HR briefing - accents and socio-economic discrimination

 In the second episode of our new podcast series, Chris Boyle joins Matthew Ramsey in exploring how employers can engage with issues of class, socio-economic background and accent.

Clients have always been interested in ensuring they can recruit and retain the best talent, irrespective of background. Whilst the focus has traditionally been on the protected characteristics set out in the Equality Act 2010, firms are increasingly looking at eliminating prejudice stemming from other sources as well. In a fascinating recent report, the Sutton Trust has examined accent discrimination, with an alarming number of survey respondents reporting that their accents had been mocked or singled out by colleagues at work.