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Black, Bangladeshi and Pakistani women furthest behind on pay and labour force participation, poll finds

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Summary

A report from McKinsey has found that Black, Bangladeshi and Pakistani (BBP) women face a significantly higher disadvantage in key workplace equality measures such as pay and labour force participation than any other ethnic group. Experts have said that businesses should promote inclusive and diverse workplaces where everyone has equal opportunity for progression regardless of background. The report also found that BBP women are underrepresented in leadership positions, have a higher rate of leaving their employer if there is no opportunity for career advancement, and face significant systemic barriers to career progression. To address this, organisations should analyse data from an intersectional lens, co-create a meaningful definition of success for BBP women, develop accountable and invested business leaders, prioritise initiatives, enforce rigorous tracking and course correction, and celebrate success.

Q&As

What are the key workplace equality measures that BBP women are furthest behind on?
The key workplace equality measures that BBP women are furthest behind on are pay and labour force participation.

What is the pay discrepancy between white, British men and BBP women?
The pay discrepancy between white, British men and BBP women is 21 per cent, 27 per cent and 23 per cent respectively.

What are the recommendations for businesses to ensure equal access to opportunities for everyone?
The recommendations for businesses to ensure equal access to opportunities for everyone are to commit to racial equality in the workplace, to look at pay gap issues from both a gender and race perspective, to consider the lived experiences of women with different ethnic minority backgrounds, and to understand each individual’s career context, any potential barriers to career advancement and the environment in which they worked.

What is the "frozen middle effect" and how can HR teams support BBP women?
The "frozen middle effect" is where BBP women face barriers in their career progression as they get higher up the ladder. HR teams can support BBP women by ensuring clarity and transparency around the promotion processes, providing constructive feedback through regular review cycles, and outlining steps to successfully progress within their organisation.

What are the five practical steps for UK businesses to achieve progress on racial equality in the workplace?
The five practical steps for UK businesses to achieve progress on racial equality in the workplace are to analyse data from an intersectional lens, co-create a meaningful definition of success for BBP women, develop accountable and invested business leaders, prioritise initiatives that meet the challenges BBP women face, and enforce rigorous tracking and course correction.

AI Comments

👍 This research is an important reminder of the significant intersectional challenges facing Black, Bangladeshi and Pakistani women in the workplace and provides key steps that businesses should take to foster greater racial equality.

👎 Despite the efforts of many businesses to close the gender and ethnicity pay gaps, this research shows that Black, Bangladeshi and Pakistani women still have the highest disadvantage in pay and labour force participation compared to other ethnicities and genders.

AI Discussion

Me: It talks about how Black, Bangladeshi and Pakistani women are facing a higher disadvantage in key workplace equality measures, such as pay and labour force participation, than any other ethnicities and gender combinations. It also mentions the need for businesses to promote inclusive and diverse workplaces where everyone has equal opportunity for progression regardless of background.

Friend: That's really concerning. It's clear that there is still a lot of work to be done when it comes to achieving workplace equality.

Me: Definitely. The article mentions five practical steps that UK businesses should take to achieve progress on racial equality in the workplace and enhance the experiences that BBP women have. It's important that companies take these steps to create a more diverse and equitable workplace.

Action items

Research and understand the data from an intersectional lens to identify the baseline and pain points for BBP women in the workplace.
Develop and implement initiatives that address the challenges BBP women face in the workplace.
Create an environment of accountability and investment in BBP women by business leaders and HR teams, and track and celebrate successes.

Technical terms

Intersectional: Refers to the interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, and gender, which create overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage.
Pay Gap: The difference in pay between different groups of people, often based on gender, race, or other factors.
Labour Force Participation: The percentage of people in the working-age population who are employed or actively looking for work.
FTSE 100: A stock market index of the 100 most highly capitalized companies listed on the London Stock Exchange.
Ethnic Minority Representation: The proportion of people from ethnic minority backgrounds in a given population or organization.
Moonlighting: Working a second job, usually in addition to a full-time job.
AI Training: Training in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.