COURSE OVERVIEW:
To ensure organisations are meeting their legal obligations to follow the principles of workplace diversity in their business practices and culture, management should develop a diversity policy (also known as an access and equity policy or an equal opportunity policy) that shows how they plan to ensure their workforce is diverse and how they will display respect for their customers and the public.
A diversity policy also enhances an organisation’s competitiveness and standing in the community, as well as staff morale and satisfaction. The policy must relate to all staff: permanent, part-time, casual and contracted.
It is not a legal requirement for all organisations to have a specific diversity policy, but it is implied under the law that all organisations must adhere to the principles of diversity and equity. Some organisations, such as registered training providers and childcare centres, are required under legally binding industry codes to establish such policies.
A diversity policy helps an organisation plan and administer a management system and culture that encourage diversity, and implement practices and procedures to ensure the policy is enacted.
A diversity policy should be relevant to the specific workplace and have the endorsement of the CEO, board and/or manager responsible. It may also include supporting documentation, such as an ethics guide, code of conduct, workplace behaviour guidelines, and guidelines for managing poor behaviour in the workplace or a complaints procedure.
When applying the diversity policy in the workplace, managers need to be aware of how to proactively comply with the policies and how to avoid noncompliance.
This course will help you create an organisational diversity policy. It will show you how to draft, write, plan, implement, and review an effective diversity policy.
The first part of this starts by explaining how to examine the current organisational practices and information in relation to diversity. Then discusses how to identify the benefits of diversity in relation to business objectives. Also, discusses how to identify the requirements of key stakeholders for a diversity policy. Then explains how to draft a diversity policy and develop action plans for the policy. Also, explains how to determine links with other related policies and how to revise the policy for implementation.
The second part starts by explaining how to interpret the policy to key stakeholders and how to promote it across the organisation. Then explores the potential impacts of policy implementation. Then discusses how to develop tools and benchmarks for planning and measuring the impact of policy implementation. Also, discusses how to make sure the diversity policy is effectively implemented. Then explains how to analyse information about policy implementation. Also, explains how to gather feedback from stakeholders on the policy and make changes to the policy, when needed. Finally, explains how to refine the diversity policy, then provides an example of an organisational diversity policy.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
By the end of this course, you will be able to understand:
- How to examine current organisational practices and information?
- What is diversity?
- What does conscious practice of diversity involve?
- The importance of monitoring the effectiveness of a diversity policy
- How to gather and understand workplace information related to diversity?
- The federal and state legislation that covers workplace diversity and equal opportunity in Australia
- The benefits of diversity in relation to business objectives
- How diversity can and should be a part of the organisational goals?
- How to acknowledge diversity in a vision, mission or business objective?
- The diversity statement
- The key stakeholders requirements for a diversity policy
- How to plan an organisational strategy?
- What is included in research and references when developing the policy?
- The approaches to stakeholders and the information you need to provide them
- Why access diversity policies from other organisations?
- What to consider when examining diversity policies?
- How to embrace productive diversity?
- How to draft a diversity policy?
- What is covered in a diversity policy?
- What to consider when drafting a diversity policy?
- The content of a diversity policy document?
- How to create action plans for a diversity policy?
- The content of a workplace diversity action plan
- The importance of consulting with stakeholders on draft policy and action plans
- The relationships between the diversity policy and other related policies
- How to revise the diversity policy for implementation?
- What is included in a policy review?
- The importance of explaining the diversity policy to key stakeholders
- How to promote the diversity policy across the organisation?
- What you might need to include with your promotion of a diversity policy?
- The intended and unintended impacts of diversity policy implementation
- The tools for planning and measuring impact of policy implementation
- How to measure the impact of policy implementation?
- How to ensure diversity policy is effectively implemented?
- How to review diversity policy and its implementation?
- The ways to gather and analyse information of the policy implementation
- How to make changes to the diversity policy?
- How to refine the diversity policy?
COURSE DURATION:
The typical duration of this course is approximately 3-4 hours to complete. Your enrolment is Valid for 12 Months. Start anytime and study at your own pace.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
You must have access to a computer or any mobile device with Adobe Acrobat Reader (free PDF Viewer) installed, to complete this course.
COURSE DELIVERY:
Purchase and download course content.
ASSESSMENT:
A simple 10-question true or false quiz with Unlimited Submission Attempts.
CERTIFICATION:
Upon course completion, you will receive a customised digital “Certificate of Completion”.