Equality Impact Assessment - Health and Employment

• Home
• Your Council
• Equalities
• Equality Impact Assessments
• Equality Impact Assessments - Chief Executives Directorate
• Equality Impact Assessment - Health and Employment

Function being assessed:

Health and Employment

Is this a new function or a review of an existing function?

Existing

What are the aims/purpose of the function?

The aim of this policy is to set out RBK's commitment to the promotion of the good health of its employees. It is intended that the policy will ensure that decisions on health and employment are in line with good practice. Accordingly the policy sets out the role, responsibilities and expectations so that it can be consistently and fairly applied within the organisation. The overall policy is supported by procedures designed to realise its objectives.

These include:

• Sickness Absence Information Document
• Sickpay entitlement
• Capability procedure
• Guidance for managers of Disabled staff
• AIDS – Employment Issues
• Drugs and Alcohol Policy
• Personal Injury allowance scheme
• Policy on smoking at work
• Violence at work
• Stress guidance for managers
• Stress in the workplace
• Dignity at work

Is the function designed to meet specific needs such as the needs of minority ethnic groups, older people, disabled people etc?

It is designed to meet the needs of all RBK employees. It does not apply to service users. It is not specifically designed to meet the needs of particular groups.

There is a legal requirement to ensure that employees with a disability (recognized under the DDA) are given reasonable adjustments. The policy ensures that special consideration is taken in respect to staff falling within this category.

What information has been gathered on this function? (Indicate the type of information gathered e.g. statistics, consultation, other monitoring information)? Attach a summary or refer to where the evidence can be found.

Individuals who are referred to Occupational Health under the ill-health Procedure are recorded on a spreadsheet on an annual basis. Information on two of the equalities strands are also recorded - Gender and Race.

Two hour briefing sessions are held for staff across the organization. These include:

Stress Management – Oct 07

RBK Stress Guidelines – Nov 07

Disability Awareness – Feb 08

Violence at work – Jan 08

Dealing with Health and Safety – Apr 07

Sickness Absence – Jan 08

Forthcoming sessions include:

Sickness and Absenteeism – May 09

Understanding long term health conditions and disability – May 09

Recognizing and managing stress – May 09

In December 2007 RBK launch a re-freshed sickness absence document, providing a framework to support our health and employment policy.  Consultation took place with various staff groups – including the Disabled Staff Group, who offered extensive feedback before council-wide publication. A series of briefings to managers followed this in December 07 to March 2008.

In July 2007 RBK launched a revised work-related stress guideline document for managers. This was produced in consultation with Occupational Health and a series of briefings to managers followed the launch

Information on Health and Employment is available on the RBK intranet for staff and managers to view and managers are asked to distribute paper copies of the procedure for those staff who do not have regular access to the intranet.

Does your analysis of the information show different outcomes for different groups (higher or lower uptake/failure to access/receive a poorer or inferior service)? If yes, indicate which groups and which aspects of the policy or function contribute to inequality?

Information below relates to individuals who have been referred to individuals under the ill-health procedure.

Statistics for Gender 2008:

Male70 – 29.4%

Female168 – 70.6%

This is comparative to the current RBK workforce:

RBK Workforce

Male            30.5%

Female        69.5%

Statistics for Race 2008:

BME           8 – 3.4%

Non BME (including unknown)    230 – 96.6%

RBK Workforce

BME – 14.84%

Non BME (including unknown)- 85.16%

This shows a lower representation of BME staff involved in the ill health procedure than the BME representation in the RBK workforce

Are these differences justified (e.g. are there legislative or other constraints)? If they are, explain in what way.

There may be cultural issues that would make it difficult for an employee to be explicit about their medical condition to a manager of a different race.

What action needs to be taken as a result of this Equality Impact Assessment to address any detrimental impacts or meet previously unidentified need? Include here any reasonable adjustments for access by disabled people. Include dates by which action will be taken. Attach an action plan if necessary.

Further analysis on religion and belief, sexual orientation, disability and ethnic origin on a directorate and departmental basis to establish whether this is an explanatory factor in differing levels of representation in ill health cases compared to the overall RBK workforce.

When will you evaluate the impact of action taken? Give review dates.

Data will be recorded over the next year and this will be analysed and compared to previous years in March 2010

Assessment completed by:

Ose Enobakhare, HR Adviser

Human Resources

10 March 2009