Data dilemma: Luton Borough Council struggles for staff to supply missing diversity information

Attempts to gather more equality information by Luton Borough Council are ongoing to support its employee recruitment.

The sensitive material would help the council with “job adverts and practices to attract and reach people from all backgrounds”, according to a report to its administration and regulation committee.

“This would ensure the workforce demographics at all levels reflects that of Luton’s multicultural community,” said the report.

But progress has been slow in persuading staff to complete the necessary paperwork.

Labour South councillor Paul Castleman told the committee: “It was a poor response.

“I can understand the service directors and HR are trying to encourage people to fill it in,” he said.

“I think a little more not so much pressure but encouragement is needed because it’s important, especially when we talk about diversity.”

Liberal Democrat Sundon Park councillor Clive Mead inquired: “Have we thought of bribery?

“If we say everyone who fills in the form that their names go in the hat and there’s a prize draw.

“I don’t know whether that’s legal or not, but that’s the only other idea I’ve got.”

Labour Leagrave councillor Waheed Akbar, who chairs the committee, asked: “Will it be bribery or incentive?”

The council’s service director HR and monitoring officer Angela Claridge wrestled back the initiative, saying: “I am not sure bribery is something we normally resort to.

“Let’s if we can go with the ‘strongly encourage’ and review it again in October.”

Deputy mayor and Labour Leagrave councillor Maria Lovell told the committee: “I agree with what the other members said.”

Councillor Akbar interrupted humorously: “The other members said bribery … do you agree with that?”

Councillor Lovell calmly replied: “Incentive, yes, to encourage people to complete the data.

“It’s essential we get this equalities charter out. And staff need to understand the importance of it for the future.”

The committee previously “expressed concern the council could be limited in ensuring policies and procedures are fair and inclusive to all, without having representative workforce equality data”, added the report.

“Of the council’s 3,000 staff, 1,000 are public facing and don’t have easy access to a computer, making them harder to reach.

“Missing sensitive data on the council’s HR database has been a historical problem.”

A report compiled after October’s committee meeting revealed the missing information for all staff as of December 2019.

This included 854 blank records for disability, 601 for religion, 576 for ethnicity, 619 for sexual orientation and 1,787 for sexual Identity.

The monitoring officer said: “There is always an element of staff who think it doesn’t have anything to do with their employer, who don’t get round to doing it or who don’t want us to know.”

Councillor Akbar asked: “Can we do something stronger legally?”

She replied: “We can’t force people to tell us. It’s somewhere between encouraging and absolutely forcing people.”

The committee agreed to note the report and support stronger encouragement of staff to respond.