Northumbrian Water signs up to equal opportunities pledge

Northumbrian Water Group has joined more than 800 organisations in committing to improving equal opportunities for Black, Asian, Mixed Race and ethnically diverse employees in the UK.

Northumbrian has signed up the Business in the Community (BITC) Race at Work Charter which builds on the findings from BITC’s 2021 Race at Work Survey, which found that only 46% of employers had set targets to improve the racial diversity of their boards. Yet 76% said that race recruitment and progression was a priority,

The Race at Work Charter calls on businesses to:

• appoint an executive sponsor for race;

• capture data and publicise progress;

• ensure zero tolerance of harassment and bullying;

• make equality in the workplace the responsibility of all leaders and managers;

• take action that supports ethnic minority career progression;

• support race inclusion allies in the workplace; and

• include black, asian, mixed race and other ethnically diverse-led enterprise owners in supply chains.

Launched in 2018, the Race at Work Charter builds on the work of the 2017 McGregor-Smith Review, which found that people from black, Asian, mixed race and ethnically diverse backgrounds are still underemployed, under-promoted and under-represented at senior levels.