Hellstromm, I agree that self policing does not seem particularly proactive but in my experience most larger companies do follow the guidelines pretty much as they are laid out
here, if only to reduce liability. I imagine that, similarly, employers over there follow the laws...
if only to reduce liability.
Despite laws, guidelines and best practice, culture shifts very slowly. Anecdotally, having worked in a large, and very old, engineering firm, the activity to support the development of the female staff as well as promote a female friendly work environment (for example) was was very apparent, but it was also quite evident that much of this was cosmetic and didn't reflect the real attitudes of senior management.
However, it was also very evident that the requirements of our Equal Opportunity laws
was forcing corporate change. (For starters even in the 80s there, women were required to wear below-the-knee skirts and pantyhose!) With the internal complaint procedures in place (which they had to have) management was forced into a position where they
had to take disciplinary measures against a director for ongoing sexual harassment. Not doing so would have clearly have left them wide open legally. Forcing employers to keep a paper trail does have
some effect.
As for quotas, with our demographics, I can't see how they would work here. Some organisations set quotas of women for themselves, but in terms of race, depending on the location we either don't have the population to make it viable or we have too many to make it necessary.
Here in Melbourne, we have such a highly multicultural population that having a "white" business is all but impossible. Just checking the latest stats, (lazily
from Wiki) 34% of Melbourne's population was born overseas. Add to that the huge numbers of 2nd and 3rd generation people from various ethnicities and the anglos are easily outnumbered.
But for more "proactive" measures, there are several grant systems and tax rebates available for multicultural employers, as well as particular ones for employing indigenous Australians. We also have a wide range of programs in place to support disadvantaged groups in education as well as in small business and gaining employment, which I believe constitutes "affirmative action".
We just don't have the workplace quotas.
EDITED TO ADD:
I hate getting involved in these debates. I end up appearing as the aggrieved token black man, with an axe to grind. However, sometimes I get riled by peoples ignorance.
Billy, you don't sound at all like an aggrieved black man to me, token or otherwise. If anything, it is useful to hear about how these issues are actually experienced and your opinions as to the benefit or harm should be given extra consideration because you have an additional perspective on them than my own experience can provide.
(And before anyone screams reverse discrimination at
me, I said consideration, not agreement.)
