Preventing discrimination

Proactive measures and best practices to ensure inclusivity

Train your people

Policies alone are not enough

Make prevention a daily priority.
Talk about respect, inclusion and accountability in team meetings.
Refreshing your policies and training regularly so they stay relevant.
Checking in with employees on whether the culture feels inclusive in reality.

Anti-discrimination training that works

It’s not enough to tick a box.
Tailor training to your workplace.
Make it real and role-specific.
Train everyone from new starters to long-standing leadership.

What to cover in training

Recognising different forms of discrimination, including unconscious bias and microaggressions.
Speaking up safely and constructively.
Knowing when to escalate, and how managers should respond.
Make sure your managers understand their responsibilities.

Craft your policies

Develop written policies

Start with the following policies:
- Equality, Diversity and Inclusion policy
- Bullying, Discrimination and Harassment policy
Clearly define your procedures, as well as how you'll handle any complaints.
Regularly review your policies (not just once a year!)

Create safe reporting routes

You can’t deal with discrimination if you don’t know it’s happening. And you won’t know it’s happening if your people don’t feel safe coming forward.

A good process should include:

Having more than one person to report to (e.g. HR, a senior leader, a dedicated D&I leader).
Creating a confidential email or phone line monitored by trained staff.
Offering anonymous feedback options, particularly for early-stage concerns.

Make sure your reporting policy outlines:

How concerns are recorded and reviewed.
Who will be involved (and who won’t).
How long each stage might take.
How the employee will be supported throughout.

Training for reporting contacts

Make sure you’ve trained the people receiving the reports.
Ensure know how to handle sensitive conversations.
Listen without judgment, and keeping things confidential and professional whilst sticking to the process.
Remember: How they respond will set the tone. A fair and respectful process can build trust, whereas a dismissive or inconsistent one will do the opposite.