Unit 214: Recognise diversity when delivering customer service (B4)
Handout 1: Equal opportunities and diversity
Different people have different needs, expectations, opportunities and responsibilities, so it is important to remember that treating people fairly means recognising their differences. Equal opportunities does not mean that everyone is treated the same; it means that everyone should have the same opportunities to access services. The Equality Act 2010 covers a range of equal opportunities’ legislation that relates to providing customer service.
In the main:
Disability legislation makes it ‘unlawful to unjustifiably discriminate against an individual with a disability on the grounds of his or her disability in relation to recruitment, promotion, training, benefits, terms and conditions of employment and dismissal’.
Customer service must not be seen to discriminate against customers with disabilities (although the obligations of the organisation are different accordingto its size and the products or services being offered). It influences customers’ rights of access to goods, facilities, services and premises.
Disabilities recognised under the Act are:
- physical, affecting movement, sight or hearing
- mental including mental illness, impairment or learning difficulty
- severe disfigurement such as visible scarring, birthmarks or skin disease
- progressive diseases such as cancer, where the person gradually becomes worse over time.
The legislation makes it unlawful to discriminate against disabled people by:
- not making reasonable adjustments to the building to allow access
- refusing to provide a service without proper justification
- providing a service on worse terms or to a lower standard without proper justification
- not making reasonable adjustments to the way services are provided to accommodate disabled people.
The legislation affects buildings where there is general public access, and in order to fulfil their obligations, organisations may amongst other things
- install ramps for wheelchair access
- install door opening buttons
- install lifts
- include Braille signage
- fit a disabled toilet with wide access.
Where any arrangements place an individual with a disability at a substantial disadvantage in comparison with individuals who are not disabled, the employer is legally obliged to make reasonable adjustments such as adjustments to premises, altering working hours to suit, acquiring or modifying equipment.
Race relations legislation makes it ‘unlawful for an employer to discriminate (in respect of employment in the United Kingdom) against a person of a particular racial group on the grounds of colour, race, nationality or ethnic origin’.
Discrimination is classed as:
- direct discrimination ‘where on racial grounds alone a person is treated less favourably than others would be treated or is segregated’
- indirect discrimination, ‘where a requirement or condition is applied to all people, but it is a requirement:
- with which very few people in a smaller racial group can comply
- which the employer cannot show is justifiable
- which is to the detriment of that person because he or she can’t comply with it.’
This law also states that the fact that the discrimination was unintentional is no defence. Race discrimination may be allowed in employment in certain circumstances:
- where there is a real need eg involvement in a dramatic performance or entertainment; working in a place where food or drink is provided where a person of a particular racial group is required for reasons of authenticity
- where the provision of personal services relating to the welfare of people from a particular racial group require to be provided by a person from that racial group.
Sex Discrimination legislation makes it unlawful for an employer to discriminate (in respect of employment in the United Kingdom) against a woman or a man on the grounds of their sex.
This Act covers the recruitment, terms and conditions of employment, access to training schemes and opportunities for transfer or promotion, benefits and facilities and to retirement and dismissal and influences customers’ rights of access to goods, facilities, services and premises.
Within the Act, discrimination on the grounds of sex and marital status is split into five categories:
- direct discrimination
- indirect discrimination
- application of discriminatory practices
- discrimination against married people and victimisation.
Diversity
The customers of any organisationare made up of lots of different people – differences such as theirage, disability, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, values, ethnic culture, education, lifestyle, beliefs, physical appearance, social class and economic status. These are all elements that create 'diversity'.
Whilst equal opportunities focuses on allowing everyone the same access to services and opportunities without prejudice, diversity runs side by side to this and is also about understanding and changing attitudes by focussing on people as individuals and avoiding stereotyping.
Stereotyping means making assumptions about a person based on popularly held beliefs about the ‘group’ they belong to. Stereotyping is usually based on a, usually but not always, negative feature that stands out as existing in more than one member of that group, but which it is dangerous to assume applies to all. It would be ridiculous, not to mention offensive to those concerned, to assume that all football fans are trouble-makers or all blondes are dumb based on what is reported in the press or other media. In striving to treat customers as individuals, you will need to examine and question your own attitude towards the various elements of diversity above.
It is naturally beneficial if the workforce of an organisation reflects the diversity of its customers and a diverse workplace is created by employing people from a wide range of cultures, social backgrounds, ages and experiences. In recognising and sharing the knowledge these differences bring, the employees will be better able to empathise with the customers, and the organisation will have a better working atmosphere where everybody’stalents are fully realised and better used in order to provide a better customer experience.