Birmingham 2022, the organisers of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, which will be staged from 28 July to 8 August 2022, has officially signed the Race at Work Charter.

An initiative, which is designed to improve outcomes for employees from ethnically diverse communities, the Race at Work Charter was launched in partnership with the UK Government in 2018 and builds on the work of the 2017 McGregor-Smith Review.

This review found that people from ethnically diverse communities were still underemployed, underpromoted and under-represented at senior levels.

The charter, which has now been signed by more than 750 employers, sets out five actions for signatories like Birmingham 2022 to take:

·         Appointing an Executive Sponsor for race

·         Capturing data and publicising progress

·         Ensuring zero tolerance of harassment and bullying

·         Making equality in the workplace the responsibility of all leaders and managers

·         Taking action that supports ethnic minority career progression

Birmingham 2022 is already working to deliver on these actions and work to date has included launching an internal network for employees from ethnically diverse communities, appointing an executive sponsor, capturing diversity data and publishing this on the Birmingham 2022 website, developing an EDI framework for all teams within the organisation, and rolling out a mentoring and young leaders programme, which employees from ethnically diverse communities have been encouraged to join.

Donna Fraser OBE, Head of Inclusion and Engagement for Birmingham 2022, said: “We are very pleased to have signed the Race at Work Charter to demonstrate our commitment to improving outcomes for our employees who are from ethnically diverse communities. We will continue to work hard to make Birmingham 2022 a more inclusive company as we work towards delivering a Games for everyone.”

Sandra Kerr CBE, race equality director at Business in the Community, which hosts the Race at Work Charter survey, said: “We would like to thank Birmingham 2022 for setting out its commitment to being an inclusive and responsible employer.

“By signing up to the charter, they are showing that they aspire to have one of the most inclusive workplaces in the country. Together we can break down barriers in the workplace, raise the aspirations and achievements of talented individuals and deliver an enormous boost to the long-term economic position of the UK.”