NHS DG Praised For Progress on Equality at Work

The Equally Safe at Work development level award confirms a pledge to prevent violence against women and advance gender equality.

Equally Safe at Work was developed by Close the Gap, Scotland’s expert policy advocacy organisation working on women’s labour market participation.

The Equally Safe at Work programme is a tried and tested way for employers to improve their practice, tackle the gender pay gap and better support victim-survivors in the workplace.

NHS Dumfries and Galloway were one of four pilot NHS Boards in Scotland to complete the accreditation process.

Anna Ritchie Allan, executive director of Close the Gap, said: “We’re delighted to award development accreditation to NHS Dumfries and Galloway which is a sector leader on gender equality at work.

“Violence against women affects all aspects of women’s lives, including the workplace. It can make it difficult for victim-survivors to do their job well, prevent them from progressing, and in some cases forces them out of their job altogether. For employers, this can mean reduced productivity, the cost of managing unplanned absences, and higher staff turnover.

“The Equally Safe at Work programme is a tried and tested way for employers to improve their practice, tackle the gender pay gap, and better support victim-survivors in the workplace.

“Employers that take steps to advance gender equality at work are more innovative, more productive, better able to manage skills gaps, and are more protected from the costly risk of discrimination.”

Pamela Jamieson, workforce director at NHS Dumfries and Galloway, said: “We are delighted to be one of the first four health boards to receive development level Equally Safe at Work accreditation.

“We know that advancing equality for women benefits everyone, both in the workplace and within wider society.

“As an organisation, we are committed to continuing to tackle gender inequality in the workplace via Equally Safe at Work as well as the implementation of recommendations emerging from the Voices for Change project.

“Working in partnership with the Women’s Staff Equality Network ensures that people with lived experience can have their voices heard.”