Race at Work Charter

The Race at Work Charter. Seven calls to action to ensure that ethnic minority employees are represented at all levels in an organisation.

1. Appoint an Executive Sponsor for race.
2. Capture ethnicity data and publicise progress.
3. Commit at board level to zero tolerance of harassment and bullying.
4. Make clear that supporting equality in the workplace is the responsibility of all leaders and managers.
5. Take action that supports ethnic minority career progression.
6. Support race inclusion allies in the workplace.
7. Include Black, Asian, Mixed Race and other ethnically diverse-led enterprise owners in supply chains.

Find out more about the Race at Work Charter.

Background

The Race At Work Charter asks businesses to make a public commitment to improving equality of opportunity in the workplace.  In 2017 The government-sponsored Race in the workplace: The McGregor-Smith Review found that Black, Asian, Mixed Race and other ethnically diverse people staff still encounter significant disparities in employment and progression and that greater progress and positive outcomes are needed to ensure all organisations benefit from the wealth of diverse talent on offer. BITC’s Race at Work 2018: The Scorecard Report was published one year after the McGregor-Smith Review to look at how UK employers performed against the recommendations outlined in the review.

The findings led Business in the Community (BITC) to create the Race at Work Charter, with five calls to action to improve race equality, inclusion and diversity in the workplace.  In 2021 the Charter was expanded to include allyship and inclusive supply chain commitments, meaning signatory organisations are now asked to make seven commitments