Lord Davies said:

The onus was firmly placed on business to bring about this necessary change, and I am pleased to say that evidence clearly shows that they have, and are, stepping up and responding.

They are making real efforts to find and appoint capable women to their boards. We are now moving to a place where it is unacceptable for the voice of women to be absent from the boardroom.

This has never been a hard sell. Companies see that having more women at their top table makes good business sense, especially if we are operating in a global market. We’ve come a long way over the last two years but we must not get complacent and take the foot off the gas.

This has always been a business-led approach with the support of government. If we are to fend off the prospect of quotas and regulation then business cannot rest on their laurels and think the job is done.

Business Secretary Vince Cable said:

The argument for more women in our boardrooms is clear – they bring fresh perspectives and ideas, talent and broader experience which leads to better decision-making. This is not just about equality at the top of our companies. It is about good business sense.

Some progress has been made in the last three years. Today 94 of the FTSE 100 companies count women on their boards as do over two thirds of all FTSE 350 companies. However, the momentum appears to be slowing and there has been much less progress in executive appointments at the top.

Government continues to believe that a voluntary led approach is the best way forward. But today’s report also serves as a timely reminder to business that quotas are still a real possibility if we do not meet the 25% target of women on boards of FTSE 100 companies by 2015.

Minister for Women and Equalities Maria Miller said:

It is more important than ever that we make the most of the talents and skills that women have to offer if we’re going maximise Britain’s prospects for economic growth.

We are making good progress; two thirds of women are in work, the gender pay gap is closing and both Lord Davies’ and Cranfield’s reports indicate that we are heading in the right direction when it comes to women’s representation at senior levels.

But there is much more work to do. The priority now is to maintain that momentum, not only within listed companies but across the economy as a whole. Our equalities agenda isn’t solely about women in the boardroom. It’s also about unlocking the untapped potential of women at all levels in the workforce, getting more women into work, priming the talent pipeline and bringing sustained benefit to the British economy in the longer term.

As of 1 March 2013 the figures show within the FTSE 100:

• women now account for 17.3 per cent of all directorships, up from 10.5 per cent in 2010
• women have accounted for 34 per cent of all board appointments (45 out of 134 appointments)
• there are currently 94 boards with female representation
• there are now 192 women directors on FTSE 100 boards out of a total of 1,110.

In the FTSE 250 the figures show:

• women now account for 13.2 per cent of directorships, up from in 6.7 per cent in 2010
• women have accounted for 26 per cent of board appointments
• there are currently 183 boards with female representation
• for the second year running, all-male boards are in the minority at 26.8 per cent.

Between 2008 and 2010, the number of women directors had effectively plateaued, stalling at less than a single percentage point rise year-on-year. Since work began on this area ago the percentage of female board appointments has increased by nearly 50%.

Secretary of State Vince Cable wrote to the remaining all-male FTSE 100 boards in January asking them what steps they were taking to increase the diversity in their boardrooms. Today he has also written to the remaining all-male boards in the FTSE 250.

Cranfield School of Management’s Female FTSE Report, also published today, notes that progress with the Women on Boards agenda in the FTSE 100 has stalled over the last six months. It does, however note that the UK is on target to meet Lord Davies’ recommendation from his original report that the UK should have 25% women on FTSE 100 boards by 2015.

The guidance, outlines how employers should respond if an employee is affected by domestic abuse and is designed to enable employers to develop a domestic abuse workplace policy and provides tips for managers on how to manage and support an employee experiencing domestic abuse. These small steps can include giving an employee time off to consult a lawyer, diverting telephone calls or providing a safe car park space.

The guidance is necessary because domestic abuse is a subject that managers struggle to respond to appropriately. People experiencing domestic abuse can be subject to disciplinary action and even lose their jobs because their behaviour, being late for example, is misinterpreted. A domestic abuse workplace policy will mean that  skilled and experienced staff are able to retain their jobs and feel safe and supported in the workplace.

Statistics show that:

• Domestic abuse currently costs UK businesses over £1.9 billion a year
• In the UK, in any one year, more than 20% of employed women take time off work because of domestic violence, and 2% lose their jobs as a direct result of the abuse
• 75% of women that experience domestic abuse are targeted at work – from harassing phone calls and abusive partners arriving at the office unannounced, to physical assaults.

This guidance includes low cost, common sense practical tips through to steps on developing an effective domestic abuse workplace policy. Therefore, whether you are a large company or one of the many SMEs there are steps you can take to help managers facilitate conversations about domestic abuse and put in place support for employees.

Equal pay legislation came in in 1970 so already the wait has been 41 years.   What is wrong with a business and management culture that does not attract and celebrate the best there is in the talent out there.

The mindset still appears to be one where there is a considerable lack of enthusiasm to celebrate and promote equality and diversity and it is approached as a [tick box] exercise rather than something which brings benefits and enhancement to the business.

I hope my great-grandchildren don’t find themselves resurrecting this post!

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/3492

 Membership includes: the Association of British Insurers, the British Chambers of Commerce, Opportunity Now, CIPD, the Federation of Small Businesses, the Institute of Directors, EEF and the CBI.

 The principal tasks for the GEO Business Group will be to:

•  Help design policies which reduce bureaucracy and promote growth in a fair and prosperous economy 
• Ensure businesses receive timely and accurate information on key policy developments; and,
• Respond to the views and concerns of businesses.

For up to date information on the impact this will have in the private sector check into the GEO website:

http://homeoffice.gov.uk/equalities/

The new organisation, which will begin work in October, will run as a charity and cover all nine protected characteristics in last year’s Equality Act – which comprise race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marital status and pregnancy as well as age and belief.

The new body will aim to offer an “integrated service model” to employers and will be particularly geared towards assisting smaller organisations that do not have in-house equality and inclusion expertise.
ENEI will be headed by Denise Keating, currently CEO of the Employers Forum on Age.

adopt boardroom gender quotas

http://blog.differencemakers.com.au/2011/05/power-of-words.html