Peter Truesdale on the latest Employment & Diversity News

Employment and diversity, the heading for one of the News section, risks prosecution under the Trades Descriptions Act. The stories are not diverse but uniform. Virtually without exception they report on women faring badly in the work place.

For the United Kingdom at least this is a phenomenon that is increasingly difficult to explain. Girls are doing better and better at school. Three decades ago girls outperformed boys when they began school but at secondary school they were overtaken by the boys. Now women outperform men right through to graduation. This begs the question: “If women are doing so well in the schools system why are they continuing to do so badly in the workplace?” The city law firms have focused more on diversity issues than most. Take Ashurst for example: 52% of trainees and 47% of Associates are women. Yet only 27% of Counsel and 14% of partners are women. Achieving gender equality throughout the firm in the course of time is not guaranteed but neither should it be considered unobtainable.

The stories are uniform in a second way. They highlight that there is an issue but are short on both diagnosis and remedy. That is unsatisfactory. The impediments to women’s progress in the workplace are complex and deep in the culture of certain industries and sectors. It is good to have inequalities drawn to our attention; surely better still to have more highlighting of successful practice?

Peter Truesdale, Peter.truesdale@corporate-citizenship.com

Peter has wide experience in public and community affairs. Prior to joining The Corporate Citizenship Company he spent seven years managing Esso UK’s community programme. By background, Peter is a human resources professional with significant expertise in conducting competitive salary surveys. Peter has worked with a variety of clients from fast moving consumer goods companies such as Cadbury Schweppes to construction companies such as Laing O’Rourke. Peter has developed specialisms in reporting and external standards. He is active in his local community and is a member of Lambeth Council. He has a special interest in housing and in urban regeneration. Peter is a graduate of Oxford University in Modern History.