Race at work: key resources for workplace equality
Our Race at Work resources offer practical guidance to help businesses drive racial equality and inclusion. Covering recruitment, progression, allyship, and inclusive supply chains, these toolkits, case studies, and best practices support organisations in embedding the seven key commitments of the Race at Work Charter.
Featured resources
Leadership: 10-Year Trend Paper
Draws on 10+ years of data, highlighting the importance of executive leadership, mentorship, and inclusive practices in driving race equality in UK workplaces
Diverse and inclusive supply chain insights report
Provides key insights into small business needs within large supply chains and offers a deeper understanding of the procurement sector’s expertise.
7 actions for improving the equality of opportunity in the workplace
The Race at Work Charter sets out seven key actions to help organisations drive racial equality in the workplace. These include senior leadership commitment, capturing and using ethnicity data, and ensuring fair recruitment and progression. It also focuses on fostering an inclusive culture, supporting diverse talent, allyship, and embedding race inclusion in supply chains. By taking these steps, businesses can create fairer workplaces where everyone can thrive.
Appoint an Executive Sponsor for race equality
Executive Sponsors for race provide visible leadership on race and ethnicity in their organisations. They drive actions such as setting targets for ethnically diverse representation, briefing recruitment agencies and supporting mentorship and sponsorship.
Resources to take action:
- Report: Leadership: 10-year Trend Paper
- Guide: Being a visible leader
- Guide: Setting goals and measuring progress
- Guide: Mentoring, sponsorship, and coaching framework
- Report: Voices from the Race at Work Survey
- Factsheet: What is reverse mentoring?
- Toolkit: Let’s talk about race
Capture ethnicity data and publicise progress
Capturing ethnicity data is important for establishing a baseline to measure progress. It is a crucial step towards an organisation reporting on ethnicity pay gaps and tracking performance against targets.
The BITC Race at Work 2018 Scorecard Report, in collaboration with YouGov, found that employees said only 11% of employers were currently capturing ethnicity and pay data. Without this important indicator, businesses will not be able to diagnose and take action to deal with their ethnicity pay gaps.
Resources to take action:
Commit at board level to zero tolerance of harassment and bullying
Employers should commit to actions that foster inclusion. 25% of ethnically diverse employees reported having witnessed or experienced racial harassment or bullying from managers1. 31% of ethnically diverse employees said they had witnessed or experienced racial harassment or bullying from customers, clients, service users and contractors2. Leaders at the top commit to tackling racial harassment and bullying with internal and external stakeholders.
Resources to take action:
- Factsheet: Tackling bullying and harassment from customers, clients and service users
- Report: University of Manchester (2015) Equality, Diversity and Racism in the Workplace: A Qualitative Analysis of the 2015 Race at Work Survey
- Training: Bespoke Bullying and Harassment and Let’s Talk about Race workshops
Make equity, diversity and inclusion the responsibility of all leaders and managers
Actions should include setting performance objectives for leaders and managers with a responsibility to promote conscious inclusion and fair access to opportunity for all staff. Take action to build inclusion and belonging and include the voices of Black, Asian, Mixed Race and other ethnically diverse employees in the workplace and around key decision-making tables.
Resources to take action:
Take action that supports Black, Asian, Mixed Race and other ethnically diverse employee career progression
Actions should include embedding two-way mentoring and sponsorship. Find out about our Cross-organisational Mentoring Circles.
Resources to take action:
Support race inclusion allies in the workplace
Provide support for inclusion to allies to promote race equality in teams, at work and within their communities. 26% of White employees say they would like more support from their employers.3
Resources to take action:
- Guide: Supporting Inclusion Allies 2024
- Factsheet: Supporting Inclusion Allies
- Toolkit: Black Talent Allyship
Include Black, Asian, Mixed Race and other ethnically diverse-led enterprise owners in supply chains.
Employers should ensure Black, Asian, Mixed Race and other ethnically diverse-owned businesses and enterprises are part of their supply chains, monitoring timely payment and contract value. These actions will contribute to creating role models for young people and the wider community, as well as economic inclusion.
Resources to take action:
7 actions for improving the quality of opportunity in the workplace
The Race at Work Charter sets out seven key actions to help organisations drive racial equality in the workplace. These include senior leadership commitment, capturing and using ethnicity data, and ensuring fair recruitment and progression. It also focuses on fostering an inclusive culture, supporting diverse talent, allyship, and embedding race inclusion in supply chains. By taking these steps, businesses can create fairer workplaces where everyone can thrive.
Latest resources
Leadership: 10-Year Trend Paper
Mentorship, Sponsorship, and Coaching Framework
How to be a Visible Leader
Settings Goals and Measuring Progress
Additional resources
Race reports
Race at Work Charter 2023 Survey Report: 5 Years On
A series of reports outlining employer progress on the seven Race at Work Charter commitments, using insights from the 2023 Race at Work Charter Survey.
Race at Work 2021: The Scorecard Report
Examines how UK employers are progressing against the recommendations set out in the McGregor-Smith Review, with insights from the 2021 Race at Work survey.
Race at Work Charter 2020 Survey Report
Presents the actions undertaken by the 114 employer participants of the 2020 Race at Work Charter Survey, as well as key findings and case studies.
UK employment and socioeconomic factors
UK Employment and Socioeconomic Factors by Ethnic Group
Focuses on the legal aspects of ethnicity pay gap reporting for General Counsels, including data protection and employment issues. Co-written with Hogan Lovells.
Windrush Generation: employment and socioeconomic factors
Examines the workplace progress of the Windrush generation, finding disparities in employment and pay, and recommends actions for employers to take.
Regional Insights on Race
Insights into the most diverse locations in different regions and nations, using Census 2021 data, to help organisations make informed decisions on race equality.
Supporting ethnically diverse employees and inclusion allies
Manager’s Guide to Supporting Ethnically Diverse Women
Practical tips for managers to support support the mental health and wellbeing of ethnically diverse women in the workplace, designed in partnership with industry experts.
Self-care and Wellbeing for Ethnically Diverse Women
Self-care strategies to support the wellbeing of ethnically diverse women, helping them recognise, and develop coping mechanisms for mental health challenges at work.
Anti-racism and Allyship in the Workplace: A guide
Provides tools for organisations to build anti-racist workplaces, fostering allyship and addressing inequalities through actionable tools for meaningful change.
References
- Business in the Community, (2018) Race at Work 2018: The Scorecard Report ↩︎
- Business in the Community, (2018) Race at Work 2018: The Scorecard Report ↩︎
- Business in the Community, (2021) Race at Work 2021: The Scorecard Report ↩︎
- Business in the Community, (2018) Race at Work 2018: The Scorecard Report ↩︎
- Business in the Community, (2018) Race at Work 2018: The Scorecard Report ↩︎
- Business in the Community, (2021) Race at Work 2021: The Scorecard Report ↩︎