Ageism & Protected Characteristics

In this informative video, Sophie discusses protected characteristics, such as age, and what to do if you feel you’re being treated unfairly in your workplace.

Hi, guys. I'm here today to talk to you about diversity, equality, and inclusion.

Now, some protected characteristics cannot be seen. Some disabilities are not visible as we know, and some people may be thinking, "Do I or do I not have any of these protected characteristics?"

Age & Feeling Judged

I'd like to talk about age. Age is a protected characteristic, and I've experienced a lot of judgment because of my age. A lot of people think that I don't have an experience, that I might be a student because I look younger or of my actual age.

Now, this is not true. Experience is not always based upon someone's age. It's based upon the experiences that they've had and the skills that they've got, not time spent.

I've been qualified for nine years this year and I'm a student mentor, I'm a Nurse Prescriber, and I'm now currently a Nurse Specialist in hepatology. So that is quite a lot in the nine years. I've obviously done the other things that go alongside that that we can't get when we register as a nurse, or back then we couldn't, like phlebotomy, venipuncture, that sort of thing.

Although it's obvious that I'm quite young, there are many characteristics out there that we can't see, and I think often we judge, based on many of the characteristics.

With a lot of employers, you can feel judged when they meet you because there is that human factor. We are made to make our minds up on someone in the first few seconds that we meet them. That is just how we're made up. But, as long as we're aware of that and we don't judge or make assumptions and we get to know someone, then that is okay.

Some protected characteristics I obviously don't have, and that is a good thing because in one way I can be an advocate for those who have these protected characteristics. I'm always looking out for anyone who's not being included, anybody who's not being treated fairly, and equally.

It's not about treating everybody as equals because we’re not all the same: we have different needs and different functions and different skills. So, we all need to be treated as a person.

Do Employers Focus Too Much On Statistics?

Now, when we are applying for jobs or as an employer, I think a lot of employers look at their protected characteristics and the statistics of the diversity that they have between their staff in nursing.

There is quite a high focus on having to have protected characteristics in the workplace with the statistics and meeting the targets with those.

Sometimes when you don't have any protected characteristics, this can go against you when going for a new job role, and that shouldn't be the case. We should not be employing anybody based on statistics or based on protected characteristics alone. We should be employing someone because they are suitable and the best person for the job.

But unfortunately, this does go on. If you do see this going on or any inequalities in the nursing workplace, you must raise this, and obviously, this goes back to whistleblowing.

Now, I know a lot of you may be concerned or worried about whistleblowing. But in all of our workplaces there are channels to whistle blow confidentially, but sometimes it is good to not be anonymous, then you can get feedback on the situation and you can see how it was dealt with rather than if you were anonymous, you may not get any feedback from that. That's completely your choice.

Diversity, equality, and inclusion is in all of our workplaces in different ways, good and bad.

Experience is not always based upon someone's age. It's based upon the experiences that they've had and the skills that they've got, not time spent.

Awareness Days In The Workplace

Now, in our workplaces, we often celebrate different awareness days; we might have Black History Month or Disability Awareness Days, or different awareness days that the workplaces celebrate.

Now, I sometimes think that I don't know whether it's a good idea that we have these awareness days or not, because I feel like perhaps it makes a gap because we should already be aware of these things, but not to the point where we need to high highlight it as an issue.

I think it's quite controversial and it's quite mixed. But openly and honestly, I feel that sometimes awareness days, if they are done in the wrong way, then sometimes it does create a gap to say, for example, Black History Month, "This is how history was and this is how we are today in the present day." It's great to see how things have changed and stuff, but I think it highlights and it targets a protected characteristic. I just don't know sometimes if the awareness days are done in the best way.

But have a think, when you see your next awareness day in the workplace or it might not even be at work, it might be in the shopping center or in your GP practice. Have a look at their board and their table where they're doing the awareness. If there's people there, ask the questions, but I've found that it is quite controversial, and I don't know whether sometimes it's often done in the right way.

What To Do If You’re Being Treated Unfairly

Just to remind you that if you are suffering any diversity, inequality, or inclusion issues in the workplace, you must escalate this because this is not okay.

If you do have protected characteristics, or even if you feel that you're being bullied or there's unfairness, it doesn't have to follow a protected characteristic. If you feel that you are being treated unfairly and you're not being included and you feel that way, then you have the right to escalate that to whoever you may feel comfortable with.

You have your speak up guardians, your manager, line managers. It could even be occupational health. Anyone in the workplace is trained to deal with these issues, especially the speak-up guardian and your line manager.

Sometimes it's the line manager that maybe included in these inequalities, and you may want to look elsewhere for assistance or escalations. So, you can talk to your other managers or anyone in the wellbeing services.

But I do hope that we don't face inequalities as much as the media says that we do in nursing, because nursing is a role where we're supposed to be passionate, kind, caring and nurturing. It really upsets me to think that in that profession, staff are being unkind and treating people unfairly.

The only way to stop these things from happening, if they are happening, is to speak up and to talk to someone, because otherwise things will never change. If we don't ever speak up, we won't be able to make a change.

I hope you have found my video helpful and informative, and I hope that it's given you the courage to speak up if you need to, or maybe it's just given you a second opinion on how you used to see things or how you felt before.

It'd be great to see that in your comments below.

Thank you.