Reference no: EM132476794

BSBDIV501 Manage Diversity in the Workplace - Clinton Institute

ASSESSMENT TASK 1: CASE STUDY and ROLE PLAY / OBSERVATION

TASK SUMMARY

You are required to research the Australian government's Equal opportunity and diversity information and guidelines and then review Marino Enterprises' diversity policy and make recommendations for improvement.

Read the Case Study background information following and then complete Activity 1 to Activity 3, including providing answers to all questions in each activity.

Case Study - Background Information-

Over the past years Marino Enterprises has grown considerably and have expanded their community involvement to include a number of employment programs for diverse groups. Working closely with the local community and local employment providers, Marino has employed a number of people with disabilities, mature-age people, indigenous Australians, people from the LGBTIQ community, immigrants and international travelling backpackers

The diverse range of staffing has not been a deliberate diversity policy or program of the company but rather through word of mouth as an employer of acceptance and choice in the community.

With such a diverse and transient workplace, Marino Enterprises' management feel that their Diversity Policy is no longer matching the workplace. There have also been a couple of situations with staff that have not been handled or managed well.

ACTIVITY 1

1. Research the Australian government's Equal opportunity and diversity information and guidelines provided through their website and apply that information in this assessment task.

2. What are the ten (10) steps that you can take to create a fair and productive workplace as recommended by the Australian Human Rights Commission under its Good practicegood business guidelines ? Reference your source.

3. The Marino Enterprises Diversity Policy is located within the Marino Enterprises Handbook. Locate the policy document and print a copy to include with your submission.

4. You are recently employed as the Human Resources Manager and have been asked to undertake a critical review of the Marino Enterprises Diversity Policy and provide:
i) a list of at least six (6) of the strengths of the current policy document with regard to the work context outlined in the Case Study
ii) a list of at least six (6) of the weaknesses of the current policy document with regard to the work context outlined in the Case Study
iii) feedback on the currency and efficacy of the policy, and
iv) suggestions for improvement to ensure currency and efficacy of the policy

ACTIVITY 2

Management have accepted the outcomes of your review in Activity 1 and will incorporate all of your suggestions into an updated and more comprehensive Diversity Policy. As one of the strategies to ensure that diversity is understood and respected in the work team, management have asked that you facilitate a workshop meeting to ensure that the updated diversity policy will be understood and implemented by all relevant parties.

You are also asked to provide at least three (3) relevant fact sheets/guidelines from the Human Rights Commission to the workshop meeting participants.

1. Who are the main six (6) relevant parties or groups that you should invite to the workshop meeting?

2. Using the template provided, develop a detailed Agenda to facilitate the workshop. The intended outcomes of the workshop are to ensure that the updated diversity policy will be understood and implemented, by:
i) outliningkey features of current diversity and discrimination legislation
ii) ensuring an understanding and respect for diversity through good business practices
iii) confirming that recruitment and selection of staff will aim for maintaining diversity
iv) promoting the benefits of maintaining a diverse workforce
v) capturing ideas and information through the diversity of Marino Enterprises' staff to
(a) enhance products and services and
(b) contribute to competitive advantage
vi) gaining commitment to the new diversity policy

ACTIVITY 3
Included in the updated Diversity Policy will be a section that addresses the selection and recruitment of staff.

3. What are the ten (10) strategies suggested as checklist items by the Human Rights Commission to assist organisations to prevent discrimination in recruitment practices? Reference your source.

ACTIVITY 4

At a time organised by your Assessor, you will role play as the Marino Enterprises Human Resources Manager to chair and facilitate the workshop that you developed the Agenda for in Activity 2. Your Assessor and the other students will participate in the role play.

Your Assessor will observe you whilst participating in this role play and complete an Observation checklist as you facilitate the workshop.

STUDENT ROLEPLAY INSTRUCTIONS

1. You will roleplay as the Human Resources Manager responsible for implementing the Marino Enterprises Diversity Policy. You will facilitate an educative workshop meeting with staff and other relevant parties to ensure that diversity is understood and respected in the work team, and to ensure that the updated diversity policy will be understood and implemented by all relevant parties

2. Your Assessor will roleplay as the Marino Enterprises CEO

3. Three (3) other students will roleplay as representatives of the Marino Enterprises managers, supervisors and staff

4. One (1) other student will role play the external employment service provider.

5. You will chair and facilitate the workshop and be required to actively lead the discussions and answer questions where necessary. Expected outcomes of the workshop include an understanding of diversity and its benefits, identification of the key diversity legislation, commitment to diversity and support for the new diversity policy.

ASSESSMENT TASK 2: CASE STUDIES

CASE STUDY 1 - MICHAEL

Michael has worked for Marino Enterprises as their Accounts Officer in the Melbourne head office for the three years of their operation, and worked for Luigi for 10 years before then. He has explained to Luigi and his manager that he will be commencing a gender transition and will be known as Michelle upon returning from a month of leave.

Michael's manager works with HR to set up information sessions for staff to discuss the matter before Michelle returns from leave.

At the first meeting, some of the other staff are hostile, asking, ‘When there's only one of her, it or whatever, and there's nearly twenty of us, why is it us who have to be accepting? Why do we have to change?'

The manager and HR team are working together to educate theemployees about transgender issues and discrimination.

QUESTION 1
What one (1) federal and seven (7) Australian state and territory legislation do transgender people in the workplace have legal protection under?

QUESTION 2
In support of Michael's transition, Marino Enterprises have discussed developing a transition plan. What are the six (6) key elements that this transition plan should include?

QUESTION 3
As the manager, how could you respond to the hostile staff members and encourage respect?

QUESTION 4
One of the hostile staff members continues to harass and make derogatory comments in front of Michelle. What are the four (4) steps (in order) under the Marino Enterprises' Internal Complaints Procedure, that Michelle must follow before starting a formal resolution process? Include a timeline for each step, and assume each step fails to resolve the matter so Michelle needs to know what the next step is.

QUESTION 5
If Michelle's complaints are not resolved through the informal processes you have described under Question 4 above, outline the formal resolution processes if Michelle then raises a formal complaint directly to the Human Resources Manage? Include the timelines for each step.

CASE STUDY 2 - RECRUITMENT
Champions Sports Bar is owned and operated by Marino Enterprises and it has been subject to a discrimination complaint as a result of their recent recruitment campaign. They told the recruitment agency that they were looking for ‘young women with flair' to fill the positions of bar staff. The recruitment company followed instructions and advertised the job as such and didn't consider anyone other than females under 30.

QUESTION 1
Outline the four (4) discrimination matters related to recruitment that an employer must consider

QUESTION 2
If a 52-year-old female applied for the position, who was also more than qualified, but was told that she didn't get the job because they were looking for young women, what four (4) federal legislations have been breached?

QUESTION 3
During the interview process for this position, a young woman fits the description and is qualified and is asked if she has children. She lets the interviewer know that she has two, one of which she is still breastfeeding. Prior to disclosing this information, she was asked if she could start next week but the interviewer has gone cold and cuts the interview short. What one (1) federal legislation has been breached?

CASE STUDY 3 - MUHAMAD
Louise, a female staff member reports to her manager that Muhamad, a Muslim staff member, never shakes hands with female clients. Louise considers this to be rude and disrespectful to females, and show a total lack of equality. She requests her manager to tell Muhamad that he must shake female client's hands.

QUESTION 1
As Muhamad‘s manager, what are the four (4) key appropriate responses to address Louise's behaviour in this situation?

QUESTION 2
Three (3) weeks have passed and Muhamad comes to you to complain that Louise has cornered him in the photocopy room and told him that he is rude for not shaking hands with female clients. Louise has told you that she cannot work with Muhamad as his behaviour makes her sick!

What are the processes, under the Marino Enterprises' Internal Complaints Procedure available to you as Manager to resolve Muhamad's complaint and encourage Louie and Muhamad to work together?

Question 3 - this is a self-reflection question

Being honest and candid about you own experiences, use the template below to list two (2) personal potential prejudices of your own regarding diversity in a work team or a workplace that may have impacted interactions and work performance.
For each prejudice you identify, outline how you have or can best address each of them to demonstrate respect for difference in personal interactions.

(If you are unable to recognise prejudices from your work experiences, then you may relate this question your day-to-day personal experiences).

Attachment:- Manage Diversity in the Workplace.rar