We Are Offering Access To A Free, Easy To Use, Online Toolkit For Small Businesses!

[Fiona Roberts]

Close the Gap is a partnership initiative that works across Scotland to promote positive activity around the causes of the gender pay gap. Our new pilot project, Think Business, Think Equality, which is funded by the Big Lottery Fund, is designed to help small and medium sized businesses grow, by realising the business benefits of delivering fairness and equality in the workplace.

Having fair and flexible working practices in place makes good business sense, including:

• Higher staff morale and lower absenteeism, which makes your business more productive;
• Increased loyalty and lower staff turnover, meaning lower costs associated with recruitment and training;
• Greater profitability and innovation: Having increased representation from women allows companies to market more effectively to a wider customer base; and
• A positive corporate image, derived from a balance of male and female staff, allowing you to attract and retain the best talent.

Investing in workplace equality needn’t be a complex, time-consuming and costly process. Think Business, Think Equality is a free, easy to use, self-assessment tool that allows businesses to reflect on their current practice and identify where they might make changes that will enable them to reap the benefits of gender equality.

The tool covers five business topics:

• Workplace culture;
• Women’s jobs, men’s jobs;
• Flexible working;
• Pay and reward; and
• Progression and promotion

Each topic contains a series of short questions, downloadable guidance, and a self-assessment checklist which allows businesses to assess how their practices might be improved. Any business using the toolkit can access free, confidential support and advice from Close the Gap at any point throughout the duration of the pilot.

The toolkit is now available on the Close the Gap website:
http://www.closethegap.org.uk/content/toolkit/