EDI workshop from 'Inclusive employers'

[EnoughPlayingNice]

Our organisation is setting up a series of EDI workshops for staff, run by Inclusive Employers.

I tried reading their website, but it's all HR waffle that made me rapidly lose the will to live so I wasn't able to find out where they actually stand.

The workshops are on several different topics - sessions on racism and disability as well as LGBTQ - which is promising. But on the other hand the very brief summary of the LGBTQ one includes 'using pronouns'. And there's a whole session just on 'allyship' (unspecified).

Anyone know about them?

I don’t know anything about them but am concerned the list you give is leaving out the biggest group of marginalised and discriminated against people in most workplaces - women. Could you ask your HR division how that one’s going to be tackled as a stepping stone to introducing the idea that women do actually need to be considered when bringing in any new policies (like asking people to declare pronouns or changes to toilet provisions or whatever else could potentially be suggested)?

Oh, that's a whole other conversation - we have disability, race and LGBTQ+ staff networks, but no women's one. I'm tackling that separately. And the failure to ask about sex in the protected characteristics section of the annual staff survey (but there were 2 questions about gender identity!).

The external provider looks as if it runs women's ones (and assorted other topics) but our organisation hasn't booked them.

<Bump>

Nobody else come across this org, then?

I don't know them, but I think it's worth an email to your HR to ask for some details about the organisation's pedagogy/the sources they draw on.

Hmm.

Not sure if I'm feeling that brave - it's a bit confrontationational when my reason for suspicion is <waves generally at wider world> rather than anything they have actually done. And HR has not yet answered the last EDI question I sent them.

I may sign up for the session (with clipboard full of stats and arguments) and follow up with an email afterwards if it does turn out to be biased.

I hear you, and I think attending and taking notes/following up is a good idea.
But I think it's a good principle to ask/know as much as possible in advance about ANY 'training body'. This is something I've only started to think about since trans issues came into the workplace, admittedly, but I would apply it to any sort of training; it's made me think more critically and questioningly about where bodies purporting to educate and train are coming from.

Inclusive Employers don't seem to have a section on 'ssex', but they do have one on 'gender':
www.inclusiveemployers.co.uk/blog/category/gender/

This has two sections on International Men's day, a bit about misgendering, a page about pronouns and how to 'celebrate trans beauty'.

If I had to attend these workshops I would record the entire thing.

Yes, go. This stuff needs challenging every time it comes up.

I’ve been on a lot of training in my 3 decades of work and most of it is pretty poor. Overall, I would say quality control of training is low.

Me too. Which is probably a very good argument for staff starting to question and challenge it a bit more.

Right.

<Girds loins>

I'll see if I can book a place (there are only 2 sessions for the whole company, so might be oversubscribed).

They're online sessions billed as 'interactive and challenging' and 'a safe space for candid conversations'. So I think I need to arm myself with pre-prepared stats and sources for likely challenges that I can paste into the chat as and when they arise.

Any assistance compiling clipboard material gratefully received.

Will definitely need something on stereotype threat/increased sexist discrimination from highlighting pronouns.

I'm a biologist, so if they try clownfish or any sex-is-a-spectrum nonsense they will regret it.

What else?

Intersectional inequalities caused by unclear 'inclusive' language.

The following might be useful to browse through in preparation, but if I was you I would ask them where their assertions and stats are from if they start quoting bollocks.

www.legalfeminist.org.uk/2020/07/19/pronouns-compulsion-and-controversy/

sex-matters.org/posts/publications/pronouns-guide/

sex-matters.org/where-sex-matters/the-workplace/#publications

sex-matters.org/advice/your-rights-at-work/

Not sure if this thread is useful : www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/4477781-Equality-Diversion-and-Inclusion-workshop-what-points-should-I-raise

Thanks, Leaf. A good evening's reading there.