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PA Enterprise
‘Unconscious bias training’
to be scrapped by ministers
Unconscious bias training is being scrapped for civil servants in England, with
ministers saying it does not work. The training, intended to tackle patterns of
discrimination and prejudice, is used in many workplaces.
The government says there is no evidence it such training changes behaviour - and that it can
changes attitudes - and is urging other public “backfire” and create a negative response.
sector employers to end this type of training. A written ministerial statement from Cabinet
But race equality campaigner Halima Begum Office minister Julia Lopez will announce
said the government “mustn’t backtrack on anti- “unconscious bias training does not achieve its
racism training”. intended aims. It will therefore be phased out in
the civil service”.
Discrimination “We encourage other public sector employers to
Lucille Thirlby, assistant general secretary of the do likewise,” she says, urging the end to training
FDA civil servants’ union, called on ministers to which has been widely used to address bias in
say “what are you going to replace it with”. race, gender and sexuality.
“How will they ensure people are not But it has also been caught up in “culture war”
discriminated against? It’s easier to attack arguments and accusations over “political
something than do something positive about it,” correctness”.
she said.
Unconscious bias training is an attempt to ‘No evidence’
challenge prejudiced ways of thinking that could The government says it is “determined to
unfairly influence decisions - such as who might eliminate discrimination in the workplace”, but
get a job or a promotion. unconscious bias training is the wrong approach.
It can be prejudiced behaviour, based on The Government Equalities Office says there has
assumptions about others, that people are not been “no evidence” that the training improved
aware of themselves. workplace equality.
But the government says there is no proof that Among the researchers cited is psychologist
PA Enterprise is published by
12 December 2020/January 2021
