Monitoring of MPA activities 2002/03

Report: 11
Date: 5 June 2003
By: Clerk

Summary

The report ‘Monitoring of Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) staffing and recruitment’ was considered by the Human Resources Committee last year. This report provides data and analysis on the Human Resources activities within the Metropolitan Police Authority for the period 2002/03. This level of monitoring complies with the requirements of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000.

A. Recommendations

That

1. members note the monitoring and analysis of data for 2002/03; and
2. agree to the expansion of equalities categories for monitoring purposes to include religion, belief or faith, sexuality and age.

B. Supporting information

Background

1. Monitoring in the context of this report means comparing the employment patterns of men and women, of ethnic minority and white staff and of people with disabilities, to identify if there are any marked differences. Where there are differences, this may suggest the need for further analysis.

2. Monitoring normally deals with:

• snapshot monitoring, i.e. using data on the organisation distribution of staff;
• monitoring progression, i.e. the progression of applicants through the recruitment process; and
• parity targets, i.e. how organisational procedures and decisions affect different groups. For example, the rate at which visible ethnic minority staff leave the MPA should be the same as that for other groups.

3. The monitoring of personnel data does not generally need complex statistical analysis, since the differences may be readily identified from a few simple techniques. Both the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) and Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) suggest using the participation ratio for snapshot monitoring and the ‘four fifths rule’ for recruitment.

4. An organisational profile is useful for showing under-representation and, over a period of time, trends. One simple way to highlight differences in the proportions of any group is to construct a participation ratio. This may be done by dividing the percentage of women or ethnic minorities in the MPA by the percentage in the economically active population in London, using data supplied by the Office of National Statistics.

5. On selection, the four-fifths rule suggests that if any group is less than four fifths of the rate of the group with the highest success rate, then there will be an indication of potential bias. This can be expressed, for example, as follows:

• Male success rate 20/100 (as a percentage) = 20%
• Female success rate 10/100 (as a percentage) = 10%
• 4/5ths of highest success rate = 16%

In the example, there is significant disparity because the female success rate (10%) is less than four-fifths the male success rate (16%). It is not intended to be an absolute measure, but is a simple and easy way to measure whether the differences in recruitment rates are significant.

6. Ethnic origin refers to members of an ethnic group who share the same cultural background and identity. This does not necessarily mean country of birth or nationality.

Staffing

7. An updated list of the ethnic origin and gender of staff within the MPA is attached at Appendix 1. None of the staff who has been recruited has claimed a disability.

8. The Greater London Authority (GLA) is keen for members of the GLA Group to adopt some employment ‘targets’ in relation to their staff.

These are:

• Black and minority ethnic staff 25%
• Women 52%
• Staff with disabilities 9%
• Within the black and minority ethnic staff category there is a 12% target for Asian staff.

9. The figures for the MPA are:

• Black and minority ethnic staff, 30% of whom 12% are Asian
• Women 38%
• Staff with disabilities 0%

10. There is under-representation of black and ethnic minority staff in Pay Band 1 (over £35,000) and under-representation of women and staff with disabilities in both Pay Bands 1 and 2.
Staff leaving the MPA

11. During the financial year 2002/03, the following staff left the MPA:

Of the four staff who resigned, all were interviewed before departure by Human Resources staff. One was returning to Australia, one could not work in a policing environment and two were seeking better paid career opportunities elsewhere. These figures exclude staff on fixed term appointments (FTAs), secondments etc, who left at the end of their ‘contract’.

Grievances and employment tribunals

13. During the financial year 2002/03 the grievance procedure was invoked on one occasion. The grievance is currently at Stage 2. In the grievance the aggrieved and alleged ‘perpetrator’ were both female. The aggrieved is black Caribbean and the alleged perpetrator white British.

14. During the financial year 2002/03, there were three Employment Tribunals from three female members of staff working within Community Police Consultative Groups (CPCGs). The ethnic origin of the members of staff is not known. Two cases were settled, with a confidentiality agreement, before it reached a hearing. In the other case, a hearing date has not been set.

Training

15. Staff attended a number of formal training courses and seminars during the year, as follows:

In addition, the entire Internal Audit Directorate attended their own two-day conference. There is generally parity between the gender and ethnic origin of staff in the MPA and the proportion of each group who had access to training courses and seminars during the year.

Recruitment update

16. The following data covers those selection panels carried out since that report. An explanation of the groupings used during 2002/3 is at Appendix 2. This form has been updated to reflect changes in ethnic origin groups. This data can be summarised as follows:

Band 1

Band 2

17. For Band 1 there is no disparity between the success rates of men and women at the selection stage, but there is a disparity between the success rates of men and women at the interview stage. It appears at interview, 18% of male interviewees were selected, compared with 33% of female interviewees. The male success rate is 55% of the female success rate at this stage.

18. For Band 1 there is some disparity between the success rates of the different groups invited for interview, by ethnic origin, as follows:

• 34% white group applicants invited for interview
• 31% Asian group applicants invited for interview
• 25% black group applicants invited for interview

The black group success rate is 81% of the Asian group success rate and 74% of the white group success rate.  18% white group applicants invited for interview were successful. 33% Asian group applicants invited for interview were successful. The white group success rate is 54% of the Asian group success rate. There were no black group applicants selected.

19. For Band 2 there is no disparity between the success rates of male and female applicants at the selection stage, but there is a disparity between the success rates of men and women at the interview stage. It appears at interview, 18% of male interviewees were selected, compared with 29% of female interviewees. The male success rate is 62% of the female success rate at this stage.

20. For Band 2 there is some disparity between the success rates of the different groups invited for interview, by ethnic origin, as follows:

• 41% white group applicants invited for interview
• 31% Asian group applicants invited for interview
• 50% black group applicants invited for interview
• 50% mixed origin group applicants invited for interview

The success rate of the Asian group invited for interview is 76% of the white group and 62% of the black group and the mixed origin group. 18% white group applicants invited for interview successful. 25% Asian group applicants invited for interview successful. 25% black group applicants invited for interview successful. The white group success rate is 72% of the Asian group and the black group success rate. There were no mixed origin applicants selected.

21. The European Union Employment Framework Directive – Council Directive 2000/78/EC of 27 November 2000 established a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation and prohibits discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, religion, disability, and age. The proposed implementation date on sexual orientation and religion or belief is 1 December 2003; the implementation date on age is 1 December 2006.

22. Coincidentally, one of the commitments the MPA and other functional bodies made as part of the Greater London Authority (GLA) Best Value Review of Equalities was that the MPA would adopt gender, race, disability, faith, sexuality and age as its high level categories for planning, delivery and monitoring purposes. For Human Resources this would include recruitment and workforce activity data. At present, faith and sexuality are not monitored. Age is recorded but not monitored.

23. It would be helpful if members would provide their views on how these two categories should be monitored; it is clear that both should be voluntary self classification, but less clear about whether options are provided or a blank space left in order for the member of staff or applicant for a job to complete. For example, for their information service Stonewall use the following categories:

• heterosexual
• gay man
• lesbian
• bisexual
• prefer not to answer
• other, please specify

24. For faith, it would appear that there are no ‘preferred’ options at this time and the only option may be a blank space. There is a further issue around gender. At present, the only options are male or female. It is suggested that there should be a third option such as 'transgender' or possibly ‘Other (please specify)’.

25. In addition, there needs to be some further work with colleagues in the GLA Group to improve the levels of representation of disabled people in the MPA.

C. Equality and diversity implications

This report is primarily concerned with recording and analysing HR activities in the MPA and their equality implications. The report directly addresses the impact upon gender and ethnic origin, but highlights the forthcoming implications of the European Union Employment Framework Directive – Council Directive 2000/78/EC of 27 November 2000 which establishes a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation and prohibits discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, religion or belief, disability, and age.

D. Financial implications

There are no direct financial implications as a result of this report.

E. Background papers

None

F. Contact details

Report author: Alan Johnson, HR, MPA

For more information contact:

MPA general: 020 7202 0202
Media enquiries: 020 7202 0217/18

Appendix 1

Ethnic origin of MPA staff (as at 31 March 2003)

Band 1 (approx £35k+) (% rounded up)

• 7 women (26%)
• 20 men (74%)

Band 2 (salaries up to £34,999)

• 19 women (46%)
• 22 men (54%)

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