Corporate report

Withdrawn: HMRC equality objectives - 2016 to 2020

Published 12 May 2016

This corporate report was withdrawn on 4 February 2021

This publication has been superseded by HMRC’s updated equality objectives for 2020 to 2024.

This publication has been superseded by HMRC’s updated equality objectives for 2020 to 2024.

Introduction

We are the UK’s tax, payments and customs authority, and we have a vital purpose: we collect the money that pays for the UK’s public services and help families and individuals with targeted financial support.

We do this by being impartial and increasingly effective and efficient in our administration. We help the honest majority to get their tax right and make it hard for the dishonest minority to cheat the system.

Our key objectives set by the government are to:

• maximise revenues due and bear down on avoidance and evasion
• transform tax and payments for our customers
• design and deliver a professional, efficient and engaged organisation

To enable the delivery of these business priorities we are focussed on making HMRC a modern, highly-efficient and more inclusive organisation, with a more professionalised and engaged workforce which better reflects the diversity of the society it serves. We continue to transform in size and shape and have committed ourselves to delivering further improvements to how we meet these key objectives.

Our revised equality objectives are set with these aims in mind.

Diversity, equality and inclusion are good for people and good for business. The best performing organisations in both the public and private sectors are those that commit resources to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion among their customers and in their workforce. We know that valuing and supporting the diversity of people’s backgrounds, economic activity and lifestyles is important for developing our understanding of our customers and employees and the vital contribution this makes in optimising our organisation’s performance.

Context – relevant legislation

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is a public body which, under the Public Sector Equality Duty in the Equality Act 2010, has a specific duty to publish one or more equality objectives to support the Department in meeting the aims of the general equality duty.

Section 149 of the Equality Act 2010 imposes a general equality duty that requires HMRC to have due regard to the need to:

• eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and any other conduct prohibited under the Act
• advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it
• foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it

The characteristics protected under the Act are:

• age
• disability
• gender reassignment
• pregnancy and maternity
• race
• religion or belief – this includes lack of belief
• sex
• sexual orientation
• marriage and civil partnership

Under the Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties) Regulations 2011, HMRC are required to publish one or more objectives we think we should achieve to do any of the things mentioned in the aims of the general equality duty. This had to be done for the first time by 6 April 2012 and subsequently at intervals of no more than four years.

HMRC published an inaugural set of high-level customer and employee focused equality objectives in April 2012. These have been revised to reflect the priority strategic equality issues within our organisation and are aimed at delivering improvements in our policy making, service delivery and employment.

Our approach

The equality objectives will be reflected in HMRC’s Diversity and Inclusion Strategy for 2016 to 2020. They will support the delivery of the diversity and inclusion goals to be outlined in the new strategy that mirror our priorities as aligned with the Civil Service Talent Action Plan. The equality objectives will be implemented through a strategic diversity and inclusion action plan and underpinned by specific actions and measures.

Informed by the equality data we hold these objectives reflect the areas on which we consider we should be giving greatest attention but they do not seek to reflect the entirety of our diversity, equality and inclusion activity.

These objectives were developed in consultation with our key internal and external stakeholders and partners.

While the objectives relate to the period 2016 to 2020, this is not a final and finished document. We will monitor performance and review, amend and update the objectives, as necessary, to ensure that the equality objectives are aligned and embedded into HMRC’s business plans.

We are committed to improving our understanding of the needs of our customers and employees. A better understanding of the needs of our employees will enable the provision of support so that they may give their best.

We will report annually on progress made against these objectives as part of the publication of customer and workforce diversity information.

HMRC’s strategic equality aims

Our key strategic equality aims are reflected in the revised equality objectives set out below.

Customer equality

• Customer understanding – developing our understanding about the impact of HMRC’s services on customers and identifying more clearly those who need enhanced support
• Digital services – aiming to provide digital services that are accessible and usable by the widest possible range of customers
• Customer services – continuing to ensure that our public sector duty is reflected in appropriate HMRC policies, processes, projects and training

Employee equality:

• Diverse workforce – creating and maintaining a diverse workforce that better reflects HMRC customer base
• Inclusive workplace culture – creating a working environment that values difference and fosters an inclusive workplace culture where HMRC employees from all backgrounds, can give their best, are treated fairly, are valued for their contributions, and where they can progress their careers

Customer focused equality objectives - 2016 to 2020

1. Customer understanding

We will further develop our understanding about the impact of our services on customers and identify more clearly those who need enhanced support.

We plan to:

• increase stakeholder engagement through a variety of consultation networks
• monitor and analyse customers’ use of enhanced support, undertaking, and publishing, research that reports feedback from those customer groups who need enhanced support
• monitor and analyse equality-related customer complaints
• use the information gained to support development of new policies and operational proposals

We will measure our progress by:

• reporting increased take up of enhanced support
• reporting equality-related complaints
• reporting satisfaction levels amongst specific equality groups

2. Digital services

We aim to provide digital services that are accessible and usable by the widest possible range of customers.

We plan to:

• develop awareness of the needs of those customers who have difficulties in accessing online services, providing assisted digital avenues and appropriate provision for the digitally excluded
• build accessible, online forms to be used by all our customers that are visible and clearly signposted, and which can be completed online and submitted electronically
• undertake, and publish, research that guides our priorities for remaining forms required to be made accessible and reports feedback on how those customer groups who need alternative provision have been supported

We will measure our progress by:

• delivering an increased number of online forms that meet the international standard for website accessibility (WCAG2.0 AA)

• identifying increased satisfaction, year-on-year, among those customer groups who need alternative provision

3.Customer service

We will continue to ensure that our public sector duty is reflected in appropriate HMRC policies, processes, projects and training.

We plan to:

• monitor policies, processes, projects and training to ensure that our public sector duty is reflected
• reach agreement with the Northern Ireland Equality Commission on the equality requirements in the Act
• continue to provide funding to voluntary and charity sector organisations who give advice and support to a diverse range of vulnerable groups

We will measure our progress by:

• reporting improvements, year-on-year, in customer satisfaction amongst our diverse groups of customers and reported satisfaction with our annual public sector equality duty reports
• reaching agreement with the Northern Ireland Equality Commission on a Northern Ireland Equality Scheme to demonstrate compliance with legislation
• measuring the effectiveness of the funding:
  • more eligible people claiming the tax credits, benefits and tax allowances to which they are entitled
  • an increase in how we and our customers are able to identify tax liability
  • greater tax compliance and awareness of the tax system
  • improved customer experience, as customers better understand their obligations and entitlements

Employee focused equality objectives - 2016 to 2020

4. Diverse workforce

We aim to create and maintain a diverse workforce that better reflects HMRC customer base.

We plan to:

• review and adjust HMRC’s aspirational representation targets for women and disabled, minority ethnic and LGB employees following analysis of relevant baseline data - we will report progress annually
• encourage completion of diversity data to raise declaration rates (ethnicity, disability, religion or belief and sexual orientation) to facilitate the monitoring of diversity within the workforce
• deliver the workforce plan for each year from 2016-17 to 2020-21 through internal and external recruitment, exit schemes, redeployment and cross-government working, consulting with trade unions on future workforce planning as appropriate
• undertake analysis of the talent programmes to monitor representation and, if appropriate, include a target to improve take up rates for employees with different protected characteristics
• report analysis of summary data on exits/leavers by protected characteristics and identify further actions aimed at balancing the overall picture
• develop an approach to increase social mobility in alignment with central Civil Service policies and strategies
• maximise our use of apprentices across key business areas whilst ensuring HMRC maintains its support for the government’s strategy

We will measure our progress by:

• increasing the representation rates of women, disabled, minority ethnic and LGB employees in senior grades
• an increase in positive declaration rates against the declaration targets for disability, ethnicity, religion or belief and sexual orientation
• increasing the number of successful talent programme applications from employees with different protected characteristics and the number of promotions gained
• a positive shift towards our workforce reflecting HMRC’s customer base

5. Inclusive workplace culture

We aim to create a working environment that values difference and fosters an inclusive workplace culture where HMRC employees from all backgrounds, can give their best, are treated fairly, valued for their contributions, and where they can progress their careers.

We plan to:

• undertake an analysis of the HMRC People Survey scores for ‘inclusion’ and ‘fair treatment’ and take action to address any concerns identified
• use targeted communications and learning interventions to increase awareness of diversity and inclusion
• identify and remove barriers that prevent employees from underrepresented groups realising their full potential and progressing their careers
• undertake analysis of performance marks to monitor and address any inconsistencies identified in the performance mark outturns at mid-year and end of year
• carry out equality analysis on proposed policies and assess the need to change practice where adverse impacts are identified
• work to ensure that HMRC employee policies reflect best practice on flexible working, as set out in government policy
• share and adopt best practice from across government departments and large organisations in other employment sectors

We will measure our progress by:

• achieving a positive change to diversity and inclusion measured through the inclusion and fair treatment scores in the HMRC People Survey/Pulse Survey
• a decrease in a number of employees reporting they have been bullied, harassed and/or been discriminated against in the HMRC People Survey results
• evaluation of the impact of diversity and inclusion activities showing that HMRC is moving positively towards creating an inclusive workplace culture