Reading 1 ⇱
In an effort to increase globalisation, expand their market reach and foster innovation through diverse perspectives, many companies have come up with policies that support cultural diversity in the workplace. Now it is common to see an office with employees from all over the country and around the world.
Let’s find out what cultural diversity is and why companies are trying to achieve it.
So what exactly is cultural diversity in the workplace? It’s when companies take in applicants from any region, country, or religion. Some companies may even have rules that require them to have diversity quotas to address racial and sex discrimination.
Why do firms take the effort to consider things like variety in race, age, educational background, religion, and sex? Because those are factors to help create more voices and more opinions thus making for a more comprehensive solution when staff works as a team. In an office where there are people of the same cultural background or generation, colleagues may not be able to see things from different viewpoints or come up with things beyond what they have all been taught.
Cultural diversity can even help companies make more money. According to a McKinsey & Company paper done in 2005, companies with a variety of ethnic workers make 35% in profits more than companies without.
Also, it seems like businesses look better to applicants if they have a diverse staff. It is a common belief that varied workplaces appear happier and more dynamic to the public, so they regularly attract young, capable workers to the companies. An article that came out in 2007 stated that 67% of workers prefer a more diversified office and such businesses don’t have many employees job-hop because they often feel more respected as a team member, not as an ethnic hire.
(Adapted from Think 12)
Reading 2 ⇱
UK workers and businesses: how will you be impacted by the new employment rights bill?
“We’re interested to hear how the government’s new employment rights bill may affect workers and employers in Britain.” Angela Rayner said. This minister described the employment rights bill as the biggest boost to pay and productivity in the workplace in a generation.
The government believes its plans to promote workers’ rights via the introduction of its flagship employment rights bill could have a positive, but small, impact on economic growth. Additionally, the bill is expected to improve job security, which may boost consumer confidence and spending in the long term.
The Department for Business and Trade has said the benefits of the new bill will justify the cost of nearly £5bn per year it will impose on businesses. However, some critics argue that the increased costs could lead to reduced hiring or slower wage growth.
A new Fair Work Agency will be created as part of the government’s new legislation, which will be able to enforce new penalties for those who breach employee rights – such as holiday pay, paternity and parental leave, and a minimum wage – and will include stronger protections against unfair dismissal and job insecurity on a new contract.
However, the Federation of Small Businesses has been highly critical of the proposals, saying the new legislation was rushed and poorly planned and a burden on small businesses.
We’re keen to hear from workers and businesses in the UK about how they believe the new bill may affect them. Will you get statutory sick pay, paternity or parental leave, and holiday pay? Are there other ways in which your employment could be affected?
If you have concerns for your business because of these proposals, tell us about it.
(Adapted from https://theguardian.com)
Reading 3 ⇱
Our Planet is Warming: Here's What's at Stake if We Don't Act Now
Our climate is changing around us faster than predicted. From more frequent and extreme storms to unprecedented heatwaves, we’re feeling the impacts of human-caused global warming. But we still have time to change course. We can avoid more dire impacts of climate change by limiting warming to 1.5°C (2.7°F) according to a recent report by the United Nations. The world is already 1.1°C (1.9°F) hotter than it was between 1850 and 1900, the pre-industrial era. And while there’s no question that limiting warming to 1.5°C will be difficult, there’s also no question that we have the technology needed to do it—and that every tenth of a degree matters.
In 2015, 196 countries signed on to a single, sweeping plan that aims to keep global warming to well below 2°C (3.6°F)—or even 1.5°C. The unprecedented Paris Agreement builds on decades of gradual work by the international community to combat climate change and adapt to its impacts. World leaders must work together to eliminate the release of heat-trapping carbon by 2050. To do this, they will need to strengthen their commitments to cut emissions over time. But climate change is not a problem that governments can solve alone; we need collaboration across regional governments, businesses, and communities as well. We also need to help wildlife and people cope with a rapidly warming planet.
If we don't limit warming, we face severe consequences, which include rising sea levels could affect 1 billion people, coral bleaching threatens marine life, heat waves will increase, flooding risks will heighten, and wildlife habitats may become uninhabitable. It’s crucial to act now, as solutions are already available.
We know the solutions. It's time to act.
(Adapted from https://worldwildlife.org)