Diverse Names Are Autocorrected In Out-Of-Home Ads To Spotlight Ethnic Pay Gaps
The ethnic pay gap is a real and prevalent issue that stigmatizes hardworking individuals against their backgrounds. The causes of this are complex and multifaceted, with factors such as discrimination, unconscious bias, and structural inequalities playing a role.
Here to remind Brits and to get the government to instill ethnic pay reporting, as it has done for gender, is a series of posters and billboards that depict diverse names in text messages being autocorrected to English monikers.
The campaign was brought about by People Like Us, an organization that advocates for professionals in the journalism, marketing, and communications fields of Black, Asian, and Mixed Race backgrounds. It has worked with JCDecaux UK’s Community Channel to deliver the out-of-home spot.
In the campaign, one will see messages revolving around employees getting a raise in salary. Unfortunately, the name used is automatically corrected. For example, from Ayan to Alan, and from Roshi to Rosie. The idea is to show the systemic issue regarding paying people from minority backgrounds appropriately and also providing equal opportunities to all.
Per Famous Campaigns, a study held by the organization shows that those from diverse backgrounds are paid 16% less than their white coworkers.
“The problem with these clunky, and often, offensive autocorrections is that it perpetuates the myth that non-Anglophone names are foreign and difficult to pronounce.” Says co-founder Sheeraz Gulsher to the publication. “It reinforces a homogenous culture that excludes individuals with diverse backgrounds and undermines the efforts of organizations to promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Anyone with a diverse name can give you examples of it.”
Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, has backed the campaign and even tweeted about it.
If your name is autocorrected, chances are your pay packet might be too.
— Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan (@MayorofLondon) April 3, 2023
Nobody should be paid less because of the colour of their skin. That’s why I’m supporting this campaign from non-profit People Like Us asking the Govt to introduce mandatory ethnicity pay gap reporting.
[via The Drum and Famous Campaigns, cover image via People Like Us]
