News: Contract Law
Discrimination training: Managers should lead on diversity, says Barclays
10 October 2008
Managers should provide leadership on discrimination and diversity issues to secure an organisation's success and longevity, according to Barclays.
The bank's head of diversity tells the Times that expertise in management grades and senior executive positions is imperative, underlining the pertinence of discrimination, equal opportunities and employment training for individuals in leadership roles.
Mark Palmer-Edgecumbe also points out that Barclays carried out a diversity "stocktake" three years ago and, as a result, introduced a strategic approach to developing internal talent and improving retention rates.
"Diversity is no longer just an adjunct to HR but is right at the heart of how we run our business," he remarks.
Barclays requires clear leadership on diversity "to come from the top", he adds, as well as having it embedded in every policy and procedure.
A combination of the two will make "a long-term difference" in any enterprise, in Mr Palmer-Edgecumbe's opinion.
Iain Patterson, an employment partner at UK-wide law firm Browne Jacobson, also alluded to the importance of employment law and discrimination training for managers in recent weeks.
Leaders in charge of performance management in their organisations should consider such training to ward off the risk of "time-consuming and complex" tribunal issues, he told the Health Service Journal.
