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Episode Script:
Welcome to the Second Time podcast.
I have no real news or fun updates to share with you. I’m still in the running for jobs in some recruitment processes, but they’re going weeks (more often, months) without an update, so I’m just kind of here, keeping on applying for things, and hoping that one turns into a contract to sign. There’s really nothing new to share on that front. I do the same thing week in, week out, and try to not let the bleakness of opportunities and drudgery of the work get me down.
Today though, I want to talk about inclusion policies. I’ve copied and pasted some from various job ads and would like to read a few to you.
One
BUSINESS NAME is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity and inclusion within the workplace and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age or other statuses protected by law or regulations in the locations where we operate.
Two
We are an equal opportunity employer. If you apply for a role at BUSINESS NAME, we will consider your application based on your qualifications and experience, and not on your race, colour, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.
Three
We treat each other fairly and with dignity regardless of race, gender, nationality, ethnic origin, religion, age, sexual orientation, or anything else that makes us different.
Four
BUSINESS NAME is committed to creating diverse and inclusive work environments that reflect the rich tapestry of our communities. We believe that diversity enriches organisations and fosters innovation. We are dedicated to building workforces that are representative of the diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives of our society. We strongly encourage applications from people from diverse backgrounds, including people with lived or living experience of refugee backgrounds. We value a range of experiences, perspectives and career pathways. We actively seek to foster inclusive workplaces where all employees can bring their whole selves to work, feel respected and valued, and have equal opportunities for growth and advancement. We are committed to providing a fair and unbiased recruitment process, and we strive to eliminate any barriers that may impede the inclusion and participation of underrepresented groups in the workforce.
Having a policy is only good if you actually do something with the policy. Exact details of this situation have been changed for privacy reasons but at a particular point in the past few years I was talking to a business about participating in something, and they weren’t sure if they should, because they didn’t have policies set up, they just helped the people who worked for them if it was needed. I said that’s better than having a policy, because you’re taking actions. Having a policy means nothing if you don’t enact the policy. My famous and go-to example is the government department who offered me a job in 2023, and then rescinded the job offer when they learned I was disabled. That government department has all the (inverted commas here) correct policies in the world, and the policies meant nothing because they didn’t follow them.
If you write an inclusion policy, you have to consider how you will USE the inclusion policy. Actions matter. If you’ve read my book, The First Time, you’ll know that I created a consulting package for turning inclusion policies into actionable documents. I created it as a kind of fuck you to the person who told me I was only permitted to have entry level jobs if I needed to work from home. I thought “screw this”, and figured my policy education and experience could be put to good use.
The challenge I have had in selling this consulting is that no one thinks there’s an inclusion problem. Businesses think that having an inclusion policy means the work is done. They don’t consider that policy needs to be enacted to have any value.
I don’t think anyone wants to hire me for this consulting package because they don’t understand that their lack of action is an inherent problem. I’ve yet to find a way to overcome this barrier to sell this package of work. I wonder if this is part of that “decade issue” that keeps coming up – that supposed coach who told me my needs are a decade ahead of now, despite the fact disabled people have always existed, and we aren’t new to this decade or any other decade. A lack of inclusion is so socially acceptable that businesses don’t see it as a risk. And when it’s not a risk, no one wants to improve. I’m ahead of where people perceive the problem to be.
Only I’m not, because my ongoing unemployment is a symptom of this issue. I’m not the only person with inclusion being a barrier to employment. I may very well be one of few who are willing to speak about it, and that’s fine. Everyone has their own boundaries. In 2023 I learned people would hate me regardless of how loud I was, so I decided to be loud. That’s not going to be a suitable path for everyone, and it shouldn’t have to be the path for everyone in order to get inclusion taken seriously as an issue, and get change happening in businesses.
I don’t know what the path forward for inclusion policies is from here. I don’t want to go full cop mode and say it has to be via punishment because otherwise no business will ever learn. At the same time, human rights seem to be a very weak thing globally right now, and I fear that punishment is the only way some people will improve. Where are the willing companies? The companies who will just work with what their employees need? The ones who realise staff are human and have human needs? The ones who just do things because it’s the right damn thing to do? Why are they so few? Why are there so many barriers when it’s so easy to remove them?
Mutual aid this week is for Beatrix Wylde. This is an author friend of mine who is looking to build a new life. They’re aiming for subscribers to their Substack to help sustainably fund this new life.
Links referenced in the episode:
Recorded and edited by myself, Vanessa Smith.
Intro and outro music by Ben Dawson.
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