'It's shocking that some businesses think these pitiful and patronizing excuses are acceptable reasons to keep women from the top jobs'
Diversity in the workplace is essential, as gender equality should now be part and parcel of HR’s strategic plan.
However, a recent report from Hampton-Alexander Review released by the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), backed by the UK government, revealed the top 10 most shocking reasons given for not appointing women to FTSE company boards.
The release marks the halfway point of the Hampton-Alexander Review, which aims to increase the number of women in senior positions in FTSE 350 companies. However, the report also uncovered some serious diversity breaches.
“It’s shocking that some businesses think these pitiful and patronizing excuses are acceptable reasons to keep women from the top jobs,” explained Andrew Griffiths, business minister.
“Our most successful companies are those that champion diversity.”
The top ten excuses given for not promoting female professionals were;
Chair of the Hampton-Alexander Review, Dir Philip Hampton, added: “Around a third of FTSE 350 companies still have very few women either on their boards or in senior leadership roles. We used to hear these excuses regularly a few years ago, thankfully much less so now.
“However, leaders expressing warm words of support but actually doing very little to appoint women into top jobs - or quietly blocking progress - are really not much better.”