Ethenticity tick boxes on forms

[dave50]

If we are all supposed to be equal regardless of race or colour then why then why do most forms you fill in ask your ethenticity. If your colour doesnt matter then it shouldnt be relevant. The equality police cant have it both ways.

[jake-the-peg]

It isn't relevant Dave

It's not used in decision making, it's used in statistics for example to check that different ethnic groups are getting treated fairly.

So for example if a council discovered but that 90% of rejected parking fine appeals were against Indian claimaints they could investigate it.

Ethnicity questions are usually optional anyway.

- Bit of an old hat - "PR gone mad" whine though

[boxtops]

^ what trigs said

[tiggerblue10]

My ethinicity isn't even covered on those forms.

[brionon]

When they Should be asking what Football team you support !!!

[emmie]

i was asked about mine on a hospital complaints form, and i wasn't even the patient, so not sure what that was all about.

[boxtops]

Just making sure that all sectors of society are represented in the complaints process, em - if they found that one ethnic group isn't making complaints, it either means a) they're happy or b) they don't know how to complain - in which case, more information and leaflets in appropriate languages targeted to that group.

[emmie]

Boxy, made no difference, i didn't say, but surely someone might have guessed from my details.

[Carakeel]

The correct spelling is ethnicity, lol. As jake said, it is just for statistics, I think.

[boxtops]

For many people, you can't guess - religion for example, comes in all shapes and colours!

[emmie]

i think it's an exercise in futility, tick boxes that is, i mean you can put anything on these forms, religion, Jedi, ethnicity, martian, gender, spaced out

[boxtops]

Has to be done though, the NHS is penalised if it doesn't undertake ethnicity monitoring on everything it does.

[New Judge]

And so does every other government agency, boxtops.

It’s mainly as a result of Harriet Harman’s preposterous “Equalities Bill”. It’s added a whole new layer of costs to the public purse because these “statistics” have to be collated, processed, punched, filed, catalogued, computerised, stored, unstored, reported upon, discussed, debated and inwardly digested by one and all. The only thing that does not occur as a result of their collection is any action to address any problems (real or imaginary) that may be revealed from them. But never mind that. They provide a wealth of “activity” for armies of scribes, managers and executives. Here’s an example of one of the “jobs” on offer:

http://www.cardiff.ac...ect-officer-3865.html

Yes, only a job for two months, I know. But doubtless the work of the “Equality & Diversity Project Manager (and the rest of his/her/its team) in relation to the equality monitoring data requirements of the Strategic Equality Plan project” will go on apace long after the two month contract is ended (if indeed it is).

Worcestershire County Council (whom I’m certain are not alone) has developed a cosy industry monitoring “disability equality”. No fewer than fifteen council employees sit on their “disability monitoring group”:

http://www.worcesters...ality-monitoring.aspx

Fifteen people who no doubt meet at least once a month over tea and biscuits, when they could spend that time providing and improving the services for the good council taxpayers of the County.

Many of these same bodies also require their suppliers and contractors to behave in the same lunatic fashion as they must (even though they are not required to do so by law) before they will award any contracts. This adds considerably to those companies’ overheads, diverting their resources away from useful, productive work.

And the country is told that “savage cuts” are being made to bring down the financial deficit left by the last administration.

Yeah, right.