Equality and Diversity in Public Services: Analysis of Legislation and Policies

This report analyses the key concepts associated with equality and diversity in public services, major legislation relevant to employment, and evaluates whether policies and legislation implemented have enabled an equal, diverse and fair public service. It also discusses the benefits of equality, diversity and fair treatment practices at the workplace.

Equality and diversity
in public services

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................2
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................2
Analyse the key concepts associated to equality and diversity and analyse the importance of
them in terms of access to employment.................................................................................2
Identify and analyse major equality and diversity legislation that are relevant to employment
................................................................................................................................................3
Evaluate whether policies and legislation implemented have enabled an equal, diverse and fair
public service..........................................................................................................................4
Diversity and fair treatment play to diversify public service workers...................................5
Benefits of Equality, diversity and fair treatment practices at workplace..............................5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
In present report, the opted protected characteristics undertake religion factors of
discrimination across several public sector organisations. For this, it is evaluated that the several
aspects of discrimination which are based on religion are being practiced by various public sector
organisations. This factor is dealt in terms of reducing number of issues in the present scenarios.
Here, the public sector organisation is being opted is Metropolitan police services are considered
as it is the territorial police force which is responsible for the enforcement in the Metropolitan
police district that presently undertake 32 London Boroughs. It also has prominent
responsibilities like co-ordinating and leading on the national level as it also protects the royal
family.
Equality act: This act is prominently developed in order to protect people from any sort of
discrimination on the basis of race, gender, ethnicity and so on at the workplace and society as
well. This act of parliament was passed with the objective of consolidating and updating things
for the supplementing several number of regulations (Loosemore, Alkilani and Mathenge, 2020).
The basic objective of this act is to make sure that there are suitable protected characteristics
which are adopted to prevent the discrimination against the employees.
By undertaking the present scenario, there has been discrimination among the two
candidates who work in Met police on the basis of race and it is based on their religion and
several rounds of interviews are conducted to resolve the issue. For this, there is the requirement
to evaluate the several viewpoints which are based on the two practices which leads to impact
their overall functioning.
MAIN BODY
Analyse the key concepts associated to equality and diversity and analyse the importance of them
in terms of access to employment
Equality and diversity within the state of being equal regarding the condition about rights
and opportunities within the organisation. It is also related to make sure that the individuals tend
to have equal opportunity to enhance effective level of talent and living standard (Järlström, Saru
and Vanhala, 2018). It is considered as the act that leads to prevent organisation on the basis of
education, service providers, employers and so on from discriminating against individuals from
the protected characteristics.

Major legislation:
There are some legislations that are related to the diversity and equality regarding the
employment as it undertakes four main types of discrimination from the race and ethnicity.
The 2010 Equality Act prevent the various types of discrimination (on the basis of cast,
religion, gender, etc.) and victimization people face. Employees are being protected from age
and gender discrimination, disability, partnership in civil and marriage, race and religion
discrimination, maternity and pregnancy by suitable characteristics.
According to the 2010 Equality act religion bases discrimination is characterised into four types.
 Direct Discrimination: It refers to the discrimination of the people belonging to the same
religion or philosophical belief. It occurs when in the same situation an individual treat
another individual because of their belief or background.
 Indirect Discrimination: It occurs when a person is being discriminated by an
organisation which have a particular policy for every individual except that person
because of their belief or religion (D'Agostino and et. al., 2020). According to 2010,
Equality act an organisation can permit discrimination based on religion or indirect
belief, it should show the working path that is necessary for business operations. Harassment: Harassment happens When an individual humiliates another individual at
workplace because of their religion. An organisation or an employee can never justify
harassment by saying what they did was to prevent people from harassment then the
person in misery cannot make harassment claim.
 Victimization: According to equality act, if a person is being treated incorrectly because
of a complaint based on religion or believe discrimination.
Based on religion the types of discrimination have been mentioned in the above
paragraphs. In the present time direct discrimination case came into existence because of
protective characteristics that is based on religion discrimination.
Identify and analyse major equality and diversity legislation that are relevant to employment
Diversity provides an equal opportunity to every individual through some equality and diversity
aspects. To prevent discrimination, the quality act in UK provides an equal opportunity. To
ensure that there are no discriminatory practices in an organisation this planning project helps in
finding out a suitable and clear fit for consultation, policies and effective communication plans

(Webster, 2020). This also promotes relationships of employer and employee at a workplace in a
positive way.
Religion based discrimination it includes that every individual should be protected from the
discrimination based on religion or belief. Employee should be protected from religion based
discrimination:
 Irrelevant of religion or belief
 Irrelevant of religion or belief of an employee
 Whether a person has already worked for employer whether a person has applied for a job (2010, Religion or belief discrimination).
Stereotypes on the basis of structural behaviour express the fear and rejection towards
Muslims in different parts of world. This is called as Islamophobia that manifest itself to
discrimination.
Prejudice are some particular beliefs and attitude that is against the Muslims in some public
and private sector organisations. For example, Prejudices in UK media for Muslims are negative
and misleading. On the basis of media reports prejudices on Muslims leads towards the rise of
Islamophobia. The present situation on the basis of discrimination is majorly affecting the hiring
process of Met police that is one of the leading public sector organisation.
Evaluate whether policies and legislation implemented have enabled an equal, diverse and fair
public service
For the public services like Met police, legislations and norms leads to create safe and healthy
environment to make employees feel safe and also leads to retain them for the longer period of
time which is important term like diversity, equality and fair treatment for every individual and
public services (Labantu, 2021). In terms of suitable legislations, the should be executed in
company including legislations which are useful in protecting the rights of employees and
promoting diversity, equality and fair treatment. In terms of Met Police, few legislations are
discussed as:
Equality act 2010: It is the most important act that provide the legal framework for
safeguarding the rights of employees and also provide equal opportunity for every individual. As
per this act, every employee needs to be treated equally in terms of discrimination, as it helps in
promoting gender equality (Fine, Sojo Monzon and Lawford-Smith, 2020). Every person needs
to be treated fairly and it leads to motivate workforce and make them feel safe. In terms of Met

police, the management is effectively following this law to avoid any sort of unfair practice and
treatment among employees. They lead to promote gender equality by presently closing the
gender gap with 50% female employees at the workplace.
Human rights act: Another act is related with human rights, as it leads to protect the basic
human rights of human beings. As per this law, every person is entitled towards the basic
fundamental rights and freedom in UK. It is one of the most important legislation act which is
important for motivating human beings and make them feel safe and it is also useful in terms of
promoting diversity (Armstrong, 2018). In terms of Met police, the company tends to make sure
that the basic human rights of employees are also protected.
Diversity and fair treatment play to diversify public service workers
The advisory services play an important role in terms of diversity, equality and fair
treatment within the public services. Like UNISON, which is actively oriented towards achieving
equality and reducing discrimination on the basis of race and ethnicity, as the main objective is
equal opportunity to employment and training in the organisation to promote the equality (Paoli
and Telles, 2018). It is the right of each and every employee that they should be treated in the
organisation fairly and with dignity and respect as they tend to perform best things considering
the ability without any sort of discrimination and harassment.
Having fair policies and norms permit the business organisation to achieve desired goals
and objectives prominently. The advisory services tend to make sure that there is no gender
discrimination at the workplace in terms of offering equal opportunities to workforce. Along
with this, the advisory services tend to provide important policies and services regarding the
equality within the organisation and also tends to set things in order to make sure that the gender
diversity is promoted prominently (Li and et. al., 2019). It is useful to enhance the overall
performance in the organisation. In terms of Met police, the sustainable advisory council tends to
make sure that it is being promoted on the basis of gender, diversity and equality in the
organisation.
Benefits of Equality, diversity and fair treatment practices at workplace
The improvement of organisational coverage to deal with personnel similarly, promoter
variety and for truthful remedy consisting of Equality act will assist organisation to deal with
their personnel similarly and pretty, as in line with this act every and each worker desires to be
handled pretty whether or not in phrases of gender or pay. The numerous guidelines of the

enterprise assist in making sure that the enterprise is correctly following the phrases consisting of
equality, variety and truthful remedy with inside the administrative centre as those are very
critical for the increase and improvement of personnel.
The gender equality act is one of the maximum critical coverage carried out which lets in
enterprise to deal with every and each one similarly keeping off any form of discrimination.
However, the exchange unions additionally play a critical position in making sure the truthful
wages to the people, additionally protective the people shape any form of discrimination and
enhancing their condition. The exchange union additionally facilitates in imparting same
possibility for advertising and schooling to the people with a view to decorate their abilities and
enhance their overall performance correctly.
The exchange unions play and crucial position in enhancing the lives of personnel and
constantly running in the direction of enhancing their trendy of living. The exchange unions and
organisational coverage correctly works in the direction of protective the rights of personnel. In
context to Unilever, the organisation has robust coverage concerning the gender equality and
gender variety which lets in them to sell gender equality with inside the administrative centre and
feature truthful surroundings beneath which personnel are encouraged in the direction of
attaining favoured desires and goals correctly.
The equality, diversity and fair practices plays an important role in terms of improving the
public services. The suitable gender equality, fair practices and diversity is important in order to
treat every employee equally and fairly and also reduce any sort of discrimination on the basis of
gender by providing equal opportunity to every employee at the workplace that lead towards the
growth and success (Bannerji, 2020). Along with this, it is also useful for the employers to retain
employees for the longer period of time. In terms of Met police few benefits of diversity,
equality and fair treatment within the public services are discussed as:
 Having effective and proper rules and norms for diversity and equality in the organisation
as it is helpful for employers to retain employees for the longer period of time.
 It is useful to improve the productivity and morale of employees.
 It leads to provide the important techniques which is helpful to make sure that company
comply with legislation, neglect any sort of discrimination and also follow the public
sector quality duty effectively (Yacoubian, 2018).

 It is also helpful to create healthy and safe workplace environment for the employee in
order to motivate them towards the achievement of desired goals and objectives.
 Through this, they treat employees equally and promote gender equality that will help in
providing better opportunities for employees for the female employees.
CONCLUSION
From the preceding discussion, it is identified that the equality and other factors are
important regarding the growth and development of company as it leads to retain employees for
the longer period of time by making them feel safe and secured. With the help of this report, it
can be understood that the unconscious bias in important, fairness and prejudice for the company
considering the several legislations that can be executed. Apart from this, the role of advisory
services is also identified by analysing the organisational policy in terms of legislation
considering the benefits of diversity, equality and fair treatment which is discussed in the report.

REFERENCES
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