Restaurant Workplace Diversity Policy: Analysis and Recommendations

This document presents a comprehensive analysis of a workplace diversity policy, focusing on its introduction, description, and importance within an organization. The policy emphasizes the significance of diversity, encompassing various aspects such as nationality, ethnicity, culture, and other differentiating factors. It highlights the benefits of workplace diversity, including enhanced creativity, improved decision-making, and increased competitive advantage. The policy outlines its purpose, which is to promote harmony and prevent discrimination among staff. It also provides guidance on the code of conduct, reporting procedures for discrimination and harassment, and duty of care obligations. The document summarizes the changes made to the policy, including legislative requirements, formal and informal complaint procedures, and compensation for victims. It also covers harassment in the workplace and the procedures for reporting such incidents. The conclusion encourages employees to adhere to the revised policies, and a bibliography of relevant sources is included.

Workplace Diversity
Policy

Introduction: What is Diversity?
• ‘Diversity’ implies differences which
distinguish individuals and make them
unique from each other.
• These include nationality, ethnicity,
culture, race, religion, gender, sexuality,
social status, economic capabilities as
well as ideas, opinions and preferences.

Workplace Diversity: Description
• Diversity across the workplace implies the
recruitment and inclusion of workers and
staff with a variety of characteristics and
differences .
• Diversity at the workplace instills a
culture of acceptance and inclusiveness
where diverse staff work harmoniously
with each other without discriminating
anyone’s differences.

Importance of Diversity
• Promotes a culture of mutual respect,
understanding, empathy and acceptability
across all staff of the organization.
• Allow groups to feel empowered, dignified
and the opportunity to work in work
environment which is safe and allows for
personal and professional growth.

Benefits of Diversity
• Allows for the discussion of range of diverse
perspectives, opinions and ideas which can
be implemented in future organizational
objectives.
• Results in increased emergence of creative
ideas by staff.
• Results in enhanced decision-making, faster
rate of solving problems and increased rates
of innovation.
• Increases competitive advantage over rivals.

Purpose of a Diversity
Policy
• To promote harmony and prevent any
form of discrimination among staff across
aspects of age, gender, ethnicity, race,
culture, ability, socio-economic
background, educational status and
religion.
• Guiding staff on WHS Code of Conduct
and procedures of reporting and
complaint filing to be followed if issues
related to discrimination and harassment
arise.

Summary of Changes
• Code of conduct which staff must follow and
the appropriate federal and state legislative
requirements with respect to prevention of
discrimination.
• Formal and informal procedures to be followed
in case of filing complaints and reporting
against any incidence of discrimination.
• Duty of Care obligations and compensation for
staff who have been victims of discrimination
and harassment

Legislative Requirements
• Privacy Act 1988
• Public Service Act 1999
• Racial Discrimination Act 1984
• Equal Opportunity Act 2010
• Fair Work Act 2009
• Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Act
1986
• Sex Discrimination Act 1992
• Duty of Care 2004
• Disability Discrimination Act 1992
• Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 by the
Victorian Government.

Harassment at the
Workplace
• Harassment implies threatening,
disrespectful, belittling and abusive
behavior towards a fellow worker or a
group of workers on grounds of gender,
culture, race, ethnicity and religion.
• Covered by the Occupational Health and
Safety Act 2004 by the Victorian
Government and federally by the Sex
Discrimination Act (2002) and the
Workplace Gender Equality Act (2002).

Procedures for Reporting
• Report formally using the organization’s
complaint report form
• Informally by requesting for a meeting
with the human resources manager,
organizational management or the Head
of the worker’s respective department.

Harassment and
Complaints
• Formal complaints will be evaluated by
the WHS representative, organizational
management, department head as well as
the human resource department.
• Non-formal strategies of addressing the
harassment will also be available to the
complainant, such as debriefing sessions,
allowance for leave and counseling
referrals.

Conclusion
• Employees are expected to adhere to the
revised workplace diversity policies, the
absence of which can result in a violation
of WHS principles.
• For any suggestions, feedback or
questions, employees are welcome to
submit their ideas to the feedback box or
communicate to the staff redressal section
at the back of house departments of the
organization.

Bibliography
Australian Government (2019). Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012. [online]
Legislation.gov.au. Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2012C00899
[Accessed 20 Aug. 2019].
Australian Human Rights Commission (2019). Getting to know the Sex Discrimination
Act: A guide for young women (2002) | Australian Human Rights Commission. [online]
Humanrights.gov.au. Available at: https://www.humanrights.gov.au/our-work/sex-
discrimination/publications/getting-know-sex-discrimination-act-guide-young-women-
2002 [Accessed 20 Aug. 2019].
Department of Health (2019). Department of Health | 6.1 Duty of care issues. [online]
Www1.health.gov.au. Available at:
https://www1.health.gov.au/internet/publications/publishing.nsf/Content/drugtreat-
pubs-front11-wk-toc~drugtreat-pubs-front11-wk-secb~drugtreat-pubs-front11-wk-
secb-6~drugtreat-pubs-front11-wk-secb-6-1 [Accessed 20 Aug. 2019].
Equal Opportunity Commission (2019). Informal Complaints | Equal Opportunity
Commission. [online] Eoc.sa.gov.au. Available at: https://eoc.sa.gov.au/about-equal-
opportunity/employment/complaints-workplace/informal-complaints [Accessed 20 Aug.
2019].
Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission (2019). Workplace law.
[online] Humanrightscommission.vic.gov.au. Available at:
https://www.humanrightscommission.vic.gov.au/home/the-law/workplace-law
[Accessed 20 Aug. 2019].