More than ever before, we’re focused on ensuring that everything that goes on in the workplace and beyond is done in a way which doesn’t negate or exclude anyone. 

That’s a great way to think, but there is still more to be done.

Discrimination based on differences in race, religion, sexuality, disability, or anything else, is not tolerated and instead, we are all focused on creating a happy and together team. 

Despite that, not all offices have that ‘together’ kind of feel. 

Think about your workplace for a moment, do you feel that diversity, equality and inclusiveness are taken seriously? Do you have a diverse mix of employees within your space, sitting at their office desks? Does everyone have the same opportunities as everyone else?

Ensuring that everyone is treated equally regardless of any perceived differences is vital if you want to create a happy and productive environment. From a human point of view, it’s simply the right thing to do too.

Taking diversity as just one example for a moment, check out this infographic which highlights the benefits of focusing on diversity in your contemporary office space. 

Source - https://www.talentlyft.com/en/blog/article/244/top-10-benefits-of-diversity-in-the-workplace-infographic-included

As you can see, there are many benefits and these should be embraced. 

Can All of This Increase Workplace Positivity?

When a workplace is focused on diversity, inclusiveness and equality, it shows that the management team have a positive workplace culture focus. They’re keen to ensure that everyone is happy and equally treated within the office. As a result, employees feel able to spread their wings and work to better themselves, work to their potential, perhaps look for promotion opportunities and they’ll feel supported in any learning and development opportunities they want to try.

In an office where this isn’t the case, employees might be put off from going for a promotion or from trying new training endeavours, because they feel that they won’t be given a fair chance to pursue that route. In that case, morale quickly falls and the office becomes a negative and rather hopeless place to work. 

However, when you focus on ensuring that you’re creating a happy and equal workplace, everything changes for the better. 

Does your office have an equality, diversity and inclusiveness policy? If not, it’s time to write one and ratify it within your organisation. This will ensure that your employees know you’re taking this subject very seriously indeed and will also help you to attract new talent in the future. These days, potential employees view a company’s stance on diversity etc as one of the key reasons for choosing one organisation over another. 

In addition, you’re more likely to retain your existing, highly experienced staff because they know that you’re taking them seriously, you’re treating them the same as everyone else and you value diversity and understand it’s benefits, rather than assuming that none of it matters. 

We are living in a society that is becoming more and more aware of ensuring fairness, and none of this can be viewed as negative, as an employer, if you want to stay up to date with what is going on outside of the office, you need to ensure that you’re treating your employees with the respect and fairness they deserve whilst they’re sitting at their office chairs or anywhere else. 

If you have a policy already in place, make sure that you review it regularly and ask for feedback from your employees. By doing this, you’re creating a fair, happy and positive working environment for everyone within your office and associated with it.