Thompson, N., 2016. Anti-discriminatory practice: Equality, diversity and social justice.
Macmillan International Higher Education.
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