Impact of Equality, Diversity, and Fair Treatment on Public Services

This report delves into the critical aspects of equality, diversity, and fair treatment within public services, using Unilever as a case study. It begins by defining key terms such as equality, diversity, unconscious bias, prejudice, and discrimination, highlighting their impact on the workplace. The report explores the benefits of understanding and addressing these issues, particularly gender bias. It then examines relevant legislation like the Equality Act 2010 and the Human Rights Act, emphasizing their role in promoting fairness. The functions of advisory services, such as UNISON, are assessed in terms of fostering equality and diversity. Furthermore, the development of organizational policies and the role of trade unions are discussed, along with the positive impacts of equality, diversity, and fair treatment on public services, including employee retention, productivity, and a healthy work environment. The report concludes by underscoring the importance of these principles for organizational growth and development.

Unit 3: Equality, Diversity
and Fair Treatment

Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................1
Main Body.......................................................................................................................................1
Discuss the beginning of unconscious bias, prejudice and discrimination............................1
Describe the benefits of understanding unconscious bias, prejudice and discriminatory
behaviour in company’s.........................................................................................................2
Discuss various legislation designed for equality, diversity and fair treatments...................2
Assess the functions of advisory services in terms of equality, diversity and equality in public
service.....................................................................................................................................3
Discuss the development of organisational policy in relation to legislation and role of trade
unions.....................................................................................................................................4
Describe how equality, diversity and fair treatment can benefit public services...................4
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................5
References........................................................................................................................................6

Introduction
The term equality is defined as the state under which each and every individual is being
treated equally and fairly, it plays and essential role in the workplace to treat each and every
employee fairly and equally in order to make them feel safe and retain them for longer. The
diversity needs be promoted in the organisation which means understanding that each person is
unique and accepting their differences and also each and every employee needs to be treated
fairly in the organisation. The Unilever is taken as the base company for this report in order to
assess the effectiveness of company’s policies regarding gender equality, diversity and fairness.
The Unilever is the top international consumer goods company offering services in more than
190 countries. Company was founded in 1929. This report highlights explanation of equality and
diversity along with legislation implemented. And also the function of advisory services in term
of equality, diversity and fairness and in addition to this importance of theses in the workplace is
also highlighted in this report.
Main Body
Discuss the beginning of unconscious bias, prejudice and discrimination
The term unconscious bias is defined as social stereotypes about group of individuals formed out
of their conscious awareness, these are the unfavourable judgements which can be in favour or
against a individual or group mostly considered as unfair these leads to inequality in the
workplace or at any public services. Having an unconscious bias leads to the discrimination at
the company as many individuals’ uses various unconscious biases which directly leads to
discriminatory behaviour in the public services so it becomes essential for the companies to
understand unconscious bias. It was first given by psychologist’s mahzarin Banaji and Anthony
Greenwald in 1995 in their book called Bildspot (Archard, 2018). One of the major increasing
concerns at the workplace is the gender bias in the workplace. In an organisation where both men
and women are working, but giving more opportunity and higher average salary to the males
only leads to the gender inequality. Similarly having negative prejudice also leads to treating
individual unfairly. The prejudice is the unfair or incorrect behaviour or attitude towards an
individual or group on the basis of individuals participation in the social group. For example an
individual can have prejudiced view towards specific gender or race (Baer, 2018). However the
discrimination is attitude of behaviour or actions usually negative attitude towards other, it
1

involves on the basis of negative attitude treated other unfairly or unequally. The unconscious
bias, prejudice and discrimination together leads to creating inequality at work place, it is
important for the organisation to promote diversity, which means accepting uniqueness and
difference of each and every individual in the public services and also treating and every equally
and fairly. In context to the chosen organisation, Unilever is largely promoting Gender equality
and diversity in their company, recently company has achieved the gender balance across the
company globally with higher number of female manager along with 50% women at the
company from 38% in 2010 and 45% women in non executive board closing the gender gap.
Promoting gender diversity and fair treatment globally (Cruz, 2019).
Describe the benefits of understanding unconscious bias, prejudice and discriminatory behaviour
in company’s
The unconscious bias which are the unfavourable judgements which can be in favour or
against an individual, prejudice and discrimination which involves having negative attitude about
the others, it is analysed that all three leads to the potential discrimination at the public services.
So it becomes very essential for the companies to understand unconscious bias, prejudice and
discrimination in order to avoid any kind of discrimination. Gender bias is one of the oldest and
still prevailing bias at the public services which enables management to discriminate employees
on the basis of their gender (Day and Day, 2018). Understanding the gender bias will allows
them to avoid any kind of gender inequality and treat each and every one equally and fairly. It
will also help them to promote diversity where each and every employee’s flaws and differences
are accepted and they are treated fairly. Understanding unconscious bias, prejudice and
discriminatory behaviour will allows public services to avoid any kind of inequality and promote
diversity and fair treatment. In context to the Unilever, the management has understood the
importance of understanding these term and promoted gender equality and diversity in the
workplace which lead them to move towards further growth and success. Each and every
employee in the organisation is treated equally and fairly according to the equality act which
helps them to retain employees for longer time and motivate them towards achieving goals and
objectives effectively (Eatwell and Goodwin, 2018).
Discuss various legislation designed for equality, diversity and fair treatments
For a public services to create a safe and healthy environment and make employees feel
safe and also to retain them for longer period of time essential term like equality, diversity and
2

fair treatment needs to be promoted at the public services. In order to do so certain legislation
can be implemented in the organisation, these legislation will help in protected the rights of
employees and promoting equality, diversity and fair treatment in the organisation (García,
2018). In context to chosen company some of the legislation for equality, diversity and fair
treatments are as follow:
Equality Act 2010: The equality Act 2010, is one of the most essential act that offers the
legal framework in order to safeguard the rights of employees and offers equality opportunity for
each and all. According to this law each and every employee in the organisation should be
treated equally in term of gender or pay, specially it helps in promoting gender equality
(Eisenstein, 2020). Each and everyone should be treated fairly and equally, this leads to
motivating employees and making them feel safe. In context to chosen company, the
management is positively following this law in the company to avoid any kind of unfair
treatment with employees. Company promotes gender equality with recently closing the gender
gap with 50% female manager at the company.
Human rights Act: The another legislation is the human rights act, this act protects the
basic human rights of the human beings. According to this law each and every individual is
entitled to basic fundamental rights and freedom in the United Kingdom. This is one of the most
essential legislation act necessary for encouraging human beings and making them feel safe and
it also help in promoting diversity. In context to the Unilever, the company ensures that the basic
human rights of the employees are protected (Hampshire, 2018).
Assess the functions of advisory services in terms of equality, diversity and equality in public
service
The advisory services plays an essential role in term of equality, diversity and faire
treatment in the public services. Such as the UNISON is actively dedicated towards achieving
equality in the workplace, its main objective is faire and equal opportunity to employment and
training in the workplace and effectively promoting equality. It is the right of each and every
employee or individual to be treated with dignity and respect at the workplace and also perform
to the best of their ability without any discrimination and harassment. Having faire gender
equality and diversity allows business organisation to achieve desired goals and objectives
effectively (Elshayyal, 2018). The advisory services ensure that there is no gender discrimination
in the organisation and each organisation is offering equal opportunities to the employees
3

whether male or female. The advisory services provide essential policies on how gender equality
needs to be set in the organisation and ensure that gender diversity is promoted effectively. it
helps in enhancing the overall performance of the organisation. In context to the Unilever the
sustainability Advisory Council ensure that company is promoting gender quality and diversity
in the company (Jost, 2020).
Discuss the development of organisational policy in relation to legislation and role of trade
unions
The development of organisational policy to treat employees equally, promoter diversity
and for fair treatment such as Equality act will help company to treat their employees equally and
fairly, as according to this act each and every employee needs to be treated fairly whether in
terms of gender or pay. The various policies of the organisation helps in ensuring that the
organisation is effectively following the terms such as equality, diversity and fair treatment in the
workplace as these are very essential for the growth and development of employees. The gender
equality act is one of the most essential policy implemented which allows organisation to treat
each and every one equally avoiding any kind of discrimination. However the trade unions also
plays an essential role in ensuring the fair wages to the workers, also protecting the workers form
any kind of discrimination and improving their condition. The trade union also helps in
providing equal opportunity for promotion and training to the workers in order to enhance their
skills and improve their performance effectively (King and Light, 2019). The trade unions play
and important role in improving the lives of employees and continuously working towards
improving their standard of living. The trade unions and organisational policy effectively works
towards protecting the rights of employees. In context to Unilever, the company has strong
policy regarding the gender equality and gender diversity which allows them to promote gender
equality in the workplace and have fair environment under which employees are motivated
towards achieving desired goals and objectives effectively (Kuznetsova and Round, 2019).
Describe how equality, diversity and fair treatment can benefit public services
The equality, diversity and fair treatment plays an essential role in the enhancement of public
services. The effective gender equality, diversity and fair treatment where each and every
employee is treated equally and fairly and any kind discrimination is avoided on the basis of
gender, and also equal opportunity is provided to male and female in the organisation leads
company towards success and growth. In addition to this equality, diversity and fair treatment
4

helps employer to retain employees for longer period (Obiakor, 2020). In context to Unilever the
some of the benefits of equality, diversity and fair treatment in the public services are discussed
below:
 Having proper rules for equality, diversity in the organisation helps employers to retain
employees for longer period.
 It helps in enhancing the productivity and morale of employees.
 Providing the necessary technique to help ensure organisation comply with the
legislation, avoid any kind of gender discrimination and follow the public sector quality
duty effectively.
 Helps organisation to gain competitive advantage in the labour market.
 It also helps in creating healthy and safe workplace environment for the employees
motivating them towards achieving desired goals and objectives.
 Treating employees fairly and promoting gender quality will help in offering more
opportunities for employees specially for female employees (Smith, 2018).
Conclusion
From the above report it can be concluded that gender equality, diversity and fair treatment
is very essential for the growth and development of the organisation, this leads to the retaining of
the employees for longer and making them feel safe, this report helps in understanding the
importance of unconscious bias, prejudice and fairness in the company along with the various
legislation that can be implemented. In addition to this the role of advisory services is also
analysed and growth of organisational policy in relation to legislation along with the benefits of
equality, diversity and fair treatment is also highlighted in this report.
5

References
Books and Journals
Archard, D.W., 2018. Children, family and the state. Routledge.
Baer, J.A., 2018. Equality under the constitution: reclaiming the fourteenth amendment. Cornell
University Press.
Cruz, A.M., 2019. Intentional integration of diversity ideals in academic libraries: A literature
review. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 45(3), pp.220-227.
Day, R.J. and Day, R.J., 2018. Multiculturalism and the history of Canadian diversity. University
of Toronto Press.
Eatwell, R. and Goodwin, M., 2018. National populism: The revolt against liberal democracy.
Penguin UK.
García, D.G., 2018. Strategies of segregation: Race, residence, and the struggle for educational
equality (Vol. 47). Univ of California Press.
Hampshire, S., 2018. Justice is conflict. Princeton University Press.
Jost, J.T., 2020. A theory of system justification. Harvard University Press.
King, R.D. and Light, M.T., 2019. Have racial and ethnic disparities in sentencing
declined?. Crime and Justice, 48(1), pp.365-437.
Kuznetsova, I. and Round, J., 2019. Postcolonial migrations in Russia: the racism, informality
and discrimination nexus. International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy.
Obiakor, F.E., 2020. Valuing other voices: Discourses that matter in education, social justice,
and multiculturalism. IAP.
Smith, E., 2018. Key issues in education and social justice. Sage.
Smith, R., 2020. International Human Rights Law. Oxford University Press, USA.
6