UK National Inclusion Week 25th September – 1st October 2023

Founded in 2013 by Inclusive Employers, National Inclusion Week (NIW) is in its 11^th year and is a week dedicated to celebrating inclusion and taking action to create inclusive workplaces. This years theme is Take Action Make Impact which aims to get organisations and individuals thinking about what actions they can take and what impacts these actions could and should have for marginalised people in your workplaces (Inclusive Employers - experts in workplace inclusion).

Inclusion is the practice of including people in a way that is fair for all, values everyone’s differences, and empowers and enables each person to be themselves and achieve their full potential and thrive at work. An inclusive workplace culture is one in which everyone feels that they belong through feeling safe in being themselves, that their contribution matters, policies and practices are fair and diverse range of people are supported to work together effectively. The moral case for building fairer and more inclusive labour markets and workplaces as indisputable: recognising and valuing our identity, background or circumstance, we all have a right to the opportunity to develop our skills and talents to our full potential, work in a safe, supportive and inclusive environment, be fairly rewarded and recognised for our work and have a meaningful voice on matters that affect us (Equality, diversity and inclusion in the Workplace | Factsheets | CIPD).

Below are some of the ways to celebrate National Inclusion Week, take action and make an impact on improving diversity and inclusion in the workplace:

Volunteer for an Inclusion Charity - volunteering for an organisation, like the disability charity Scope, can set a precedent and allow organisations to support people most at risk, pioneer inclusivity within society and unite employees under a common goal. To encourage uptake, businesses could consider offering paid staff volunteering days.

Hire an Inclusion Expert to host a workshop or speak at an event - The Diversity & Inclusion Speakers Agency have a whole host of thought leaders on the topic of inclusion. Discover some of their most popular orators, below:

• Piers Linney – Named in 2018’s Top 100 BAME Leaders in Business
• Inga Beale – First Bisexual Person Named in the OUTstanding List
• Tanni Grey-Thompson – 11-Time Paralympic Gold Medallist
• Charlie Martin – First Transgender Driver at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring
• Frank Bruno – Founder of The Frank Bruno Foundation, a Mental Health Organisation
• Asif Sadiq – Senior VP for Equality & Inclusion at WarnerMedia

Create an Inclusive Annual Calendar - recognise International Women’s Day, LGBTQ+ Pride Month, Black History Month and celebrate Christmas, Easter, Diwali, Hanukkah and other annual events from all cultures and religions by creating an inclusive calendar. Acknowledge these events both publicly and within your organisation, to ensure all employees feel a sense of belonging.

Establish a designated safe space - to allow for prayer sessions, confidential discussions and a quiet zone for neurodivergent employees to feel comfortable. It is important to recognise that employees each require different environments to succeed.

Evaluate and develop workforce policies and strategies - explore whether policies and practices are underpinned by the principles that actively celebrate and encourage difference.

Analyse existing workforce data to uncover barriers to inclusion - for example, compare promotion rates between demographic groups or 360-degree feedback data to understand employee and line manager behaviours related to inclusion.

Review recruitment practices to eliminate bias and discrimination - assess whether images and language used in recruitment materials are inclusive.

Use the Inclusion Health Checker - this tool developed by CIPD provides tailored recommendations outlining the actions to improve inclusion in your organisation.

An inclusive workplace culture allows all people to thrive at work, regardless of their background, identity or circumstance (CIPD Building Inclusive Workplaces Report 2019).

Lizzy Turek

Client Research Associate