Tracey Paxton, Executive Board Member and D&I Lead, Employee Assistance Professionals Association (EAPA)

Tracey Paxton, Executive Board Member and D&I Lead, Employee Assistance Professionals Association (EAPA) 

Now, more than ever, we need to ensure we provide the right services and support for people from a black and minority ethnic (BAME) background in the right way, with the appropriate skills and knowledge, at the right times. The Covid-19 outbreak has disproportionately affected BAME groups according to Public Health England; and economic recession will only heighten questions around equality of opportunity.

EAPA UK was founded on the principles of fairness and that all regardless of their background should have the same opportunities and access to care and support. As the body representing the interests of the industry, we want to support EAP members in working to eradicate all forms of racism, whether overt, insidious or structural. That means making sure we keep up the conversation with our members, listening and learning how we can all best address issues of racism – how we can become an active part of the solution and bring about long lasting change.

Most importantly, what are we going to do in practice? Members have been in contact to discuss ideas and we’re committed to making them happen. For example: 

• to make EAPs a safe space for BAME members to express the challenges they face without judgement or fear of repercussion;
• encourage the membership to learn and engage more through literature to support greater understanding, awareness and active change of racist and/or discriminatory practice;
• create a culture of challenging racist and/or discriminatory behaviours;
• hold a profession-wide online event, led by members of the BAME community, for a candid conversation about racism and discrimination, and support cultural change within the profession;
• and, promote greater visibility of BAME members across EAPA communications channels in order to improve representation across the website and social media channels.

The profession as a whole needs to know more, find out more, be involved in more research into the reality of the BAME experience in workplaces. Most of all that involves members engaging more with BAME individuals and communities to understand the lived realities of employees and their challenges. And to make sure the conversation is ongoing, that diversity and equality stay on the agenda.