Politics of Equality at Work

Blogs

The Gender Equality Index in France: what is it and how does it work?, by Heather Connolly

In our third blog on France, Heather Connolly explains the requirements of the Gender Equality Index for organisations, and considers whether its indicators are a meaningful way of tackling gender inequalities in the workplace.


Holly Smith,

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The rise of the EDI toolkit: unpacking the artefacts of change, by Miguel Martínez Lucio, Holly Smith, Stefania Marino, Heather Connolly

There is growing interest in using sets of guides or toolkits that facilitate organisations when evaluating and developing their EDI-related strategies. In this blog, we consider the potential organisational processes and outcomes of these organisational artefacts.


Holly Smith,

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Labour's proposed new Race Equality Act doesn't go far enough

In the next instalment of our blog series, we are reproducing a contribution we made to the LSE Blogs website, where we argue that Labour's proposed new race equality legislation doesn't go far enough in addressing systemic labour market inequalities. You can read the blog on their website here, and the full text is included below.


Holly Smith,

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What lies ahead for the development of the workplace equalities agenda? by Miguel Martinez Lucio, Holly Smith, Stefania Marino, and Heather Connolly

For the New Year, this short blog reflects on what may be ahead for workplace equalities over the coming year.


Holly Smith,

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Diversity, equality, and the challenges of accreditation: going beyond fashion and reputation, by Miguel Martinez Lucio, Holly Smith, Stefania Marino, and Heather Connolly

There are a range of equality, diversity, and inclusion-related award schemes which organisations and employers can engage with. In this next instalment of our blog series, we highlight the ambivalences involved within these processes of accreditation, which can be used instrumentally, or - with meaningful stakeholder engagement - can act as a catalyst for the development of a genuine advancement in workplace equality.


Holly Smith,

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The politics of equality at work in the UK: Who sets the equality agenda?

In the next instalment of our blog series, we are reproducing a contribution we made to a recent Policy@Manchester report ‘Working Futures’. Working Futures makes evidence-led recommendations from the University of Manchester’s world-leading research. The contributions in the publication consider the impact of changes in the labour market from a range of different perspectives – and, crucially, present evidence-led ideas about how we might address challenges and tackle inequalities. In our piece, we recommend the adoption of various strategies we believe could further embed equalities into the employment relationship.


Holly Smith,

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Pension strikes in France: the gendered impact of reforms to the retirement age, by Heather Connolly

Debates on equality cover - or arguably, should cover - work-related issues such as pensions and length of service in combination with working-time, in order to have a broader vision of gender-equal societies. In this second blog on equality in France, we look at the gendered impact of the recent pension reforms of President Emmanuel Macron, which raised the retirement age from 62 to 64.


Holly Smith,

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Improving the presence of women in top positions in large Dutch companies: Towards more gender equality?, by Stefania Marino

In the first of our blog series to focus on the Netherlands, Stefania Marino provides an update and an overview on a new piece of legislation which requires an improved gender balance on the boards of large companies. While representing a positive development in a specific area, does the legislation go far enough in addressing deeper structural inequalities?


Holly Smith,

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International Women’s Day 2023 – an opportunity to reflect on equality-related research and its political context, by Holly Smith

In our fourth blog for the Politics of Equality at Work project, Holly Smith uses the opportunity of International Women’s Day to consider the role of language in equality research, and reflects on some of the methodological challenges when researching equality at work.


Holly Smith,

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Who negotiates equality? Equality plans and constitutional debates in Spain, by Miguel Martinez Lucio

In the third of our blog series for the Politics of Equality at Work project, Miguel Martinez Lucio explores the process of the formulation of Equality Plans in Spain and the role of formal worker representation in these discussions. Their construction illustrates the varying nature of the role of social dialogue in the development of the political design of equality, which contrasts with other countries like the UK.


Holly Smith,

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