The disproportionate impact of the pandemic on Black and minority ethnic health workers has highlighted how vital inclusion is for worker safety and wellbeing. Inclusion is essential for a healthy speak up, listen up and follow up culture.
But there has been little research into the impact a person’s protected or other characteristics have on speaking up. The National Guardian's Office commissioned brap and Roger Kline to look at people’s experiences of accessing their Freedom to Speak Up Guardian and whether ethnicity has an impact.
Published today, the research found that Black and minority ethnic respondents were six times more likely than White respondents to say that they were more likely to raise a concern with a Guardian of the same ethnicity as themselves.
Compared to their White colleagues, discrimination was far more likely to feature in issues experienced by Black and minority ethnic workers involved in the research. There was an assumption that a Black or minority ethnic Guardian would understand and take seriously issues around bias and discrimination, which was reflected in their preference to speak up to a Freedom to Speak Up Guardian of the same ethnicity.
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