Building a diverse and inclusive workforce post-COVID-19

摘要

The impact on family life from COVID-19 is one important area of this learning process; a recent article highlighted the effect on parents, with greater responsibilities such as childcare and home schooling falling on women and increasing the 'motherhood penalty'. Statistics from Public Health England show that people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds have seen a disproportionate impact from coronavirus, exacerbated by the added emotional impact of the killing of George Floyd and the ensuing Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests. People with disabilities have also seen a disproportionate effect, with figures from the ONS showing that disabled women of working age are 11-times more likely to die from COVID-19 than their peers. The United Nations (UN) Commissioner for Human Rights4 also recently highlighted that LGBT+ people are among those particularly vulnerable in this crisis and are calling on member states to take targeted steps to address this. Another notable impact is on graduates, apprentices and interns; a report from the Institute of Student Employers5 showed 27 per cent of firms cutting their graduate recruitment hires in the wake of COVID-19. Those in work are also struggling without established networks, or the wider safety net of proper advice and support, and feeling isolated.