Workplace Diversity and Inclusion Strategies for Origin Energy

This report provides an analysis of workplace diversity within Origin Energy, focusing on issues of racism and discrimination. It examines examples of these issues, including potential biases related to gender and physical or cultural differences, and proposes solutions such as adhering to anti-discrimination laws and implementing flexible work arrangements. The report highlights the importance of promoting diversity through strategies like implicit bias training, acknowledging differences, and fostering an inclusive environment. It also emphasizes the benefits of mentoring and professional development for team members. The report concludes with a briefing note advocating for flexible work arrangements to enhance employee productivity and motivation within the company, ensuring fairness and equal opportunities for all employees.

Promote Diversity

INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
1 Briefing note.................................................................................................................................1
a) Example of racism..............................................................................................................1
b) Example of discrimination.................................................................................................2
How team member can be feel more comfortable in the team...............................................3
Strategies promote the benefits of the team member’s diversity...........................................3
Mentoring of team member to provide them with professional development, and to maximise
their contribution to the organisation and its customers.........................................................3
3. Internal Briefing Note........................................4

INTRODUCTION
Diversity refers to the range of different things. The term diversity is often seen in the
business organisation which includes vast range of employees who works for purpose of growth.
Diversity is also required to be promoted at workplace as it is seen as the best way which positively
influences global culture of the company effectively (Marino, Parrotta, and Pozzoli, 2012). The
present report is based on the Origin Energy company which deals in energy industry and belongs to
public sector. The company owns numerous of department which have group of employees who
belongs to diverse culture. With reference to the given scenario, it has been analysed that there are 8
females and 2 male staff in a group in which one individual is physically disabled and another one is
seen as the culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD). The report includes description on
different example of racism and discrimination. It also includes a proposal for introducing flexible
working arrangements.
1 Briefing note
It can be said that the Origin Energy could face numerous of issues related to racism and
discrimination at workplace due to this diversity. The main two example of this diversity has been
stated as below:
a) Example of racism
Racism refers to the action of individuals due to their belief or values. It can also be seen as
the part of discrimination which is basically done on the basis of colour, national origin, ethnicity or
other things which influences individual to become bias at the time of performing their work at
workplace. With reference to the given case scenario, there are probable chances that team members
might face issues related to racism as the top most authority to could give more opportunity to the
female staff. This opportunity would develop negative behaviour among male staff as they feels that
top most authority is not even analysing their work effectively due to racism done on the gender
basis. This behaviour of the top authority will demotivate male staff of the team as they thinks that
no matter how effective they will perform but their performance will only be measured on the basis
of their gender not from their work. In order to overcome this issue related to racism, it is essential
for top management team of the company to adopt Civil Right Act of 1964. This law clearly states
that it is unlawful for employer to discriminate at workplace on the basis of racial grounds. This law
is applicable for those organisation which owes 15 or more number of employees. It can be said that
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with the help of this law team leader of the company can easily minimise discrimination done on the
basis of race, religion, colour or national origin. With application of this law, would ensure that
employees in the company will not face any issue related to racism done on gender basis. Apart
from this, in order to overcome current issue, it is essential for top management team to provide
advance equality of opportunities to employees where they clearly declares formal policies which
includes description about the criteria on which promotion of the candidate can be done easily. This
could be seen as the initiative strategy of company towards the racism issue. The strategy will be
evaluated by top management team of the company The top management team will take regular
based feedback from employees in every month for understanding its actual effectiveness.
b) Example of discrimination
In context of the present case scenario, it can be said that discrimination in the company can
be done on the basis of physical disability as well as CALD group. Both the cases can be well
understood with the help of examples. For instance: first discrimination in the company can be seen
on the basis of physical disability as normal employees are getting more opportunities in
comparison of physical disabled person. On the other hand, another example of discrimination is
related to the linguistic diversity. This is because, the company is discriminating with one team
member having Welsh accent. This shows discrimination done from company on employees on the
basis of culture. The possible impact of discriminatory behaviour is that this one employee might
feel lonely and could leave the company. In order to overcome this issue, it is essential for top
management team of company to follow Equality Act 2010, within the company so that any kind of
discrimination activity does not takes place at workplace. With the help of this act, Culturally and
linguistic diverse person of this company can also fight for their right and could also take legal
action towards any wrong activity. Transparency could be seen as the best strategy through which
its top management team can ensure employees that there is no partiality in the company. With
strategy, management team of the company can also retain employees in the company for longer
period of time. Monitoring of this strategy will be done by top most authority. In this, they will
conduct regular based meetings with employees in which they will be asked about their experience
related discrimination.
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How team member can be feel more comfortable in the team
In order to assemble diverse team in order to bring out magical exponential results it become
necessary for help team member to overcome their uncomfortableness. Team member acts as a great
benefit for team as this member can effectively provide assistance to CALD consumers those who
belongs form same cultural and linguistic. For this it is communication will effectively help in
strengthening relationship of CALD team member with other members that will help in increasing
CALD member confidence and lead towards removing their hesitation.
Strategies promote the benefits of the team member’s diversity
It is essential to promote team member diversity in a team as it lead towards accomplishment
of goals and procedures in best effective manner. By promoting team member diversity lots of
critical situations can be effectively overcome. Some of the best effective strategies with the help of
which team member diversity can be implemented in defined manner. Certain strategy includes,
offer implicit bias training for team, in this awareness can create related to unconscious attitudes
(Posfai, Taillefumier and Wingreen, 2017). Along with this, it is required to acknowledge
differences, encouraging personal evaluation strategies can be undertaken. Along with this it is
required to make each and every individual in a team learn about value of all diversity.
Mentoring of team member to provide them with professional development, and to maximise their
contribution to the organisation and its customers
In order to effectively mentor team as to guide them in best effective manner while
increasing their level of professional development various measures can be effectively considered
such as, allowing them freedom in order to effectively utilize their self-talent, creation on cultural
diversified environment, efficient understand the importance of emotional abilities in order to
manage team members distressing emotions and providing agile and flexible collaborative and
cooperative environment. By adopting these methods professional development of employees can
be increased that lead towards increase their contribution towards organisation and customers.
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3. Internal Briefing Note
Date:
To: Manager
From:
Subject: Flexible Working Environment
Origin Energy has recently come under invasion that, there is a requirement for flexible work
arrangements at entity workplace. It has been recognized by company that better flexible work
balance can efficiently lead towards improving employee productivity, motivation and performance.
In addition, with this flexible working hour not only increase employees’ productivity but it will
also aid company to strengthen efficiency of their workforce in order to facilitate high end
productivity and profitability. As company engage in energy industry there are numerous set of
legislation applies on this company such as, Law of Conservation of Energy, Law of
thermodynamics, Energy Law and more. Along with these various policies related to proper work
hour and safety and medical benefit policies are applied on company structure. Origin Energy which
is an Australian public energy company is legally obligated to offer formative flexible work
arrangements for this manager is required to consider than this condition must be applied for both
men and women as it has been also proposed by team. Thus, in order to provide best effective work
flexibility, it has been duly recommended to formulate approval for both men and women along
with any discrimination on any basis. In addition, with this, former consultation of internal and
external stakeholders is required to be effectively taken in order to formulate plan in smooth and
effective manner.
CONCLUSION
As per the above mentioned report, it has been concluded that in order to formulate best
effective culture it is required to consider that there is no discrimination prevails in organisation
culture. Discrimination can be on the basis on racism, gender difference and more. In order to
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overcome these best effective strategies are required to frame along with teaching team member the
value of diverse culture.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Posfai, A., Taillefumier, T. and Wingreen, N.S., 2017. Metabolic trade-offs promote diversity in a
model ecosystem. Physical review letters, 118(2), p.028103.
Marino, M., Parrotta, P. and Pozzoli, D., 2012. Does labor diversity promote
entrepreneurship?. Economics Letters, 116(1), pp.15-19.
Carlo, T.A. and Morales, J.M., 2016. Generalist birds promote tropical forest regeneration and
increase plant diversity via rare‐biased seed dispersal. Ecology, 97(7), pp.1819-1831.
Carnes, N. and Hansen, E.R., 2016. Does paying politicians more promote economic diversity in
legislatures?. American Political Science Review, 110(4), pp.699-716.
Lozupone, C.A., Stombaugh, J.I., Gordon, J.I., Jansson, J.K. and Knight, R., 2012. Diversity,
stability and resilience of the human gut microbiota. Nature, 489(7415), p.220.
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