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Precision Group (Australia) Level 13, 269 Wickham St, Fortitude Valley 4006 Email: info@precisiongroup.com.au Website: www.precisiongroup.com.au   © 2020 Precision Group (Australia)   BSBTWK301 - Use inclusive work practices (Release 1)
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Table of Contents

About the Business Services Training Package

The BSB Business Services Training Package covers a diverse range of industries and occupations. Business Services covers a range of cross-industry functions and services supporting the commercial activities of all industries.

 

Defining Qualifications

When units of competency are grouped into combinations that meet workplace roles, they are called qualifications. These qualifications are aligned to the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF). Each qualification will have ‘packaging rules’ which establish the number of core units, number and source of elective units and overall requirements for delivering the qualification.

 

Delivery and Assessment of Qualifications

RTOs must have the qualifications (or specific units of competency) on their scope to deliver nationally recognised training and assessment. RTOs are governed by and must comply with the requirements established by applicable national frameworks and standards. RTOs must ensure that training and assessment complies with the relevant standards.

Qualification Training Pathways

A pathway is the route or course of action taken to get to a destination. A training pathway is the learning required to attain the competencies to achieve career goals. Everyone has different needs and goals, and therefore requires a personalised and individual training pathway.

 

Foundation Skills

Foundation Skills are the non-technical skills that support the individual’s participation in the workplace, in the community and in education and training.

 

Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF)

This Assessment meets the five ACSF core skills as described in the Foundation Skills mapping.

About this Unit of Competency

BSBTWK301 - Use inclusive work practices

This unit standard BSBTWK301 Use Inclusive Work Practices covers the skills and knowledge required to recognise and interact productively with diverse groups of individuals in the workplace. It covers responding to and working effectively with individual differences that might be encountered during the course of work.

The unit applies to individuals who work in a variety of contexts where they will be expected to interact with diverse groups of individuals. They may also provide some leadership and guidance to others and have some limited responsibility for the output of others.

This Learner Resource is broken up into three elements. These include:

Establish practices that support individual differences in the workplace

Work effectively with individual differences

Assess use of inclusive practices

At the end of this training, you will be asked to complete an assessment pack for this unit of competency. You will need to access a supervisor, a manager, or your assessor who can observe you perform project or workplace tasks and verify your competency or performance.

On competent completion of the assessment, you must have demonstrated skills and knowledge required to use inclusive work practices.

Chapter 1: Establish Practices that Support Individual Differences in the Workplace

The modern workplace is characterised by a more open and welcome climate. It is not only more productive due to the influx of available technology but also because of the new ways of thinking and working that have emerged over the past years. Ultimately, this has empowered people of different cultural backgrounds to enter the workforce with confidence that they will be treated well.

To ensure that everyone is sufficiently accommodated, it is of utmost importance that your organisation promotes the use of inclusive work practices that take into consideration the needs of all employees. The first step in doing so would be the establishment of practices that support individual differences in the workplace.

This initial stage involves three sub-steps. First, you must identify the individual differences among your colleagues, clients, and customers. After this, you must also identify the different organisational policies and procedures relating to inclusive work practices. Finally, you must assist relevant personnel in developing a plan for incorporating inclusive practices in work tasks.

1.1 Identify Individual Differences in Colleagues, Clients and Customers

You begin the establishment of practices that support individual differences in the workplace by identifying the individual differences among your colleagues, clients, and customers. These differences are cultural in nature, and they reveal themselves in many different ways.

 

1.1.1 Diversity Defined

You may have heard that the Inuit, or Eskimo have 32 different words for snow but do not have a word for sheep. Where you live and how those around you live and behave influences your language. Words are developed to communicate with those people; they are not invented for things that you do not know exist, and sheep did not exist for the Eskimo.

Language and the words that make up the language have made progress possible. Until a language exists, progress would have been very slow. Learning how to hunt, gather, and build shelter could not be passed from one generation to another without words. Learning is only possible because language exists.

The culture of a society is reflected in its language. English is said to be a very rich language, and this gives English literature a great depth. Other cultures are reflected by their language too. In many other languages, there are two different words for ‘you’. One word is for someone you know well, and the other is for strangers.

Japanese is often thought to be quite an easy language to study. However, the more you learn, the more you realise that many words and phrases have a huge number of variations depending on the speaker’s age, their status, and their position or relationship with the person with whom they are speaking.

The language of a country is really an agreement between the citizens of what symbols (or words both spoken and written) should represent what item, action, or emotion. Words are used to share and define, as a society, the culture, beliefs, and what is deemed acceptable and what is not. Every society has its version of each of these. These differences are what usually cause problems in understanding diversity – which is, by definition, the state of having key and fundamental differences in various dimensions which are further discussed in the next sub-section.

 

1.1.2 Differences Identified

All of your colleagues, clients and customers are different from you in some way. Think about each of the following groups and consider how they differ from you:

The most common dimensions from which these differences may be recognised include:

Ability and Disability

This is the acceptance of all types of talents and disabilities within an organisation. The acceptance of abilities is the ability of companies to embrace talents and education.

Age

Age diversity is the ability to accept all different types of ages within a business environment. Organisations have to adjust to an aging population in various ways.

Belief Systems/Values

Diverse cultures can evaluate values from the bottom up on the basis of what works for each culture. Values that serve the culture well, religious or secular, tend to be conserved and passed on through generations, enforced by social custom, and supported by the community. Successful values may become influential in other belief communities and be adopted or adapted to their culture.

Culture

‘Culture’ refers to a group or community which shares common experiences that shape the way its members understand the world. It includes groups that one is born into, such as race, national origin, gender, class, or religion. It can also include a group that you join or become part of.

Expertise/Experience/Working Styles

In any organisation you will find four basic types of people, these are:

Most leaders now recognise that the best teams leverage diversity to achieve long- term success. This includes diversity of experiences, viewpoints, backgrounds, and life experiences. They encourage tolerance of thought, ideas, people with differing viewpoints, backgrounds, and life experiences.

Gender

Gender diversity is a term referring to how different genders are represented in a relevant setting. Primarily, this term is often used to refer to females and males.

Interests

Some people love sports, and others loathe it. Some love union and others love league. The variety of interests is immense and often dependant on your cultural heritage.

Interpersonal Style

Interpersonal skills are not only important in a professional sense – they are equally important in life in general. Communication with peers, neighbours, and counterparts can open up opportunities in careers as well as in life.

Language

While languages can be astonishingly different from one another, there are still features that unite all languages.

Mental Ability

One’s cultural background will affect how they interpret and respond to life experiences. Something that you see as mental health problem might be viewed as an experience of personal growth or spiritual significance by another.

It is well-noted that mental ability, or lack of, markedly influences how one is accepted and promoted in the workplace. Working relationships and friendships are often influenced by the mental capability of other team members.

Past Experiences

An understanding that past experiences can have both a short and long-term impact on behaviour is important. Traumatic events particularly can have a serious lasting impact on a person’s ability to form trusting relationships. To effectively develop relationships with adults, it is vital to adapt actions and interactions to suit any value changes in society and the organisation.

Physical Characteristics

Appearance-based discrimination continues to exist across a broad spectrum of employers. Physical characteristics also refer to the abilities of the body. Those who are disadvantaged or disabled will require assistance to perform in most jobs.

Politics

Political beliefs can be a contentious issue, as well. It must be recognised that diversity is valuable and desirable and that recognising and promoting diverse political views may aid communication between people of different backgrounds and lifestyles, leading to greater knowledge, understanding, and peaceful coexistence.

Race

There are three major contributors to Australia’s demographic make-up. These are a:

A diverse Indigenous population

A British colonial past

An extensive immigration from many different countries and cultures.

Today, Australia’s population of about 23 million is one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse populations in the world.

Religion

Religions span national, geographic, cultural, and ethnic boundaries. They may be the focus of individual and family identification. Religious institutions and observances play a crucial role in catering not only to people’s spiritual needs but also their social, psychological, and cultural needs.

Sexual Orientation

Gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people live in all aspects of society and work in all organisations. They belong to all economic, racial, and social groups. In many organisations, they hide their identities by allowing people to think they are heterosexual. In such workplaces, they do not feel free to have pictures of their loved ones and families on their desks. If the workplace is hostile, they may have to endure gay jokes or slurs.

Discrimination and prejudice may be more overt, taking the form of threats and abuse. When organisations tolerate homophobic attitudes and behaviours in the workplace, morale and productivity suffer. Creating an inclusive workplace means eliminating homophobic behaviour and creating an atmosphere of tolerance and acceptance. It also includes valuing the family relationships of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people in the same way that the organisation does for heterosexual people.

Thinking and Learning Styles

Thinking and learning styles are categories that are not typically considered as an aspect of diversity but can have a tremendous impact on group dynamics. One must endeavour to understand the following characteristics of thinking and learning styles in order to provide a more diverse and inclusive environment.

As you can see, there are fundamental differences between you and everyone around you. This is inherently neither good or bad nor right or wrong; it simply means everyone is different. If you can appreciate the differences and be respectful of them, much can be gained. Work could be allocated to those with particular preferences or abilities, allowing others to pursue their particular preferences.

It all starts with your attitudes and then your behaviours. There is much to be offered and many gains to be had by understanding and appreciating the differences of others.

Examples may help you further understand these differences. The table below identifies different aspects of culture, comparing mainstream Australian beliefs and behaviours with that of other cultures.

Aspect of Culture	Mainstream Australian Culture	Other Cultures
Appearance	- Dress for success ideal - Wide range in accepted dress	- Dress seen as a sign of position, wealth, prestige - Religious rules may apply
Communication and language	- Direct communication - Emphasis on what is said; meaning is found in words	- Subtle, indirect communication - Emphasis on situation; meaning is influenced by this situation
Beliefs and attitudes	- Egalitarian; challenging of authority - Individuals control their destiny - Gender equity	- Hierarchical; respect for authority and social order - Individuals accept their destiny - Different roles for genders
Food and eating habits	- Eating as a necessity - Fast food	- Dining as a social experience - Religious rules may apply
Greeting	- Handshake	- Formal hugs, bows, handshakes
Mental processes and learning style	- Linear, logical, sequential, problem-solving focus	- Lateral, holistic, simultaneous - Accepting of life’s difficulties
Relationships, family, friends	- Focus on nuclear family - Responsibility for self - Value on youth; age is seen as a handicap	- Focus on extended family - Loyalty and responsibility to family - Age = status, respect
Time	- Linear and exact time consciousness - Value on promptness - Time = money	- Elastic and relative time consciousness - Time spent on enjoyment of relationships
Work habits and practices	- Emphasis on task - Reward based on individual achievement - Work has intrinsic value.	- Emphasis on relationships - Rewards based on seniority, relationships - Work is a necessity of life.

1.1.3 Major Groups in the Workplace and Community

Expanding on the prior discussions, there are several major groups that you must be aware of. These groups are present in the workplace as well as the community and represent different cultures, religions, traditions, and practices.

 

Major Cultural Groups

There are several major cultural groups you must recognise. These are groups of people that share a common race, ethnicity, and patterns of behaviour and values. There are two classifications of major cultural groups you may encounter, these include:

Nationalities

When you identify groups by nationality, you base your classification on the shared citizenship of the group. Nationalities include Australians, Chinese, Indians, Italians, etc. Different nationalities have traditions and practices in both the workplace and the community.

Ethnic Groups

When you identify groups by ethnicity, you classify people based on their shared language or social customs. In Australia, prominent ethnic groups include Aboriginal People, Torres Strait Islanders and Muslims. As with different nationalities, different ethnic groups have traditions and practices in both the workplace and the community.

 

Traditions and Practices of Major Groups

Major cultural groups have traditions and practices in both the workplace and the community. A tradition is a custom or belief shared and passed down in a cultural group through generations while a cultural practice is a customary behaviour or way of doing things that is specific to a cultural group.

In the Workplace

In the workplace, the traditions can be observed through business relationships and communication protocols followed by cultural groups. For example, the Chinese have workplace traditions such as giving gifts to companies as a sign of goodwill towards building business relationships (but not to individuals as this is considered bribery) and addressing people with their titles/designations as they value hierarchy.

Likewise, practices can be observed through business etiquette and business protocols followed by cultural groups. For the Chinese, this means dressing conservatively in business meetings (i.e., no bright colours) and giving business cards with both hands and ensuring that the side of the card with Chinese translations is facing the recipient.

In the Community

A community is the area where one lives – such as a town or suburb. As with the workplace, there are different areas of community life where you can observe the traditions and practices of major cultural groups.

Traditions can be observed through greetings and celebrations. For example, Indians have different traditions that can be observed in one’s community. They give high value to respecting elders and greet them by touching their feet. Traditionally, Indians also have many festivals which are considered a way to celebrate different aspects of their spirituality.

Likewise, they have different practices that can be observed in areas of community life, such as clothing and food. For example, they remove footwear and hats upon entering someone’s home. They also eat most of their meals with bread such as roti and naan as this is their staple food.

 

Major Religious Groups

Along with culture, religion may also be used as a way to identify different groups of people. As the name would suggest, these groups are identified on the basis of their shared systems of spiritual beliefs. Major religious groups you may find in the community include:

Practices of Religious Groups

Religious groups have practices in both the workplace and the community. These are further discussed below.

In the Workplace

In the workplace, the practices of religious groups reflect activities associated with the respective groups which can be observed in the workplace. For example, Hindus have religious practices such as adjusting work schedules to accommodate their fasting practices, incorporating traditional Hindu clothing into their work attire, making time for prayer during the regular workday and requesting leaves to observe their religious celebrations.

In the Community

In the community, different religious practices that can also be observed from the religious groups. For example, Western or Roman Catholics have various religious practices such as abstaining from meat during the Fridays of the Lenten Season, going to church to attend mass every Sunday and on Holy Days of Obligation, praying the rosary and regularly going to church to confess their sins.

Activity 1

1.2 Identify Organisational Policies and Procedures Relating to Inclusive Work Practices

The next order of business in establishing practices that support individual differences in the workplace is determining what requirements you must align your efforts to. More specifically, these are the organisational policies and procedures which involve inclusive work practices. Such internal requirements are, by default, made in alignment with external requirements. These are workplace anti-discrimination legislation, inclusivity regulations, standards, and codes of practice.

 

1.2.1 Internal Requirements

The internal requirements you must aptly consider include:

Codes of Conduct or Ethics

These codes provide guidance on what is deemed acceptable behaviour. Codes of conduct are organisation-specific while codes of ethics are industry-specific. The former provides specific steps to be carried out for situations while the latter provides general guidelines.

Bounce Fitness has both a Code of Conduct and a Code of Ethics that guides its employees. Some guidelines in these codes are particularly relevant to diversity and inclusivity. This includes: Professional Integrity As part of the guidance that Bounce Fitness provides in exemplifying professional integrity, its employees are prohibited from displaying discrimination in any form. The company’s code of ethics specifically states that ‘Bounce Fitness employees shall not discriminate in professional practice, on the basis of ethnicity, culture, impairment, language, age, gender, sexual preference, religion, political beliefs, or status in society.’

Diversity Policies

These policies are formed to promote diversity within the workplace. By their very nature, these would differ from organisation to organisation. These provide guidance on how different functions in the organisation are to be performed with consideration to diversity.

Human Resources Policies and Procedures

Organisational policies are guidelines designed to direct members in fulfilling their respective roles and responsibilities within the organisation. On the other hand, procedures are the means through which policies are implemented. They are logical actions steps that would inform employees how to enact or implement organisational policies. Policies and procedures work hand in hand in ensuring consistency in organisational employees’ approach to making decisions, solving problems, and executing day-to-day tasks.

In the context of diversity and inclusivity, your human resource policies and procedures can include guidance such as: Practising non-discrimination in the selection and hiring of employees Promoting respectful communication between and among all employees Providing flexible work schedules to accommodate employees who may have special needs Offering diversity training for all employees.

1.2.2 External Requirements

The external requirements you must consider include:

Codes of Practice

Much like codes of conduct and ethics, codes of practice provide practical guidance on how to best comply with the different standards set by laws. These are most commonly applied to work health and safety concerns.

Although it may not be obvious at the onset, work health and safety and inclusivity are very closely related. Having a workplace that is diverse and inclusive promotes an environment where employees can work productively and harmoniously together – this is particularly important in fostering holistic health and safety.

In this regard, codes of practice that promote work health and safety would also provide guidance for developing a workplace that is inclusive. Additionally, promoting diversity and inclusivity in the workplace is considered a best practice.

One code of practice that is relevant in this discussion is the Work Health and Safety (Work Health and Safety Consultation, Co-operation and Co-ordination) Code of Practice 2015. This code of practice provides guidance on work health consultations with employees – a requirement for every organisation, as outlined by the Work Health and Safety Act 2011. The code outlines the reasons for consultation, the nature of effective consultation and guidance on consultation, co-operation, and co-ordination. Throughout the code, you will find the value of inclusivity being highlighted. The very acts of consulting, co-operating and co-ordinating with employees is a best practice that empowers them to be involved. The code further reinforces this by providing practical guidance on how to best ensure that all employees actively participate in the necessary processes to ensure that the workplace remains safe in all aspects.

Further Reading To learn more about this code of practice, access the link below. Work Health and Safety (Work Health and Safety Consultation, Co-operation and Co-ordination) Code of Practice 2015

Standards

• Generally speaking, standards represent levels of quality that must be met to ensure that one’s work is up to par with what is deemed acceptable. These standards are considered universal and must be followed by all organisations.

One particular set of standards that promotes inclusivity, taking into consideration the needs of all employees, are the National Employment Standards (NES). These are ten minimum entitlements that every employee must be afforded. The ten legislated standards are as follows: Maximum weekly hours Requests for flexible working arrangements Parental leave and related entitlements Annual leave Personal/carer’s leave, compassionate leave and unpaid family and domestic violence leave Community service leave Long service leave Public holidays Notice of termination and redundancy pay Fair Work Information Statement Sourced from National Employment Standards, used under CC BY 3.0 AU. Fair Work Ombudsman.

Further Reading To learn more about National Employment Standards, access the link below. National Employment Standards

The Disability Services Standards (Eligible Service Standards) (FAHCSIA) Determination also merits discussion. This is a federal set of standards that aims to prevent discrimination against people with disabilities in the workplace. Under Standard 5 Participation and Integration of these standards, there are four supporting standards that promote the support and encouragement of persons with disabilities so that they may participate and be involved in the life of the community. These standards include: The agency's written policies and procedures are framed in a way that provides opportunities for people with disability to participate in the community. Services are provided in a way that facilitates the integration and participation of each person with disability in the community, at times and in ways similar to other members of the community. Each consumer is provided with information about general community facilities and services and how to use them. The agency provides each person with disability the opportunity to form and maintain a variety of ties, connections and involvements in the community. Sourced from Disability Services (Eligible Service Standards) Determination 2020, used under CC BY 4.0 AU. Federal Register of Legislation.

 

It is important to ensure that your workplace demonstrates these standards in the workplace. This can be done by having activities and practices that promote inclusivity in the workplace. Such should be consistent with the standards above, specifically with the requirements that the standards may outline.

For example, there are several ways you can demonstrate the second supporting standard under the Standard 5 Participation Integration section of the Disability Services Standards (Eligible Service Standards) (FAHCSIA) Determination. This supporting standard states that, ‘Services are provided in a way that facilitates the integration and participation of each person with disability in the community, at times and in ways similar to other members of the community.’

There are a number of physical workplace adjustments your organisation can make to adhere to this. These include having ramps for people who use wheelchairs, braille signs for people with visual impairments and closed captions during video calls for people with an auditory impairment.

Further Reading To learn more about the Disability Services Standards (Eligible Service Standards) (FAHCSIA) Determination, access the link below. Disability Services (Eligible Service Standards) Determination 2020

Workplace Anti-Discrimination Legislation

• Perhaps the most important external requirement which you must have a fundamental knowledge of are relevant pieces of legislation. These are laws that all organisations are required to adhere to. Of particular interest to you are the different anti-discrimination laws being enforced. On the federal level, these include:

Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986

This law came about after Australia signed several United Nations and International Labour Organization conventions. This Act makes it unlawful to discriminate against people because of their:

In terms of employment, the Act also prohibits discrimination on the basis of:

Irrelevant criminal record

Political opinion

Sexual preference

Trade union activity.

Based on Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986, used under CC BY 3.0 AU. Equal Opportunity Commission.

Further Reading To learn more about this piece of legislation, access the link below. Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986

•  

Equal Employment Opportunity (Commonwealth Authorities) Act 1987

The Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1987 is based on the principle of the same name, which states that everyone must have equal access to employment opportunities. Everyone must be given sufficient consideration based on their merit and not any other factors.

The Act aims to prevent discrimination as well as harassment. It provides the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) the authority to take legal action against possible cases of discrimination faced by employees based on the dimensions outlined by the Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986.

Further Reading To learn more about this piece of legislation, access the link below. Equal Employment Opportunity (Commonwealth Authorities) Act 1987

Fair Work Act 2009

• The Fark Work Act 2009 (FW Act) is law integral to every business in the country. It governs the relationship between employees and employers – providing a safety net of minimum entitlements, enabling flexible working arrangements and fairness at work, and preventing discrimination against employees (Legislation, 2009).
• This piece of legislation promotes inclusivity in the workplace and includes the provision of the National Employment Standards that have been previously discussed.

Further Reading To learn more about this piece of legislation, access the link below. Fair Work Act 2009

Privacy Act 1988

This piece of legislation came about after Australia signed the United Nations’ International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The Act promotes an individual’s right to privacy, specifically in terms of how the government makes use of personal information.

By its very nature, therefore, the Act protects everyone – including those who are prone to discrimination due to various dimensions outlined in the Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986. Further, the Act prohibits employers from misusing and divulging employees’ confidential information.

Further Reading To learn more about this piece of legislation, access the link below. Privacy Act 1988

Work Health and Safety Act 2011

The Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (WHS Act) is another fundamental law that every business must comply with. The Act aims to promote a safe and healthy workplace where employees can be productive. It ensures that everyone in the organisation is actively involved in maintaining a workplace of quality – one that is secure, healthy, and safe for all employees.

As previously mentioned, holistic health and safety involves promoting diversity and inclusivity. Your workplace must, therefore, take steps to ensure that your workplace remains safe for everyone. One particular way you can do this is taking precautions and having policies to deal with and/or prevent cases of harassment which often occur due to discrimination.

Further Reading To learn more about this piece of legislation, access the link below. Work Health and Safety Act 2011

Age Discrimination Act 2004

• 
• As the name would suggest, this piece of legislation protects people from discrimination on the basis of age. There are a number of specific areas where age discrimination is legally prohibited, and one of these is in employment.
• By virtue of this Act, you cannot treat someone unfairly due to their age. This applies from your selection of prospective employees to the termination of one’s employment.

Further Reading To learn more about this piece of legislation, access the link below. Age Discrimination Act 2004

Disability Discrimination Act 1992

This piece of legislation provides protection for everyone in Australia against discrimination based on disability. It encourages everyone to be involved in implementing the Act and to share in the overall benefits to the community and the economy that flow from participation by the widest range of people.

Disability discrimination happens when people with a disability are treated less fairly than people without a disability. Disability discrimination also occurs when people are treated less fairly because they are relatives, friends, carers, co-employees, or associates of a person with a disability.

In the context of the workplace, this Act protects persons with disabilities from being treated unfairly because of their disability.

Disabilities include:

Based on Disability Discrimination Act used under CC BY 3.0 AU. Equal Opportunity Commission.

Further Reading To learn more about this piece of legislation, access the link below. Disability Discrimination Act 1992

Racial Discrimination Act 1975

• This piece of legislation was produced after Australia signed the United Nations’ International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.
• As the name would suggest, the Act makes it unlawful to discriminate against people because of their:
• Based on Racial Discrimination Act used under CC BY 3.0 AU. Equal Opportunity Commission.
• In the context of the workplace, you must adhere to this Act and avoid any and all forms of racial discrimination, including offensive behaviour and harassment towards employees rooted in racism. This means having measures that would prevent not only such occurrences but also promote equal treatment towards everyone.

Further Reading To learn more about this piece of legislation, access the link below. Racial Discrimination Act 1975

Sex Discrimination Act 1984

• The Sex Discrimination Act 1984 is a piece of legislation that came after Australia signed the United Nations’ International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.
• It prohibits and aims to eliminate discrimination on the basis of:
• Based on Sex Discrimination Act used under CC BY 3.0 AU. Equal Opportunity Commission.
• Moreover, this Act makes sexual harassment – ‘sexual behaviour which makes a person, with reason feel offended, afraid or humiliated’ (Sex Discrimination Act, 2019, para. 3) unlawful.
• All people in Australia must uphold this legislation and not discriminate in any way against another just because they are different. Your organisation will have its own interpretation of this. Make very sure that you obtain a copy and live to the standards they set.

Further Reading To learn more about this piece of legislation, access the link below. Sex Discrimination Act 1984

Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012

As the name would suggest, this piece of legislation aims to improve and promote gender equality in the workplace.

The key objectives of this Act include:

Promote and improve gender equality (including equal remuneration between women and men) in employment and in the workplace.

Support employers to remove barriers to the full and equal participation of women in the workforce, in recognition of the disadvantaged position of women in relation to employment matters.

Promote, amongst employers, the elimination of discrimination on the basis of gender in relation to employment matters (including in relation to family and caring responsibilities).

Foster workplace consultation between employers and employees on issues concerning gender equality in employment and in the workplace

Improve the productivity and competitiveness of Australian business through the advancement of gender equality in employment and in the workplace.

Based on Workplace Gender Equality Act used under CC BY 3.0 AU. Equal Opportunity Commission.

Further Reading To learn more about this piece of legislation, access the link below. Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012

• There are also anti-discrimination laws that apply to specific states and territories. They supplement the federal laws listed above and help ensure that everyone is treated fairly across the country. Local anti-discrimination laws include:

Discrimination Act 1991 (Australian Capital Territory)

Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 (New South Wales)

Anti-Discrimination Act 1996 (Northern Territory)

Anti-Discrimination Act 1991 (Queensland)

Equal Opportunity Act 1984 (South Australia)

Anti-Discrimination Act 1998 (Tasmania)

Equal Opportunity Act 2010 (Victoria)

Workplace Inclusivity Regulations

Along with these pieces of legislations are subsequent regulations that promote inclusivity in the workplace. These include:

Fair Work Regulations 2009

• In line with the FW Act, the Fair Work Regulations 2009 outlines how businesses must adhere to fair work practices that promote the protection and proper treatment of employees. These regulations detail the different rights and responsibilities of an employee as well as that of the employer.
• As can be expected, these regulations promote inclusivity in the workplace. You must, therefore, ensure that your organisation complies with these and have initiatives, practices, etc. that align with the Fair Work Regulations.

Further Reading To learn more about these regulations, access the link below. Fair Work Regulations 2009

Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011

• In line with the WHS Act, the Work Health and Safety (WHS) Regulations 2011 outlines how businesses must actively prevent and minimise risks in the workplace that would endanger employees.
• As with the WHS Act, the WHS Regulation aims to create workplaces that are healthy and safe. This safety must be holistic in nature, and every employee’s needs must, therefore, be taken into account. In other words, these regulations promote inclusivity in the workplace, encouraging everyone to be actively involved in the maintenance of a healthy and safe work environment conducive for all employees.

Further Reading To learn more about these regulations, access the link below. Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011

1.3 Assist Relevant Personnel in Developing Plan for Incorporating Inclusive Practices in Work Tasks

The last order of business in establishing processes that support individual differences is the development of a plan for incorporating inclusive practices in work tasks. In this regard, you will play an assistive role and help relevant personnel accomplish the given task. The relevant personnel you would work with may include team leaders, managers, supervisors, human resource officers, as well as operations managers.

 

1.3.1 Developing A Plan

Although there is no one strict way for developing a plan for incorporating inclusive practices in work tasks, there are general stages that you would encounter in any plan-making process. These include:

Doing Preliminary Research

Your task begins with research. To develop an effective plan, you must take the time to do your research on various matters. This is a key step in your planning process, and you must take on the challenge of ensuring that the information you gather during this initial step is reliable and well-researched. The matters you must look into include:

Existing Initiatives

Review documents, records, etc. to determine what initiatives your organisation has in place to promote inclusivity in the workplace. These will provide you with a benchmark for how inclusive your organisation currently is and how this can be further improved.

Inclusive Practices

You must take the time to research the acceptable practices which promote diversity and inclusivity in the workplace. Doing so may entail not only traditional research (i.e. reading various source material) but also training, consultations, etc.

Relevant Internal and External Requirements

You must be sufficiently knowledgeable of the different internal and external requirements that your plan must adhere to. These have been previously discussed in the prior section and will be revisited in a later subsection.

Resource Requirements

• As with any plan, your plan for incorporating inclusive practices in work tasks would require various resources. Working alongside the relevant personnel, you must identify the resources you would need to implement your plan.

Designing the Plan

Once you have thoroughly done your research, you can move to the heart of your plan. The second step in developing your plan is perhaps the most important. This is where you will work closely with the relevant personnel to outline and detail the different parts of your plan. The output of this step is a document that proposes a means to incorporate inclusive practices in your work tasks.

Key parts of your plan include:

Executive Summary

This would summarise your entire plan into a digestible body of text that highlights key points and engages your target audience. Your executive summary should be complete and concisely written. Moreover, it should capture the attention and interest of your reader.

Background and Rationale

• This section would provide a background on your plan, giving insight into the reasoning behind it. The aim of this is to highlight the significance of your plan and gain buy-in.

Goals and Objectives

• As with any plan, the plan you are developing would have an end goal. In line with your rationale, this part would outline the different goals and objectives your plan aims to achieve.

Budget and Resources

• This would detail the different requirements you would need to execute your plan – specifically in terms of financial, physical, and human resources that are needed to ensure effective implementation.

Action Plan

• Perhaps the most important section in your plan, this would outline and describe the different steps you will take to incorporate inclusive work practices in your work tasks. This section would include timelines, tasks, assignments, measures, etc.

Appendices

• An additional section, appendices would include any lengthy documents you would like to present in support of your plan.

Implementing the Plan

Once you have come up with a plan, you may need to have this approved. Given your role, you must remember that you must provide the necessary assistance to the relevant personnel as you seek approval. After this has been accomplished, you can then implement the plan.

Remember to monitor this implementation to make sure that everything goes according to plan.

Evaluating the Plan

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• The last step in the development of your plan is its evaluation. As with anything, you must keep in mind that your plan is a work in progress. Be open to its continuous improvement and development. Provide assistance to the relevant personnel so that you may sufficiently evaluate how well your plan has been able to achieve what it has set out to do.

1.3.2 Inclusive Practices

The inclusive practices you are to assist in incorporating in your work tasks include:

Adapt organisational structure

Any efforts to be inclusive and diverse must be holistic. Too often, practices that promote diversity and inclusivity tend to do so on a surface level. In order for your practices to be fully integrated into the organisation, you must ensure that the very structure upon which it is founded allows genuine diversity and inclusion to take place.

This means representing minorities in all levels as well as appointing a Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) who will take charge of promoting and ensuring inclusion in all organisational efforts.

Align communications

Communication is the medium through which employees throughout the organisation communicate. Therefore, it is vital that your communication promotes inclusion and diversity. This means making use of language that is fair and unbiased, avoiding as well as prohibiting derogatory and problematic language (i.e. sexist terms, racist slurs, etc.).

You must provide clear guidance in the form policies and procedures as well as relevant initiatives that would make employees aware of the acceptable ways to communicate within the workplace.

Ensure representation

In line with adapting the organisational structure to make sure genuine diversity and inclusion take place, a good practice to adopt is ensuring representation in the workplace. This practice is a key example of genuine diversity and inclusivity. It empowers employees to be involved and keeps you from tokenising minorities and involving them to merely comply with minimum requirements.

Along with providing minorities to be afforded high organisational positions, this comes in the form of having representatives that would voice out the concerns and interests of minorities in consultations, meetings, etc. as well as directly involving employees in key processes (decision-making, change management, etc.).

Lead by example

As the Alessandro Berselli said, ‘Great leaders don’t tell you what to do; they show you how it’s done.’ The best way to have employees learn to integrate inclusive practices in their daily tasks is to ensure that organisational leaders themselves promote inclusivity in their practices.

It is not enough that you have all these initiatives, projects, policies, and procedures. You must make sure that managers and supervisors make good use of these and exemplify best practices through their own work.

Offer training and support

An indispensable way to fully integrate inclusivity and diversity in the workplace is to ensure that everyone is fully equipped with the skills and knowledge that will enable them to practice these in their daily tasks. It is easy to assume that people already know what needs to be done and simply fail to comply because they do not want to or have forgotten to.

You must remember that this kind of information may not be common knowledge. Be proactive and offer support to employees – this may come in the form of training, seminars, coaching and mentoring sessions, etc. Remember that it may take time to learn how to fully integrate inclusivity and diversity in the workplace, and an effective way to ensure that you’re on the right track is to equip employees with the right tools that will enable them to do so.

Provide incentives

A reliable way to reinforce behaviour is by providing incentives. To make sure that you integrate diversity and inclusivity practices into your operations, give incentives to employees who would continuously display behaviour that promotes inclusivity and diversity in the workplace.

Incentives can come in the form of monetary and non-monetary compensation, simple tokens, and rewards, etc. Providing such on a regular basis would further reinforce acceptable practices and encourage employees to continuously promote inclusivity and diversity in their work efforts.

1.3.3 Ensuring Alignment with Relevant Requirements

A key consideration in your planning process would be the relevant requirements with which you must align your efforts to integrate inclusivity in work tasks. These would include the different internal and external requirements discussed in the previous section.

In this regard, guaranteeing alignment with the relevant requirements would mean having sufficient knowledge of the existing codes, policies, and procedures in your organisation. However, it does not end there. You must put your knowledge to good use and keep your efforts to incorporate inclusive practices in work tasks aligned with your existing requirements. It is important to have such requirements in place; however, it is even more important that you put them in action and carry out initiatives that will make others aware of them and act accordingly.

Likewise, you must have sufficient knowledge of the codes of practice, standards, and pieces of legislation and regulations which the organisation must comply with. These are in themselves the very reason your internal requirements exist. It is crucial that you do not violate any of the key points and principles outlined in these requirements. Moreover, you must be proactive and make sure that the different initiatives you produce are sufficiently aligned with these requirements.

Activity 2