Businesses 'should embrace diversity training'

Businesses are being encouraged to consider diversity training to eliminate discrimination in their workplace and create a better environment for employees.

Learning and development specialist Righttrack Consultancy said ignorance is often the cause of discrimination at work.

Constant changes to rules and regulations on equality are also prompting confusion among managers and their staff, it added.

John Freshnet, operations manager at Righttrack, said people are often reluctant to tackle discrimination for fear of making the situation worse.

"They adopt a 'head in the sand' approach, which does nothing but allow the problem to grow," he remarked.

This can be extremely costly, both financially and in terms of a company's reputation as an employer.

Diversity training can not only bring employees together and help them understand important issues and concepts, but it can also help businesses avoid falling foul of the law and ending in the tribunal courts, Mr Freshnet added.

The advice comes after the Equality Bill received Royal Assent in earlier this month, simplifying 116 separate pieces of legislation for individuals, public authorities and private organisations.