Equip Publishing Equalities Charter Booklet

1. e uip
equality in publishing
Publishing Equalities Charter
If you would like more information,
or to schedule a meeting please contact:
Bobby Nayyar
Research Fellow
bobby.nayyar.1@city.ac.uk
020 7040 3335
07891169286
Equip
City University London
Northampton Square
London
EC1V 0HB
www.equalityinpublishing.org.uk
www.city.ac.uk

2. Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................... 3
Notes for CEOs and HR Managers........................................................ 4
Publishing Equalities Charter.................................................................... 5
Membership Obligations............................................................................... 6
Benefits of Membership.................................................................................. 7
Promotion of Your Work.................................................................................. 8
How to Join the Charter. ................................................................................. 9
Questions & Answers....................................................................................... 11
Suggested Actions.............................................................................................. 15
History of Equip...................................................................................................... 19
Contact Us.....................................................................................................................20
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3. Introduction
Equip would like to thank the following organisations The Publishing Equalities Charter programme was launched at the London
who collaborated to draft the Publishing Equalities Charter: Book Fair in 2010. It draws its inspiration from the Equality Act 2010, more details
of which can be found on page six of this booklet. Over the course of one year,
Equip has been collaborating with a number of trade associations to create
a framework that publishers, booksellers and agents can join, regardless
of size or output, to achieve the following aim:
To help promote equality across UK publishing, bookselling and
agenting, by driving forward change and increasing access to
opportunities within the industry.
We recognise that many publishers already have diversity and equality
practices in place. The Charter is a means to acknowledge and celebrate this
across the industry. It is also an opportunity to bring new ideas to the table and
start a new dialogue between companies.
In this booklet you will find detailed information about why the Publishing
Equalities Charter is beneficial to your business, how to join the project, how
it will be progressed and some suggestions for projects you could action in
your company.
Best wishes,
Bobby Nayyar
Research Fellow
City University London
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4. Equality Act 2010 Equalities Charter
The Publishing Equalities Charter has its roots in the Equality Act 2010, in We pledge to support equality in publishing by adopting this four-point charter.
particular the nine protected characteristics, as listed on the opposing page.
1. Equal Opportunity
The aim of the Charter is not to replicate any of the statutes of the Act, but rather We recognise equality with regard to:
interpret them and create a positive framework, which will encompass a wide Age
range of organisations in publishing and bookselling. Disability
Over the past few months Equip has been discussing this project directly with Gender reassignment
publishers to learn about the actions they are taking within their communities Marriage and civil partnership
Pregnancy and maternity
and as part of their CSR commitments, but also to get feedback on the Charter
Race
so it is constructed in a way that accentuates the benefits of membership
Religion or belief
without adding unnecessarily to the workload of HR managers or directors.
Sex
Many of the actions suggested on pages 15-17 are already being undertaken Sexual orientation
by many of the publishers we have spoken to. Now is the time to gather (The above are the protected characteristics as specified in the Equality Act 2010 Part 2, Chapter 1)
that information and share it collectively as an industry that is committed 2. People
to development and finding new markets in this challenging economic Attract: We will engage and attract new talent by adopting inclusive
environment. recruitment policies, practices and traineeships, and where appropriate,
engage in outreach work to increase the profile of publishing to traditionally
underrepresented groups.
Develop: We will develop and encourage existing talent through adopting
robust staff development programmes, mentoring schemes, networking
opportunities and other similar activities.
3. Action
agree to carry out at least two actions a year to demonstrate our
We
commitment to equality, and review these on a yearly basis.
4. Improvement
We will continually strive to improve performance regarding equality.
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5. Membership Obligations Benefits of Membership
Members of the Publishing Equalities Charter project are required to: You will become part of a network of publishers and booksellers, with
opportunities to meet and make new contacts
Commit to undertaking two actions related to equality per calendar year,
hence from 2012 onwards. See pp.15-17 for suggested actions. It will improve your reputation as an equal opportunities employer
Review these two actions on a yearly basis. This is to ensure that if you
Working in collaboration with Equip you will have access to funded initiatives
are not happy with the outcomes of your action(s) then you have the to explore diversity in cross-industry projects
opportunity to consult with other members, and change your action(s) for
The suggested actions on pages 15-17 will help you choose goals and
the following year. Equip is keen to promote your good work, and illustrate
activities that fit perfectly with your business. They will help empower
examples of best practice with other members.
your workforce, gain greater visibility in your local community, and most
Attend an annual conference with your fellow members to discuss the
importantly, sell more books
outcomes of your actions, plans for the following year, and best practice.
The Charter is an excellent way to develop best practice across the nine
Commit to being a member for a minimum of one calendar year.
protected characteristics detailed in the Equality Act 2010
Consider participation in Equip’s funded research projects and initiatives.
You will be supplied the Publishing Equalities Charter tick mark to use on your
digital and print material
Please note that membership to the Publishing Equalities Charter is FREE. Equip
is currently funded by Arts Council England, which allows the organisation
to manage the Publishing Equalities Charter project at no cost to members.
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Publishing Equalities Charter Logo
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6. Promotion of Your Work How to Join the Charter
All members of the Publishing Equalities Charter will be promoted on a Once you have agreed your two actions, you can sign up to the Publishing
dedicated section of the Equip website (www.equalityinpublishing.org.uk). Equalities Charter in five easy steps:
This will feature a short profile of the organisation, weblink, logo and the two
1. isit www.equalityinpublishing.org.uk and click on the ‘Become a
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chosen actions for that year, as decided upon signature to the Charter.
signatory’ button on the homepage
Our goal is to promote this work in the trade and national press, and collaborate
2. Enter your name, email address and company
each year on specific funded projects. There will also be opportunities to
promote actions and outcomes to the 1,500+ Equip members. 3. Upload your company logo (ideally as a 300dpi jpeg, or eps)
We would also recommend submitting for, or joining, the following: 4. Input your two actions to be championed in 2011/12
The Times Top 50 Employers for Women 5. Click the ‘ADD ME AS A SIGNATORY’ button
Stonewall Workplace Equality Index We will create a page for your company which will include your logo and your
two actions. This section of the website will be open for all Equip members
Race for Opportunity
to see.
Opportunity Now
Alternatively please email bobby.nayyar.1@city.ac.uk
Employers Forum on Age or call 020 7040 3335.
Employers Forum on Belief
Employers Forum on Disability
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7. Message of Support Questions Answers
‘Booktrust is proud to support Equip in its aim to create a framework that I represent a company of less than 10 people and I don’t think I can
promotes and strengthens the equality and diversity work of publishers, commit to two actions a year, what should I do?
booksellers and agents. I am delighted that we have now reached the stage We would like to see all signatories committing to two actions a year
where we can seek more signatories to the Publishing Equalities Charter and irrespective of company size. See ‘Suggested Actions’ section as a guide
establish a platform for further collaboration and development.’ to the range of actions you could champion. This is not a prescriptive list
Viv Bird but rather suggestions as to the range of actions you could champion to
demonstrate equality. The aim of the Charter is to enable organisations to
CEO, Booktrust
set and promote their agenda on equality priorities and to ensure that it is
reviewed on a yearly basis. This initiative is not intended to create more work
for organisations, but rather to enable them to take positive and practical
steps and create new dialogues within the industry.
We are a publishing house that has actively promoted equality and
diversity. Will the Charter change how we do things here?
The aim of the Charter is to bind organisations together, providing a
framework for them to work collectively to effect real change in the industry.
We would like a range of organisations to be involved in the Charter so that
signatories will benefit from a peer-to-peer support network that shares good
practice, lessons learned, advice and expertise. We understand that you are
already exploring diversity, this will be a great way to promote the work you
are doing, and develop new ideas for the future.
Which industries does the Charter apply to? And do I qualify?
W
e want to engage with as many publishers, booksellers, charitable
organisations and agencies that are involved in the process of selling,
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8. Q Questions Answers Questions Answers
Positive discrimination and affirmative action involve preferential treatment
to benefit members of a disadvantaged or underrepresented group
which does not meet the conditions, the limitations or the proportionality
requirement for positive action under the Act [Equality Act 2010]’ (Source:
Draft Employment Statutory Code of Practice, Equality and Human Rights
Commission: January 2010).
If I don’t participate in the optional yearly reporting can I still be
a signatory to the Charter?
You can still be a signatory to the Charter but we encourage signatories to
participate in yearly monitoring of their two actions as it will improve industry
performance regarding equality. The information will not be used to single
out individual organisations that are under/over performing, but will be used
to assess yearly progress for the whole industry.
buying and producing books as well as promoting books, reading and
writing across the UK. If you are unsure whether you qualify contact
bobby.nayyar.1@city.ac.uk for clarification on this matter.
How do I make sure my organisational attempts of providing equal
opportunities doesn’t look like I am discriminating against any specific
group or individual?
The aim of the Charter is to provide organisations with the framework
to promote equal opportunities. There is a distinct difference between
positive discrimination and positive action. ‘Positive action is not the same
as positive discrimination or affirmative action, which are both unlawful.
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9. Message of Support Suggested Actions
‘We are proud to support Equality in Publishing and their strategic work with HR Ideas
publishers. The organisation fills a critical gap within the industry in its focus Create an equality policy that is embedded throughout the organisation
on developing access to the widest range of people.’ in policy, strategy and working practice
Richard Mollet
Monitor the impact of policies through conducting equality impact
Chief Executive of the Publishers Association assessments
Make all policies transparent by updating them and making them available
to all staff (e.g. via the intranet)
Make all job applicants complete an equality monitoring form
Ensure that every new job opportunity is advertised externally
Make your sites accessible to all your clients and customers by conducting
regular accessibility assessments
Include an equality statement within job advertisements
Work towards achieving ‘Two ticks positive about disabled people’
accreditation which guarantees an interview to a candidate with a disability
(as defined by the Disability Discrimination Act 2005) and who match the
requirements of the person specification
Take on flexible working/condensed working hours to support those with
caring responsibilities
Wherever possible try to recruit a representative mix of people according
to your local demographics. For example 46% of England’s ethnic minority
population live in London (source: LDA: ‘The Competitive Advantage of
Diversity’, Oct 2005), this should be reflected in organisations based in London
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10. Suggested Actions
B Suggested Actions
Volunteering and CSR
Form a relationship with a local school and run workshops/talks to educate
students about the industry
Host an open day so that the general public can find out more about
your organisation
Set up a staff equalities working group ensuring a good representation
of people in the organisation
Hold a themed brown bag lunch for staff encouraging debate and dialogue
amongst colleagues in an informal setting
Be involved in industry-wide collaborations to increase equality in publishing
Take on a trainee from an underrepresented group by hosting a Positive
Action Traineeship
Develop a mentoring programme that supports new staff from traditionally
underrepresented groups, and those at transitional career stages
Skills and Training Publishing and Bookselling Specific
Take part in yearly industry-wide reporting through organisations such as
Wherever possible ensure authentic representation of people from
Creative Skillset underrepresented groups (e.g. book cover designs, illustrations,
marketing material, advertising)
Encourage members of staff to be involved in seminars/workshops/talks that
raise the profile of the industry to traditionally underrepresented groups
Identify an Equalities Champion on your board who can be responsible for
monitoring action on equality
Provide equality training for all staff on a yearly basis
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11. Message of Support History of Equip
‘Pearson is proud to support Equality in Publishing. At Pearson, our goal is to keep Equality in Publishing continues the work of the Diversity in Publishing Network
diversity and inclusion at the heart of what we do and our commitment starts (Dipnet), which was established by Elise Dillsworth and Alison Morrison in
with our leaders. Our aim is to build an inclusive working environment for all our 2004 in response to a survey undertaken by Arts Council England and The
people, and our vision is to be a company that reflects the world in which we Bookseller. The survey results highlighted the lack of ethnic diversity within
operate; so naturally it made sense for Pearson to support Equip, who recognise publishing. Dipnet was created to address the concerns of groups traditionally
the potential and promote the contributions people from diverse backgrounds underrepresented within all areas of the industry.
can bring to the publishing industry.’
From 2006-2012, Dipnet was managed by Booktrust. Following a successful
Abu Bundu-Kamara Arts Council England bid, Dipnet’s projects are now managed at City University
London under the new name Equality in Publishing, a change reflecting the
Head of Diversity at Pearson
wider remit to address the nine protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010.
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