With the election just around the corner, many of us will be wondering what this means for issues relating to diversity and inclusion. How are each party planning to tackle social injustices? And beyond our vote, what can we do to influence change in this area?

Knowledge is power, so taking the time to educate ourselves on important issues is a key step in driving change. We’re running a Disability Pride Masterclass on 22nd July to provide a strong foundational understanding of the disabled rights movement and tips for implementing effective disability inclusion in your workplace and beyond. Book your place to join us.

Stef, Marketing & Community Lead

QUICK FIRE NEWS 🧨

🇹🇭 Thailand legalises same-sex marriage

✋ Sexual harassment of secondary school staff "rife"

⚽️ Denmark football team refuse pay rise for equal pay

🎭 Only 3rd black British woman to have a West End production

🏴 Wales could criminalise politicians who lie

LET'S GET INTO IT 🤓

What's happened? A US bank has let go more than a dozen workers for "simulating keyboard activity." This refers to regularly moving your computer mouse on a laptop which has its activity monitored - the movement gives the impression the worker is present and active when in fact the user is not engaged in work. The act became well-known during the great work-from-home experiment of the pandemic.

Were they right to be let go? The act of faking being incessantly active on your laptop is an absurd notion. Surveillance of employees became commonplace during the pandemic, but it can really damage a workplace culture by eroding trust and respect between employer and employee. While we don't have all the information available to us, if we assume the work was being completed to a satisfactory standard, is continual keyboard activity really necessary?

What the party manifestos have to say about workers' rights 🗳️

We've sifted through the manifestos so you don't have to! From scrapping D&I policies, to introducing four day working weeks, here's what the main political parties have to say...

Labour say...

• Day-one employment rights (including sick pay, parental leave)
• Ban on “exploitative” zero-hours contracts
• Strengthen rights for self-employed
• Remove age bands for minimum wage
• Make it easier for unions to be recognised
• Mandatory disability & ethnicity pay gap reporting
• Support to find work for all 18-to-21-year-olds
• Tackle the backlog of Access to Work claims

Conservatives say...

• Cut employee national insurance
• Reform of disability benefits to address ‘sick note culture’
• Extend free childcare for working parents to two-year-olds
• Mandatory national service for 18-year-olds
• Fund 100,000 new “high-quality” apprenticeships
• Introduce controls on DEI initiatives

Liberal Democrats say...

• Day-one employment rights (including sick pay, parental leave)
• Increase minimum wage for zero-hours workers
• Scrap lower apprentice rates and ensure national minimum wage
• Independent review to recommend a genuine living wage
• Strengthen maternity, paternity, and shared parental leave
• Make flexible working the default
• Provide the right to work from home

Green say...

• Day-one employment rights (including sick pay, parental leave)
• Increase minimum wage to £15/hour
• Equal rights for gig-economy workers and people on zero-hours contracts
• Pay gap protections to extend to ethnicity, disability and sexual orientation
• Four day working week
• Repeal “anti-union legislation” and “restore the right to strike”

More info coming soon on our Instagram

Women still face discrimination in football

In fact, it appears to be rising... A new study from Women in Football shows 89% of women in the football industry experience discrimination.

This is an increase from 82% in 2023 and 66% four years ago. Furthermore, of those who reported an incident at work, over 60% say no action was taken to address the discrimination. This feels at odds with wider society in which women in football feels more and more normalised, and celebrated in fact. A record 46.7 million people watched women's sport on television in 2023, and the Women's World Cup final was 2023's most-watched women's sport event on TV. The discrimination is clearly happening behind closed doors however, and with no action being taken to address it, it will continue to thrive. Something to keep in mind as we enjoy the men's Euros this summer.

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