Report outlines Council’s award success in pilot safety at work scheme

13 April 2021

Aberdeen City Councillors were yesterday (Monday 12 April) updated on the authority’s award-winning involvement in a pilot equalities-based safety at work scheme.

A report on the Council’s Bronze Award in the Equally Safe at Work employer accreditation programme was presented to the Staff Governance Committee along with an update on the expected positive workplace outcomes as a result of participation in the scheme.

The Council became involved in the programme to improve policies and practices in relation to gender equality and gender-based violence, and to contribute towards its work in meeting the Public Sector Equality Duty.

The programme was developed and run by ‘Close the Gap’, Scotland’s national policy and advocacy body working on women’s labour market equality, to address gender inequality and gender-based violence and was piloted in seven councils.

The pilot programme initially ran from January 2019 to September last year with a project group having been in place to plan and undertake the work. The Bronze Award accreditation achieved lasts until 9 March 2023 and participation has provided the Council with a framework for better understanding and tackling the causes of workplace gender inequality.

The report also highlighted the predicted benefits of participation including having a wider range of skills, experiences, and perspectives; increased employee morale and retention rates; and enhanced performance of the Public Sector Equality Duty.

Committee Convener, Councillor Yvonne Allan, said: “We are committed to ensuring gender equality in all Council workplaces and preventing gender-based violence. Our participation in this programme has helped us in achieving this by giving us the opportunity to demonstrate leadership both in the workplace and the wider community in addressing these issues.”

“Importantly, Aberdeen City Council now has a framework to guide our future work on gender equality as well as a better understanding of the root causes and consequences of workplace gender inequality and its relation to gender-based violence.”