A topic on every large employer's agenda as we get ready to publish this years results on the gender pay gap and as the debate grows on publishing race and disability pay gaps. Attendees heard from Professor Binna Kandola (Senior Partner and co-founder, Pearn Kandola) on the key issues that are causing the pay gap and the solutions that are helping employers to tackle it.

Joining us for the discussion were:

• Professor Christine Ennew OBE (Provost, University of Warwick).
• Sarah Perry (Managing Partner, Wright Hassall).
• Susanna Newing (Director of Human Resources, Coventry City Council).

Watch a recording of the event below:

COVID-19 has accelerated remote working in a way we could not have imagined. Remote working has been championed as a facilitator of equality for many but in practice it has also led to exclusion, inequality and increased stress. What have we learnt that will help us to create greater inclusion for the post COVID-19 era?

Joining us for the discussion were:

• Professor Binna Kandola (Senior Partner and co-founder, Pearn Kandola).
• Claire Harvey (Consultant and Head of Inclusion, The House of Commons).
• Neil Morrison (Director of Human Resources, Severn Trent).

Watch a recording of the event below:

Creating an environment which supports the wellbeing of all its employees is a key part of developing an inclusive culture. Workplace wellbeing is a huge challenge facing employers, particularly during current times. Despite the development of wellbeing strategies, many organisations are still unaware of the role they can play in supporting their employee’s mental and physical health in order to truly foster a positive working environment which allows the organisation to thrive.

In February 2021, colleagues were invited to join the Forum for Leaders of Inclusive Cultures for a session on Thrive at Work. This presented an exciting opportunity to consider the work of the wider Midlands to lead in encouraging employers to better support their employees and take control of workplace wellbeing.

Joining us for the discussion were:

• Sean Russell (Head of Thrive, West Midlands Combined Authority).
• Fleur Sexton (CEO & Co-Founder, PET-Xi Training).
• Susanna Newing (Director of Human Resources, Coventry City Council).

Watch a recording of the event below:

Despite years of activism, public policy, scholarship, and interventions, gender inequalities have been resistance to change. Particularly in the current context; reports published from the start of the COVID-19 pandemic show a clear and steady increase in the gaps between men and women with regards to unemployment, work hours, domestic labour, and care demands. Women are still the carriers of the bulk of caring work, are societally expected to prioritise domestic labour and to tolerate behaviours that arise out of systemic sexism. This also applies to the – still in a minority – senior female leaders.

In this talk Professor Jo Angouri (Academic Director Education and Internationalisation, Univesity of Warwick) discussed how and why language plays an important role in gender discrimination. She argued that, particularly in the workplace, exclusion is perpetuated in and through language and hegemonic ideologies that sustain the patriarchal gender order and which morph into structural barriers. The current disruption provides a need and opportunity for change which employers, policy makers, and academics should not let pass.

Joining us for the discussion were:

• Professor Binna Kandola (Senior Partner and co-founder, Pearn Kandola).

• Jacky Isaac, Group Human Resources Director, Ricoh Arena and Operations Director Wasps Holdings).

Watch a recording of the event below:

The pandemic has highlighted and exacerbated inequality in many different ways from socio-economic and health to race inequality. We have seen a massive transformation in the way that people work, to the benefit of many but at the same time highlighting very different working conditions for people working on front line services. How do leaders navigate the issues involved in the workplace and in wider communities to put inclusion at the centre of local economic recovery strategies?

Joining us for the discussion were:

• Professor Binna Kandola (Senior Partner and co-founder, Pearn Kandola).
• Peter Dickinson (Senior Research Fellow, Warwick Institute for Employment Research).
• Martin Reeves (Chief Executive, Coventry City Council).

Watch a recording of the event below:

Diversity is one of the biggest challenges facing the tech industry today. Based on the latest figures available, women made up only 19% of the UK IT industry, Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) people 15.2%, and disabled people 9%. Now more than ever we must drive solutions to diversity and inclusion in technology.

Joining us for the discussion were:

• Professor Binna Kandola (Senior Partner and co-founder, Pearn Kandola).
• Sarah Windrum (Chair, CWLEPLink opens in a new window).
• Clare Green (Creative & Digital Communities Manager, Innovation Group, University of Warwick).
• Harinder Sangha (Operations Director, Sumo DigitalLink opens in a new window).

Watch a recording of the event below:

Disability inclusive employment would not only improve disabled people’s job opportunities and increase job satisfaction but it would also benefit the economy and support post-pandemic recovery by providing employers with the widest possible talent pool and addressing skills shortage.

Joining us for the discussion were:

• Professor Binna Kandola (Senior Partner and co-founder, Pearn Kandola).
• Jonathan Taylor (Managing Psychologist, Pearn Kandola).
• Rachael Mole (Founder and Managing Director, SIC SIC).
• Jenny Wheeler (Accessibility Officer, University of Warwick).

Watch a recording of the event below:

Research shows that, even when people from working class backgrounds are successful in entering Britain's elite occupations they go on to earn, on average, 16% less than colleagues from more privileged backgrounds. This earning gap remains even when educational credentials, hours worked, and level of training and experience are factored for.

What is driving this inequality, and how can employers break the class ceiling? At this event our panel discussed their work and how organisations can build truly diverse and inclusive cultures which promote social mobility.

Joining us for the discussion were:

• Professor Binna Kandola (Senior Partner and co-founder, Pearn Kandola).
• Dr Daniel Laurison (Associate Professor of Sociology at Swarthmore College, and co-author of 'The Class Ceiling: Why it Pays to Be Privileged' - "one of the most insightful works on the dynamics of inequality since The Spirit Level a decade ago" Herald Scotland). Dr Laurison's work on class cielings and inequalities looks at the ways class origin matters for our lives and careers, how that works differently across racial groups, and what that tells us about fairness and meritocracy.
• Lucie A Milosavljevich (Social Mobility Manager and Research Manager, Grant Thornton).
• Anne Wilson (Head of Careers, University of Warwick)

Watch a recording of the event below:

Discrimination and exclusion have a very real, multifaceted, and significant impact on employee’s health, wellbeing, and ability to perform at work. Research shows that these behaviours have impacts both physiologically (e.g., increased blood pressure, cortisol, and heart rate) and psychologically (e.g., speak up less, less decisive, less likely to share their needs and request help, reduced ability to set, persist with, and achieve goals).

How can employers combat discrimination and exclusion in their workplace, and promote positive cultures that support employee wellbeing and productivity? At this event our panel discussed these topics, their experiences, and the work of their organisations to build truly diverse and inclusive cultures.

Joining us for the discussion were:

• Professor Binna Kandola (Senior Partner and co-founder, Pearn Kandola and author of four new and critically acclaimed books – ‘The Invention of Difference: The story of gender bias at work’, ‘The Value of Difference: Eliminating bias in organisations’, ‘Racism at Work: The Danger of Indifference’, and 'Free to Soar: Race and Wellbeing in Organisations').
• Hannah Lloyd, Knights.
• Martin Prendergast, Martin Prendergast Communications.

Watch a recording of the event below:

Contrary to the misconception that emotions hinder success, they are, in fact, pivotal to achieving workplace goals. Emotions play a significant role in driving performance and outcomes, impacting on creativity and innovation, core task performance, proactivity, helping behaviour, and team leadership dynamics. In an era marked by remote work and the potential isolation that can bring, the significance of emotions has become even more pronounced.

At this event our panel discussed how interpersonal emotional regulation and empathy can help us to forge robust interpersonal bonds, uplift morale, and improve performance.

Joining us for the discussion were:

• Professor Karen Niven (Professor of Organisational Psychology and Head of Work Psychology Subject Group at Sheffield University Management School).
• Dr Sarah Perry (Non Executive Director of Lowell UK and Overdales, leadership coach, and former Managing Partner of large regional law firm).
• Professor Swaran Singh (Professor of Social and Community Psychiatry at Warwick Medical School).

The session was chaired by Kulbir Shergill (Director of Social Inclusion at Warwick) and Professor Binna Kandola (Senior Partner and co-founder at Pearn Kandola).

Watch a recording of the event below:

Catch up on a thought-provoking event on the often-overlooked aspect of religious diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

Pearn Kandola's 'Religion at WorkLink opens in a new window' research project aims to raise awareness about the experiences of people who have a faith in the workplace, the obstacles they face regarding religious expression, and what organisations can do to create more inclusive environments. Professor Binna Kandola OBE, Senior Partner and co-founder of Pearn Kandola and an expert in unconscious bias in organisations, shares insights gained from this research and his extensive work over the past three decades.

Accompanying him, to contribute their perspectives on inclusive practices were:

• Reverend Mark Rowland, Warwick's Free Church Chaplain and currently completing a PhD exploring 'a queer theology of holiness'.
• Emma Cann, Head of Social Inclusion at Warwick

Unfortunately, Professor Eleanor Nesbitt – Professor Emeritus (Religions and Education) at the University of Warwick – was unable to join us at this event.

Watch a recording of the event below:

Please note, due to technical issues, we had to use our backup recording for the audio on this video. This is not as good quality as we would usually share. We apologise for any inconvenience this causes.