Meeting equality targets
Last week, Lord Davies provided further details on how he intends to meet targets for having one quarter of board members comprised of females in UK FTSE 100 companies.
Presently, a mere 12.5 percent of board members are female, which unfortunately is not a corresponding reflection of UK demographics.
Lord Davies is reported to have stopped just short of calling for compulsory appointments in accordance with diversity quotas, but he apparently suggested that if voluntary measures failed, compulsory quotas remained a possibility.
Included in his proposals are plans for companies to draw up boardroom diversity policies, publicly report on the numbers of women at board level and company head hunters signing up to a new code to address gender imbalance in the workplace.
In light of this ever controversial problem, we have taken this opportunity to speak with Brendan Wincott, Compliance Office at Newcastle-under-Lyme based Bibby Consulting and Support, who gives his view on the subject.
Brendan explained that “It is positive to see that Lord Davies has recognised that the problem exists, and that not enough females reach senior board levels, but I am not convinced that current proposals will overcome the problems. You can open the door for someone, but you cannot force them to go through it, and this is the problem that many women face. Just opening the door will not solve the problem; we need to understand what prevents women from reaching these higher levels, and take remedial action to overcome these barriers.”
Brendan went on to explain that “the Government’s recent changes to maternity and paternity leave will surely offer some confidence of a solution, allowing parents the greater flexibility over who brings up the children and who focuses on their career direction.”
With the above in mind, Brendan further explained that “compulsory quotas will also be unlikely to offer a solution. We need to address the root cause, not the effects. Adding compulsory quotas will just increase the burden on UK employers, forcing them to recruit board members just because of their gender rather than credentials which is likely to hinder economic growth when this is ever important for UK businesses.”
If you want to learn more about these latest proposals, why not call one of the experts now. If you are an existing client of Bibby Consulting and Support, please call one of the team today on 08453 100 999 quoting your PCN number to discuss the situation with one of our employment law specialist. If however you are not yet a client of Bibby, but are interested in learning more about the services Bibby CAS provide, please call Katy Vaughan today on 08453 100 600 for your free no obligation quote.
This News Release is intended to provide a general overview and discussion of the subject matter. It is not however, intended to give advice or to act as a substitute to taking legal advice from our Support Line in any specific situation. Bibby CAS accepts no liability or responsibility for the information contained within this news release. If you would like specific advice about this subject matter, please contact one of the Employment Law Team today on 08453 100 999.
