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Working with business: frequently-asked questions Frequently-asked questions: working with businessEqual opportunities policies A ten-point plan to help employers promote equality of opportunity in their organisations.Ethnic monitoring Ethnic monitoring is the process you use to collect, store, and analyse data about people’s ethnic backgrounds. You can use ethnic monitoring to highlight possible inequalities; investigate their underlying causes; and remove any unfairness or disadvantage.Job advertisements The Race Relations Act 1976 makes it unlawful to publish advertisements that discriminate on racial grounds, or to make arrangements for such advertisements. This includes advertisements displayed on noticeboards or listed in staff bulletins. Both publishers and advertisers are legally responsible for ensuring that advertisements are lawful.Legal advice Introductory page to the Legal Advice section on this website

Statutory Code of Practice on Racial Equality in Employment (PDF 247.5 KB)
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Supplier Diversity: A guide for purchasing organisations (PDF 2.3 MB)
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Supplier Diversity: A guide for purchasing organisations (Summary leaflet) (PDF 114.2 KB)
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Race Equality and the Smaller Business - a practical guide (PDF 330.6 KB)
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This page was last updated on 14 June 2007

Working with business

Foreword

by former CRE commissioner Ian Barr

Private sector firms are the engine of our economy, employing 21.4 million people in the UK, a figure which constitutes 75% of the workforce. Engaging with the private sector is crucial to the delivery of greater race equality in this country. [more...]

Current research shows that all ethnic minority groups do less well, on a like-for-like basis, in the labour market compared to their white counterparts. This is both in terms of access to employment and progression within companies. 6.8% of ethnic minority people are unemployed, compared with only 3.4% white people. The snowy peaks of white males that our Chair Trevor Philips has referred to in the upper reaches of the public sector employment market are the same in the private sector.

Race equality in the labour market is important for a well-integrated and cohesive society. But there are also proven advantages for employers in developing strong race equality policies. Ethnic minorities have annual disposable income of £32 billion. By engaging with these communities, firms can open up a lucrative market. Moreover, good race equality policies can help firms bid for large public sector contracts, avoid potentially expensive litigation, and recruit the best employees from the widest possible pool of talent.

The CRE's Private Sector Directorate works with government, trade unions business confederations, professional bodies, trade associations and think tanks to promote racial equality. We work strategically with a small number of large organisations where we are currently developing an approach to race equality that will allow companies to set improvement targets and monitor progress and to benchmark with each other.

We produce advice and guidance on race equality for British firms, including the new Code of Practice on Racial Equality in Employment. This revised code will provide statutory guidance for 1.2 million UK employers, helping to ensure against racial discrimination and promote greater equality of opportunity. We have developed specific advice to SMEs on the issues they face through our guide to race equality for SMEs. We are committed to seeing race equality being spread through the supply chain, and produce advice for firms seeking to implement good supplier diversity and procurement policies.

On these pages you will find more information about us, and advice and information which, we are sure, will be of benefit to your business.

What's in this section?

This part of the website looks at what private businesses must - and should - do to work towards race equality. It sets out employers' legal obligations, the reasons why it makes economic sense to adopt sound race equality policies, and answers some commonly-asked questions from employers.

Employment code of practice Full text of the CRE's new Statutory Code of Practice on Racial Equality in Employment, including sample anti-harassment and equal opportunities policies.	Supplier diversity Find out more about the business case for supplier diversity, and follow our step-by-step guide to implementing a supplier diversity programme in your organisation.	Why work towards equality? The economic case for adopting good practice in race equality within private sector businesses.
Latest news Stay in touch with developments in equality and anti-discrimination practice in the workplace.	Advice for small businesses Offers clear, practical advice tailored specifically to SMEs to help them develop policies and procedures that avoid unlawful discrimination and ensure equality and fair treatment for everyone.	Strategic partnerships Find out how private sector organisations are working with the CRE to better meet the needs of all their customers and build on their reputations as good employers.
Preventing harassment at work This guidance has been produced in response to the many requests from employers since the events of July 7 for advice on how to deal with, and prevent, harassment in the workplace.	Frequently-asked questions Here, we tackle some common questions about how the Race Relations Act applies to private sector organisations, in areas such as recruitment and selection, and ethnic monitoring.

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