Civil Service departments and agencies monitor their workforce to assess what the breakdown is, in terms of gender, ethnic origin, age, disability, and working patterns. Work is also under way on monitoring sexual orientation and religion / belief.
Data is collected through voluntary self surveys and stored confidentially. This information helps us to ensure our policies and procedures are fair and do not discriminate against any group of employees. (Departments and agencies also monitor applications to the Civil Service to ensure that the recruitment process is fair and non-discriminatory.)
Equality and diversity targets
The targets we have in place help measure how equality and diversity are managed and valued, and how well they are being integrated into business and workforce planning.
The main targets we aim to reach by 2013 (with a stretch target of doing so by 2011) are the following:
- 39% of the Senior Civil Service to be women (35.6% at September 2010).
- 34% of top management posts to be held by women (29.2% at September 2010).
- 5% of the Senior Civil Service to be minority ethnic staff (4.3% of the known population at September 2010).
- 5% of the Senior Civil Service to be disabled people (3.3% of the known population at September 2010).
More information about Civil Service statistics
Previous equality and diversity targets and progress
Benchmarking and celebrating our achievements
Many Civil Service departments and agencies are members of organisations like Race for Opportunity, Opportunity Now, Employers’ Forum on Disability, Stonewall and Employers’ Forum on Age.
Membership enables a benchmarking of our progress against other organisations, within and outside the public sector.