Gender Equity
Understanding gender perception is essential in today’s workplace.
At HR Habitat, we know that bias isn’t always visible — it lives in the way men and women are perceived. These subtle judgments quietly shape decisions on hiring, performance management, pay, disciplinaries, sickness, and redundancies. That’s why we developed our Gender Equity Diagnostic (GED): a unique framework applied across every HR matter to expose hidden risks, protect businesses, and promote fairness for both men and women.
Why Gender Equity Matters
Gender equity isn’t just about compliance – it’s about business performance.
Research shows that biased decision-making damages retention, slows promotion pipelines, and increases tribunal risk. In 2024, tribunal awards for sex discrimination rose by 42%, with average payouts reaching £53,403 (Ministry of Justice). For SMEs, even one case can have lasting financial and reputational impact.By embedding gender equity into your HR strategy, you don’t just reduce litigation risk — you improve leadership, strengthen culture, and unlock the full potential of your workforce.
The Gender Perception Gap
At the core of our work is the Gender Perception Gap: the disconnect between how men and women are perceived, and the reality of their capabilities.
Women may be seen as less strategic or less committed.
Men may be unfairly judged as less empathetic or less flexible.
Both are disadvantaged when decisions are driven by assumptions rather than evidence.
Our GED framework identifies these systemic, unconscious, and subconscious biases — ensuring every HR decision is tested for equity.
Our Gender Equity Services
We integrate gender equity into all areas of our HR consultancy for SMEs:
Recruitment & Interviews → Bias-aware frameworks to ensure fair candidate evaluation.
Performance Management → Equity-focused review tools that reduce perception-driven scoring.
Grievances & Disciplinaries → GED applied to uncover hidden bias in conflict handling.
Sickness & Absence → Sensitive, equitable responses to health-related issues.
Redundancies & Restructures → Bias checks to protect against unfair selection and discrimination claims.
Unlike other HR consultants, we don’t just resolve the issue on the table. We solve it and scrutinise for unseen risks, protecting leaders from surprises later.
