Have workplace employee networks gone too far

That would be the one. I just caught up with Linzi Smith's interview with Mr Meno:

I'm sure some employee networks do some great stuff but they do seem prone to this kind of overreach which creates real risk for the organisation. It leads to them acting unlawfully and doing the opposite of what they were set up for.

If you don’t think prejudice exists in most workplaces I would question how much attention you really pay to the world

Hey!! 👋 🤣

Enjoy it all while it lasts. The climate is changing. I can see a future where a much,much more conservative government ( either right wing Tories, or Reform) will express its deep opposition to this sort of performative virtue signalling. Business will fall in step. They always do.

Is it NatWest by any chance?
Might explain why they keep messing up my account and not answering the phone.
It’s got to a ridiculous state now why companies spend all of this money on activities nothing to do with the business.

Some light bedtime reading about the NHS.

https://www.england.nhs.uk/about/equality/equality-hub/workforce-equality-data-standards/equality-standard/

https://www.england.nhs.uk/about/equality/equality-hub/workforce-equality-data-standards/wdes/

If you look at the WRES and the WDES for any large organisation, it is clear that anyone with a protected characteristic but more specifically women, disabled people and anyone from an ethnic minority experiences discrimination and limitations in opportunity. Organisations need to do more, and your choice to not join, is just that, a choice.

Love your user name, K-Man! 😉

The Police who were ruled to be in breach of the PSED by their participation in Pride marches
those Police ?

I was deputy chair of the women’s network where I used to work, traditionally and in terms of employment figures, a very male-dominated environment (policing). Just a few of the initiatives we worked on: successful recruitment campaigns to increase the number of female police officers; a promotion and mentoring programme to give female officers the confidence and knowledge to apply for promotion or move into roles where females were very underrepresented; introduction of menopause and endometriosis policies to enable better understanding and provide workplace support; introduction of better female-fitting kit such as vests and trousers; enhanced return to work following maternity leave; I could go on. All practical measures which improved the work environment and opportunities for women in the workplace. I worked with all of the various staff networks and they all had similar work programmes. There was celebration of events, of course, whether religious, Pride, International Women’s Day etc., but it was never empty virtue signalling - there always had to be a tangible outcome or impact on policing e.g. Pride events were used as valuable recruitment opportunities. Staff networks can be wonderful tools for empowerment and improving the workplace, not just for their members, but for everyone.

Same where I work. They're box ticking exercises - nothing more, nothing less.

I’d join, and no doubt find the ‘Menopause Network’ and ‘Women’s Network’ useful, but they are open to all including those that identify as women. So no, I’m not going to enable men’s euphoria and joy at my expense.

There is no prejudice these days in most workplaces like ours yet weirdly still many tribunal cases and settlements

I started wearing a hearing aid earlier this year. I joined the hard of hearing group at work and it has been really useful. People have advised on using the headset with a hearing aid, how to set close captioning and auto transcription on some of the specialist software we use, and other tips which make a difference. I could have submitted a ticket to IT, but it is really helpful to I ask on the group and get a detailed reply from someone who uses the programmes regularly.

Our groups don't seem to be very active, but they are very handy.

Don’t! My bank emailed to invite me to some stress and time management seminars today. It must be someone’s job to organise this stuff. What’s wrong with just being a bank. When did we all become incapable of just staying in our lanes.

I'm glad you feel that your disability is adequately accommodated.

My workplace is excellent for inclusivity but even then I have not yet found or heard of any large organisation which does not have any problems with racism, sexism, or ableism. I have certainly never encountered a workplace where everyone is completely educated and up-to-date on neurodiversity or chronic illnesses.

If you don't see the need for the networks, feel lucky.

No network meetings?

@thelivelyviper

How naive!

They only "change the culture" if it fits the banks strategic direction.

That means it is moulded so that the banks reputation meets the cause of the year.

They really really do not care about the diversity of staff or any challenges the staff face. They only care about the impact on shareholders and their return on equity.

I've seen this in practice.

I am eligible to join several networks but I haven’t.

I find the networks, at my workplace at least, don’t actually achieve anything except put meaningless articles on SharePoint and send us emails.

A recent article from the Older Employees network stated, that through group discussions, it emerged that older employees said they wanted to feel valued. No shit, Sherlock. So do all other employees.

It feels like a virtual signalling exercise to show how inclusive the company is. I’m positive it’s all written by AI anyway.

What exactly is the need to have that network at work? Things have gone too far. I understand that some people may have experienced miscarraige or child loss but that is an issue between them and HR (and their manager). Any actual discussion around that in terms of resolving their own trauma etc could surely be done out of work time? Otherwise you could argue a case for a network for every possible life scenario, and that already exists. It's called The Internet.

I seem to remember a staff network was heavily implicated in Allison Bailey's tribunal as well.

@TheLivelyViper
Look up the SEEN networks
then look up Sussex Uni and Open Uni and NHS Fife and Cambridge Council.

Look up the reputational damage happening right now to the National Library of Scotland because of an out of control staff group

Workplace groups should NEVER EVER write employer policies
that way Isla Bumba lies.
Model policies are at ACAS and the EHRC
do not hallucinate your own

Well maybe you consider that a microaggression because you make so many and thus make people uncomfortable and also make the workplace less functional. On colleagues 'wasting their time' if they meet the duties they need to elsewhere, it doesn't concern you how much time they spend on it as long as everything else is done. In workplaces I know off, most of the work is done by HR employees responsible for Equality practices or hiring and a little is done by colleges outside of HR but not that much, a few meeting here and there and the events other than massive ones like IWD are done in a way that doesn't disrupt the work that needs to be done. Maybe you should join said networks and learn something.