Assessment 1 Written assessment

1. Perform a review of diversity and how this currently stands within

your workplace
Diversity is difference, at its simplest level it means anyone who is
different to you or anything that is different to what you know and do. The
society of Australia made up from a diverse population and exists in a
diverse habitat. They come from a variety of origins and contribute to a mix
of culture, lifestyles and outlooks that make Australia interesting and vibrant
place to live and work. Diversity includes age, gender, race, different
abilities, education, etc. not only cultural and religious differences exist,
there are also differences in age and experience. Our experience shapes us
and enables us to provide unique abilities and approaches that are beneficial
for the community and workplace. Younger individuals will be looking to gain
experience and to learn new skills, they will be looking to find their niche in
life and to establish their own path. As such, these individuals will need
guidance and skill development to make sure their full potential can be
recognised. Older members of the workforce will have established skill sets
and may either want to expand on their experience, or to develop their skills
further. They can provide essential support within the community and
workplace, and can pass on invaluable experience to others. There may be
individuals that have learnt things differently or have applied their skills in
different situations and environments. Encouraging a diverse workforce can
enhance the abilities and knowledge of your own workplace. By providing an
infrastructure at work that recognises and supports diversity, you can make
the most of your workplace.
Individuals, regardless of their background, will have the skills and
requirements that qualify them for your work needs. It is important to
quantify staff resources to make sure you cover all aspects of your business
requirements equitably. Mature people have a wealth of knowledge and skills
that are very useful for the workplace. They also have life experience and
more confidence to manage the different work situations that may arise; they
will be better able to handle responsibility at work through their gained
experiences. Mature workers can also impart their knowledge to younger
people in your workplace and help them to develop their skills. Young people
can provide excellent support and can grow into roles and the working

environment to provide long-standing and loyal service. As they will not have
established set skills they can be trained and guided into careers and
opportunities. Young people tend to be flexible with working hours, learning
new skills and tasks but do need more supervision and management. Having
apprentices and trainees allows you to build on and invest in your workforce
for the future.
People with disabilities also add value to your workplace through their skills
and experiences. They bring a different perspective into the workplace
environment and an outlook that emphasises collegiality. If not covered by an
award, one of the special national minimum wages may apply to those with a
disability.
Relevant legislation that promotes diversity
Legislation and regulations exists to assist businesses in fulfilling legal
requirements for workplace diversity. They help guide employers in the best
ways to ensure and retain a diverse workforce.
Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012
This Act promotes gender equality and improvement to gender equality at
work and the equal participation of women in roles at work and with equal
pay. There should be no discrimination against the genders and barriers to
equal participation at work by women should be eliminated. Further
information on this can be found at: https://www.wgea.gov.au/aboutlegislation/workplace-genderequality-act-2012 (Access date: 14.09.2015).
Anti-discrimination
Age Discrimination Act 2004
The Age Discrimination Act is in place to ensure that individuals are not
advantaged or disadvantaged because of their age; this is particularly
relevant to recruitment, employment and education. This act protects
individuals from being discriminated against on the grounds of their age and
is in place to promote equality in all applicable areas; there are very few
instances that are exempt from this law. It also offers guidance on positive
discrimination such as superannuation, migration, taxation and social
security laws, and with health programmes.
Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986
The Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986 was previously known as
the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Act 1986 and was
renamed in 2008. The Commission is funded by the Australian Government
and is in place to handle and investigate complaints of discrimination.
The types of discrimination that are handled by the Commission include:
Age
Disability

Race
Sex
Sexual harassment
Gender identity.

Disability Discrimination Act 1992

The purpose of the Disability Discrimination Act is to protect disabled
individuals and groups from discrimination based upon the disabled status;
this law is particularly applicable to instances such as employment,
education and recruitment. The Disability Discrimination Act also protects the
rights of disabled persons to access goods and services; this may include
accessing retail outlets and professional individuals, such as lawyers.
Racial Discrimination Act 1975
The

Racial

Discrimination

Act

1975

protects

individuals

from

being

discriminated against based upon their race and seeks to promote equality.
Under this Act, it is illegal to discriminate against anyone based upon their
race, colour or ethnic origin. The Act also means that racial vilification is
against the law.
Racial Hatred Act 1995
This Act expands the coverage of the Racial Discrimination Act (as above) to
allow individuals to complain directly to the Australian Human Rights
Commission on matters of racially offensive or abusive behaviour. This
provides a means for individuals to communicate freely on such behaviour to
stop acts of unequitable behaviour and treatment.
Sex Discrimination Act 1984
The Sex Discrimination Act 1984 promotes equality between men and
women, especially in the workplace. In terms of the workplace, the Sex
Discrimination Act makes it illegal for employers to discriminate upon
candidates based on their sex in matters such as:

Recruitment
Ongoing employment
Pay gap
Promotion and upward mobility
Leadership and management roles
Family commitments

Caring commitments
Pregnancy and breastfeeding.
The Sex Discrimination Act also addresses sexual harassment, violence
and access barriers and also covers lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual
and transgender individuals.

The

Fair

Work Act

2009

(including

the

National

Employment

Standards (NES))
This Act provides requirements for businesses, including small businesses, on
equitable work practices that should be used with employees. It guides on
unfair

dismissal

laws,

protections

for

employees

and

obligations

of

employers, and on other best practices such as the need to keep records and
provide payslips.
Work Health and Safety (WHS) Legislation
In 2011, except for Victoria and Western Australia, states and territories in
Australia adopted the Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) legislation in place
of Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) legislation. Victoria operates under
Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 and Western Australia operates
under Work Health and Safety Bill 2014. More information can be found at
http://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/sites/swa/model-whslaws/pages/jurisdictional-progress-whslaws. It covers all aspects of health
and safety within the workplace. Along with providing a safe environment
with safe equipment/machinery and safe systems of work, it also stipulates
that information, instruction, training and supervision should be given as
needed. With a diverse workforce, training and supervision will help to create
an inclusive environment and a safe workplace.
WHS also includes:

Fair and effective representation, consultation and cooperation to address

and resolve issues on health and safety at work

Protecting the health and safety of workers and others within the

workplace by eliminating or minimising factors of risk

Encouraging unions and employers to take a constructive role in
improving workplace health and safety practices.
Reviewing workplace policy
Policy and procedures underpin an organisation (or business) in all its
business

operations.

They

provide

the

guidance

and

the

legal

requirements for working processes and procedures. Workplace policy

that advocates diversity in the workplace and inclusive working practices

encourages a healthy work environment for its employees and shows the
importance and value placed on its workforce. This can greatly help an
organisation achieve balance and success in its operations and also a
happy workplace

where employees want to stay.

It shows and

encourages investment on both sides and when managed well, can

improve work productivity and creativity in working solutions.
Review policy with senior management, human resources or any other
relevant personnel. This process may take time to ensure that all relevant
persons are able to check and review required policy. Once all parties
have reviewed the policy, you may need to take part in a consultative
process to determine the changes that should be made. This may be
repeated in a cycle of review and changes until all relevant persons are in
agreement.
Feedback from your staff
Ask for feedback from your staff on the inclusive practices employed and
assess how well these have been received. It is an opportunity for you to
understand how these are working at the ground level and at whether
inclusive practices have met your objectives. You can ask for feedback at
meetings, in written or electronic communications, in passing or
anonymously.

Using

different

approaches

may

work

better

for

determining an all-round understanding.

Work processes and systems
Your workplace processes are in place to provide efficient working
methods for your employees to use. They form the structure and
guidance for carrying out work tasks and are there to be understood and
used by all. Systems of working may be different between departments
and different work areas but should have consistent processes for
working.
Work processes may include:
Work and staff briefings
Work scheduling
How to perform work tasks
Correct use of equipment and machinery
Maintenance of equipment and work area
Record keeping
Administrative processes.
Monitoring workplace processes

Look at your workplace processes to make a full understanding on where

diversity and inclusion within the workplace should be included.
Monitoring also allows you to check that your current systems and
processes are serving your organisations needs in all areas. Over time
and with evolving work needs and changes in legislation, your processes
may

need

to

be

reviewed

and

evaluated

for

efficiency

and

appropriateness to working requirements. To help you monitor and review

your workplace processes and systems you
should also assess your organisations businesses activities. By looking at
the business, services or products that your organisation produces and at
how successful the working output is, you can build a clearer idea as to
which processes and systems may need specific attention. From your
findings and through required management consultations, decisions can
be made for incorporating diversity and inclusion within your workplace
processes. Ensure you have the staff infrastructure in place to assist you
in your implementation plans. Department managers/supervisors and
appointed personnel can help guide your implementation requirements
and also gather appropriate information and evidence to show how well
this is subsequently received. This will allow you to talk through any work
issues and confirm courses of action for your diversity plan and inclusion
needs.
Discuss how to champion diversity in the workplace
In consultation with management and appropriate personnel discuss the
ways in which diversity implementation can be made. Depending upon
the size and type of organisation that you belong to there are varied
options for successful diversity and inclusion of your workforce. You
should also determine the resources and costs that will be needed to
carry
this out. Plan the methods that suit your organisations structure and
budgets best.
Options for diversity implementation
To help your organisation become a more integrated workplace you could
look to appoint individuals throughout your organisation to champion
diversity across the departments. These may be managers, supervisors,
WHS personnel or any other persons that are able to carry out the role of
responsibility.
Champions can:

Promote the profile of diversity and inclusion

Help standardise and maintain inclusive practices
Assist and guide employees through inclusivity
Model appropriate behaviour for inclusion
Represent individuals and the department,

comments on diversity and inclusion to management

Help the organisation through the transition of change.

and

feedback

Suggestions for supporting inclusion within the workplace are made

below; these can be made available to all levels of staff and can also
encourage interaction across departments. There are also opportunities
for other employees to support colleagues in issues of diversity and
inclusion through networking groups.
Through support of diversity and inclusion you can:
Arrange networking or social events
Have multi-faith prayer or quiet rooms
Mentoring programs
Organise network groups on diversity
Sponsorship programs
Staff development programs
Include flexible working arrangements
The potential barriers
Considering opportunities
Where an employer considers inclusive engagement in a workplace, they
should evaluate the many situations that may occur to determine the
potential opportunities. Different situations and working tasks will have
their own benefits through inclusive practices and will also need to be
managed as the situation demands.
The opportunities of inclusive engagement can be tremendous if carried
out correctly and equitably. When looking to include a diverse workforce,
you will need to ensure that all individuals are correctly instructed and are
able to carry out the specific work requirements. Tasks should be shared
equally between all individuals and the objectives made clear.
Opportunities may include:

Improved interaction and teamwork

Sharing of experiences and skills
Working together not against each other
Cultural and social understanding
Improved morale throughout the workforce

Increased work output through working together

Positive reputation/organisational profile.

Inclusive behaviour at work should be implemented from the top levels of

management down through to the workforce. To successfully attain the
benefits, a clear structure and systems of work will need to be developed
and implemented. Your organisations strategies and ethics need to reflect
positive relationships with diversity and inclusion.
With careful planning and management, the barriers to inclusivity can be
recognised and either eliminated or minimised to ensure inclusivity does
not impact negatively in the workplace. In order to achieve inclusivity, it
may be necessary to address your current working practices and
established behaviours and attitudes of the workforce. Policy and
procedures may need to be reviewed and changed and the philosophy and
culture of the organisation updated.
Barriers may include:

Resistance to change within the organisation

Communication/cultural challenges
Changes to current policy, procedures and working practices
Implementation of diversity and inclusion in the workplace policies

and procedures
Ensuring effective management of diversity and inclusion in the

workplace
Successful integration of diversity within the workforce
Allowing time for transition and change to take place.

Inclusive behaviour
Training involves the teaching of new skills and/or behaviours. Diversity
training can provide clear information on cultural awareness, knowledge
and skills to apply in various situations that include diversity and inclusion.
This can help change limiting behaviours and banish misconceptions. It
empowers individuals to adopt a more confident approach in unknown
situations.
Diversity training may include:

Legislation relevant to issues of diversity

Respectful use of language
Contact officer training
Coaching and mentoring

Leading a diverse workforce

Teambuilding across cultures
Respect and inclusion in the workplace
Workplace mediation skills.

Inclusive behaviours include:

Positive interaction with individuals

Recognising and acknowledging others
Showing respect at all times and being mindful of how you interact with

others
Looking at the capabilities and attributes of a person, not at their

differences
Inclusion of all individuals
Understanding and accepting there are differences
Showing tolerance of others.

2. Detail a plan for how diversity can be integrated into workplace

operations
Reviewing workplace policy
Policy and procedures underpin an organisation (or business) in all its
business operations. They provide the guidance and the legal requirements
for working processes and procedures. Workplace policy that advocates
diversity in the workplace and inclusive working practices encourages a
healthy work environment for its employees and shows the importance and
value placed on its workforce. This can greatly help an organisation achieve
balance and success in its operations and also a happy workplace where
employees want to stay. It shows and encourages investment on both sides
and when managed well, can improve work productivity and creativity in
working solutions.
Review policy with senior management, human resources or any other
relevant personnel. This process may take time to ensure that all relevant
persons are able to check and review required policy. Once all parties have
reviewed the policy, you may need to take part in a consultative process to
determine the changes that should be made. This may be repeated in a cycle
of review and changes until all relevant persons are in agreement.
Feedback from your staff
Ask for feedback from your staff on the inclusive practices employed and
assess how well these have been received. It is an opportunity for you to
understand how these are working at the ground level and at whether

inclusive practices have met your objectives. You can ask for feedback at
meetings,

in

written

or

electronic

communications,

in

passing

or

anonymously. Using different approaches may work better for determining an

all-round understanding.
The implementation plan
To support changes to the policy, include an implementation plan, or plans,
with your documentation. An implementation plan can be constructed in any
way that you need; its purpose is to show you the specific requirements that
need to be carried out to complete your task. Essentially the plan should
detail the activities that need to be performed and how these will be done. It
can show who is responsible for the activities, and any other required
information such as costings. For the needs of this plan, the following
information highlights the
basic requirements.
Your plan should include:
The policy/procedures to be implemented
Strategies for managing the changes in the working environment
Who is responsible for making the changes
How the changes will be managed
Required training to implement the changes
Ongoing maintenance of the policy changes.
Strategies for diversity that I would use
Fairness
Acting fairly and acting uniformly are different, and only one enables you
to successfully deal with diversity in your workplace. Don't be fooled into
thinking

that

by

treating

everyone

exactly

the

same,

you

are

demonstrating a fair attitude and respecting diversity. Instead, treat

people fairly and respect the differences that make them who they are. For
example, don't schedule a mandatory meeting that falls on a religious
holiday -- it demonstrates an insensitivity and may breed resentment and
foster feelings of being left out in any employees that are unable to
attend.
Employee Assessments
As a manager or business owner, you probably already conduct employee
reviews and assessments. When preparing these reviews, you must also
examine your employees' attitudes, particularly how they work with
others. If you notice that an employee only delegates tasks to people of a

certain race, or if an employee discounts the ideas of people below or

above a certain age, it is your responsibility to address the issue. Identify
issues among your employees and bring them up when assessing their
performance.
Encourage Interaction
When you identify diversity-related issues in the workplace, discuss them
with your employees in a nonconfrontational manner. For example,
encourage employees to work with others of different backgrounds or
generations. Initiating these types of interactions encourages your
employees to learn more about communication styles, talents and goals their own and those of their co-workers.
Work processes and systems
Your workplace processes are in place to provide efficient working
methods for your employees to use. They form the structure and guidance
for carrying out work tasks and are there to be understood and used by all.
Systems of working may be different between departments and different
work areas but should have consistent processes for working.
Work processes may include:

Work and staff briefings

Work scheduling
How to perform work tasks
Correct use of equipment and machinery
Maintenance of equipment and work area
Record keeping
Administrative processes.

Monitoring workplace processes

Look at your workplace processes to make a full understanding on where
diversity and inclusion within the workplace should be included.
Monitoring also allows you to check that your current systems and
processes are serving your organisations needs in all areas. Over time
and with evolving work needs and changes in legislation, your processes
may

need

to

be

reviewed

and

evaluated

for

efficiency

and

appropriateness to working requirements. To help you monitor and review

your workplace processes and systems you should also assess your
organisations businesses activities.

By looking at the business, services or products that your organisation

produces and at how successful the working output is, you can build a
clearer idea as to which processes and systems may need specific
attention. From your findings and through required management
consultations, decisions can be made for incorporating diversity and
inclusion within your workplace processes. Ensure you have the staff
infrastructure in place to assist you in your implementation plans.
Department managers/supervisors and appointed personnel can help
guide your implementation requirements and also gather appropriate
information and evidence to show how well this is subsequently received.
This will allow you to talk through any work issues and confirm courses of
action for your diversity plan and inclusion needs.
Training for diversity implementation
Training involves the teaching of new skills and/or behaviours. Diversity
training can provide clear information on cultural awareness, knowledge
and skills to apply in various situations that include diversity and
inclusion.

This

can

help

change

limiting

behaviours

and

banish

misconceptions. It empowers individuals to adopt a more confident

approach in unknown situations.
Coaching within the workplace
Coaching may be just one part of your training requirements. This can
include behavioural and skill development and can be given through a
series of sessions. You may want to provide coaching directly to staff or
to a few designated personnel so they can use these coaching
techniques to impart knowledge and to assist employees in diversity and
inclusion support. Techniques and practices can be taught to the specific
requirements of your organisation.
Support processes
Be aware of others who are not showing or using inclusive behaviour
this may come from any source within your organisation. Demonstrate
inclusive behaviours to others and guide interactions to be better for all.
You should:
Listen and engage with others
Work for the common good of all
Encourage members of diverse groups to apply for your job

vacancies
Recruit and select employees with the right skills and attributes,
regardless of their background

Be open to challenge your own behaviour and the behaviour of

others
Ask what employees think about a relevant work process or

initiative
Build trust with staff and honour confidentiality
Create a safe environment for all persons
Take action to ensure inclusivity is carried out.