Local businesses get workplace equality advice
Jo Swinson meets Durham companies as part of regional roadshow.
Minister for Women and Equalities , met with local businesses in Durham yesterday as part of a series of regional events about equality in the workplace.
The British Chambers of Commerce and the 바카라 사이트 Equalities Office are jointly hosting a number of regional 바카라 사이트™Business is Good for Equality바카라 사이트™ breakfast roadshows, aimed at promoting a better understanding of what equality legislation requires.
This was the second of the roadshows that the minister has attended - and this event focused on gender equality in the workplace and maternity leave.
Putting the right measures in place
바카라 사이트śWe know that business is good for equality - and that equality is good for business,바카라 사이트ť said Jo Swinson, speaking at the event. 바카라 사이트śIt is absolutely crucial that companies draw on the talents of all their employees if Britain is to compete in the global economic race. It is even more important that we maximise the contribution which women can make to our economy, and now more than ever we need to remove the barriers facing women in the workplace.
바카라 사이트śThat is why we need encourage and support employers to put the right measures in place but the way to do this is not through legislation or mandatory quotas. The evidence shows that our voluntary approach is working. In the past six months we바카라 사이트™ve seen women represent around 34% of FTSE100 Board appointments. We are taking the same approach with Think, Act, Report - a voluntary scheme that encourages companies to think about how to offer equal opportunities for women in the workplace - which now covers 1.2 million employees.바카라 사이트ť
Balancing family life and careers
At the event the minister was asked what the government is doing to help women balance family life and careers, Ms Swinson said:
바카라 사이트śOur current system of maternity leave is old-fashioned and that is why we have announced new proposals that will allow working families to exercise choice over how they share childcare responsibilities. The proposals will give working fathers the chance to be more involved in their child바카라 사이트™s life from the earliest stages.
바카라 사이트śAllowing employees to balance their work and family commitments gives employers the ability to recruit and retain their staff from the widest possible pool of talent and contributes to the UK바카라 사이트™s skilled and flexible workforce.바카라 사이트ť