Disfigurement equality at work - research

Disfigurement equality at work: seeking HR /EDI participants

At Queen Mary University, London, we are aiming to improve workplace equality for people with disfigurements in the UK.

We want to find out how employers approach issues related to disfigurement in the workplace and to identify factors which may either help or hinder workplace equality for people with disfigurements.

The findings will be used to construct guidance for employers on how to create appearance-inclusive workplaces, and to ensure that staff with disfigurements are not disadvantaged. We are looking for participants to contribute to this aspect of the study. The research outcomes will, we hope, be useful to employers in the future.

You are eligible to participate if you are working, or have worked, in an HR, people management or equality diversity and inclusion role in a UK organisation. If you agree to participate, you will take part in either:

• An interview with a researcher to discuss your experiences (if any) of managing or supporting staff with disfigurements, and your views on related issues. Your personal and company details would be anonymised in research outputs; or

• A focus group to provide feedback on draft best-practice guidance drafted by us.

No prior experience of managing staff with disfigurements in the workplace is needed to take part. We are still keen to hear from you if you have not come across these issues before.

Each interview and focus group is likely to take around one hour. Focus groups will be held remotely at a convenient time. Interviews can be held either remotely or face to face (near London or Cambridge).

If you are interested in taking part, please email Dr Hannah Saunders (h.saunders@qmul.ac.uk) and we will send you a brief information sheet to help you decide. Thank you very much.