Inclusion in finance: It is time to think 'same, but different'

Equality does not mean identical treatment

“I don’t see colour,” the managing director proudly proclaimed. “I treat everyone exactly the same.” I am sure I am not the only one who has heard this many times.

"That makes perfect sense, if you don't think about it for very long," is how I respond these days. I have long accepted my sense of humour is not for everyone. Despite many such individual claims of identical treatment for all in the UK financial services sector, it is clear from the evidence that at some level - some very senior level - that people are not being treated "exactly the same" in the UK finance sector.  Two in five (41%) financial services employees in the UK also have a parent in the same sector, compared with a national average of 12% across all sectors.   Closing t...