The Advantages of a Culturally Diverse Workforce

1. The Advantages of a Culturally Diverse Workforce Dr Peter Streker Victorian Health Promotion Foundation

4. Why does VicHealth focus on this? • Victoria is more culturally diverse than ever • Good health starts where we work, live and play • Racial discrimination can damage health and opportunities for wellbeing • Cultural diversity brings real benefits

5. Guiding framework

7. The Research Almost 1 in 5 Australians has experienced race-based discrimination in the workplace. Systemic race-based discrimination in the workplace occurs through avoidable and unfair differences in • recruitment and promotion • selection and interviewing • job allocation • performance evaluation • training • remuneration • dismissal Trenerry, Franklin & Paradies (2012)

8. The financial costs of discrimination • Resolving serious discrimination and harassment grievances through formal processes approx $55,000 per case. (NSW Dept of Premier & Cabinet ) • Approx 70% of workers exposed to violence, harassment and discrimination take time off work

9. Physical & mental health benefits • Strong evidence that RBD leads to • higher rates of ill health, especially mental health and wellbeing problems such as anxiety, depression, stress and poor quality of life. • People reporting RBD more likely to be overweight or obese and engage in behaviours that cause poor health [e.g. smoking] • Productivity Commission found - mental health and nervous conditions, have largest impact on increasing workforce participation when addressed.

10. Innovation & Problem Solving If diversity is well managed: • enhanced creativity, flexibility and problem solving skills. • More effective at working with culturally distinct clients & colleagues Adler & Gunderson (2008)

11. More than reducing race-based discrimination Supporting cultural diversity means respecting the different ways of living and valuing diversity as an asset.

12. Maximising benefits from cultural diversity: • Explicitly commit to racial equality and anti-discrimination in mission, values, goals, policies etc • Ensure job advertisements and application information accessible to people from diverse cultural backgrounds • Specific policies and procedures for responding to RBD - include clear examples of unacceptable practices behaviours.

13. Creating a Wave of Action through Partnerships

14. The Wave of Research • Research: • Bystander • Effects on Children • Benefits of Cultural Diversity • Socialisation & racism • Costs of racism • Cyber-racism • Experiences of racism

15. Community Trials • Local Government: • LEAD • Municipal Association of Victoria • Arts • Arts About Us • Social Connections • Indigenous Arts program

16. Community Trials • Sports • Bystander & FFV • Everyone Wins • Workplace • Creating Healthy Workplaces – VEOHRC & AMES • Australian Human Rights Commission & Diversity Council of Australia audit trial

17. Multi-layered Communications • Communications • Evidence Reviews • Summaries • Media campaigns • Arts performances • Social Media

18. Multi-layered Communications • Evaluations • Tools & Guides • Training courses • Workshops & Forums

19. For further information, go to www.vichealth.vic.gov.au