This week I’ve started reading Cal Newport's new book, "Slow Productivity." It explores how we currently think about productivity and points out how this can often lead to never-ending to-do lists and burnout. Newport's idea of achieving more by slowing down and focusing deeply made me think about how this can be effective when applied to our D&I efforts.  

So, what if we slowed down and took the time to really understand different perspectives more deeply, and thoughtfully brought diverse voices into our everyday practices? By focusing on fewer tasks and aiming for higher quality work, we can create more impactful D&I initiatives. It’s not about cutting down the number of initiatives just for the sake of it, but about avoiding ineffective or tokenistic efforts in favour of those that really make a difference. This isn’t about doing less, but about being more thoughtful and intentional with what we do.

- Oli, Director of Marketing & Creative

QUICK FIRE NEWS 🧨

🇸🇪 Sweden allows parental leave for grandparents

📌 Government announces child poverty taskforce

🤯 DEI blamed for Trump shooting

❌ California bans forced outing of LGBTQ+ students

👑 Conversion therapy ban included in King's speech

LET'S GET INTO IT 🤓

What does a Labour government mean for diversity and inclusion?

The good bits

Some of the new appointments have been getting our attention:

👏 First female Chancellor

👏 First Housing Minister to have lived in social housing

👏 First Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary of colour

👏 Most female cabinet members in history

👏 Most state educated cabinet in history

But this is not the full picture... Our new Health Secretary Wes Streeting has expressed plans for a permanent ban on puberty blockers for trans youth, extending the emergency ban that the Conservatives pushed through. Streeting defends the move by pointing to a lack of evidence for the drugs, and insists he wants to improve trans healthcare.

But this move has faced a lot of criticism, including within the Labour party, and trans kids lives are on the line here. Former Chief Exec of Mermaids has said the new Health Secretary could have “blood on his hands” in this decision that does not appear to be evidence-based.

Labour have made promises to LGBTQIA+ people in their manifesto, including a trans-inclusive ban of conversion therapy finally, but will they stick to their words? This could be a worrying indication of what might be to come.

Domestic abuse declared national emergency

⚠️ 1 in 4 women in England and Wales will experience domestic abuse in their lifetime.

⚠️ A woman is killed by an abusive partner or ex-partner every five days.

⚠️ Police receive a domestic abuse-related call every 30 seconds...yet less than 24% of domestic abuse crime is reported to the police.

What are we doing about it? Newly appointed Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips says this will be a "page turning moment" for violence against women and girls. Labour have set the target of halving violence against women and girls within a decade. Phillips promises police reform to restore trust - including bans for officers with a history of violence against women - and new stalking protections, including the right to know the identity of online stalkers.

Recent horrifying headlines have brought this issue front of mind, including the troubling ways the media continue to report on it. It is more than time for domestic abuse to be tackled seriously, without distractions from transphobic culture wars.

What the new employment law could mean for you 🫵

The King's speech on Wednesday confirmed a new employment rights bill.

Details haven't been confirmed yet, but the bill is likely to include:

👉 Making flexible working a default right from day one

👉 A ban on exploitative zero-hours contracts

👉 Improvements to statutory sick pay and the minimum wage

👉 Repeal of the Strikes Act, which allows some employers to make employees work during a strike.

Plus, another bill to enshrine the right to equal pay for people of colour and people with disabilities. This will hopefully include mandatory ethnicity pay gap reporting.

What's our verdict? It's a positive sign that these points were included in the King's speech, indicating they're high on the agenda. We're particularly happy to see the extension of equal pay protections which our previous government rejected. Along with the commitment to flexible working, so far so good. We're looking forward to seeing these intentions put into action!

THINGS WE'RE LOVING... 🥰

🎸 This hijab-wearing metal band rocking Glastonbury

🏢 Disused offices converted to social housing

🍻 A brewer helping ex-convicts upskill