At Accountancy Hub we are here for trainees and the future of the  profession. We want to ensure no-one feels excluded or at a disadvantage.

Here are some practical resources to support you through your studying journey, focusing on:

  • neurodiversity, disability and mental health conditions

  • being new to the corporate world

  • religious holidays and studying

  • ethnicity and how to be an ally

  • gender, sexuality and the challenges different genders face in the workplace

Diversity

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Inclusion

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Health

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Wellbeing

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Diversity ✳︎ Inclusion ✳︎ Health ✳︎ Wellbeing ✳︎

Ready, Set, Learn

Our top tips for trainees who are neurodivergent, disabled or have a mental health condition.

    • Inform the ACCA/ICAEW immediately in order to secure extra time or other reasonable adjustments for the exams

    • Inform your manager: they can only support you if you tell them how you work at your best. Under the Access to Work Scheme, you are entitled to practical support including equipment and software. Ask your manager about this

    • Inform your training provider ahead of the first college class: ensure that your tutors are aware and can incorporate extra time or adjustments into their class plans

    • ADHD Works has produced a template email that you can send to your manager or early careers team to make them aware of your ADHD. Check out resources and templates on their website

    • Dyslexia resources can be found here

    • Autism resources for employees can be found here - from diagnosis to loneliness, mental health and behaviour

    • Dyspraxia resources for employees can be found here

    • Mental health resources can be found on the Mind website

    • MS resources can be found here

    • Crones & Colitis resources can be found here

The Worry Trick

Feeling like there is too much to do? Are you overwhelmed and not sure where to start?

  • Write down a list of all your worries on a page in a notebook or A4 piece of paper. One at a time, go through each, deciding if this is a worry you can either:

    1) Defer

    2) Remove

    3) Act on

  • If this worry is not happening immediately, set a date to worry about this later down.

    the line e.g. defer to next Friday or to the following month. You can come back to this worry but it is not something you will think about until that date. Write DEFER TO XXX next to the worry.

  • Review the worry and establish if it is something worth worrying about. Will worrying change the outcome of the situation? What are the facts? If it is something like a concerning project or a presentation, remind yourself that you are capable, intelligent, and you will be well prepared. There is no more you can do than that. Cross the worry off the list!

  • If the worry is happening soon or immediately, do the worrying here and now. Set yourself a 5 minute timer and worry. Worry worry worry. Write down a positive action you can do to make yourself feel better about whatever the worry is. Then cross off the worry.

    Worrying is over.

  • NHS :Tackling your Worries

    Psychology Today: How to Stop Worrying

Navigating the corporate world

Top tips and advice for when you’re new to corporate life.

  • You were hired because of who you are, so don’t try too hard to ‘fit in’ and remember what you bring to the table.

  • Making connections across your team, department and even the company as a whole will provide you with opportunities now and in the future.

  • Politics and competitiveness are an inescapable part of corporate life to an extent but try to stay away from gossip and always support others following in your footsteps.

  • As tempting as it might be, you will set a precedent and this could lead to being overworked and eventually burn out. Recognise your capacity and don't be afraid to negotiate timings and deadlines to complete tasks in a manageable way.

  • The world has changed since Covid-19 and the majority of workplaces have a ‘dress for your diary’ policy. If in doubt, go smarter rather than more casual.

  • As tempting as it is once you’re on good terms with a client or colleague, refrain from using slang in emails or professional documents.

  • You bring a fresh perspective to the workplace and innovation is crucial for businesses to stay relevant. If you see something that could be done differently or more effectively, why not share it?

Studying during Ramadan

Ramadan can be a tricky time for work and study. We recommend adapting your routine and setting clear boundaries.

  • Reflect on when you can study most effectively. For example, you might find you are more alert, motivated and hydrated in the morning before work rather than the evening, after work.

  • Setting boundaries in your work and personal life is even more important if you are studying and working full-time during Ramadan. Ensure your colleagues know that you have exams coming up, block out study time/exam dates in your work calendar and prioritise exams if you can.

  • Fasting and not drinking water from sunrise to sunset is undoubtedly going to reduce your energy levels and make it more difficult to work and study. Give yourself some grace, understand when you CAN study effectively and do your best.

  • The discipline required during Ramadan can also be applied to completing your accountancy studies - remember your ‘why’. Why are you studying for this qualification? What are your motivations? Keep sight of the end goal to boost your ambitions during Ramadan.

Coming out in the workplace

You should not feel pressure to come out at work but if you’d like to, we have some helpful advice and information to support you with this decision.

  • Coming out as Bi, Pan, Lesbian, Ace, Gay or any other identity at work probably won’t need to be a dedicated conversation. It might just be you mentioning your partner in passing, or that you’re part of your company’s LGBTQIA+ network.

    People might assume that you are straight, and could be surprised when you correct them, especially if you’re Bi or Pan and they know about people of the opposite gender you’ve dated in the past. That doesn’t mean they won’t be totally accepting of you and your identity, and they might be a bit embarrassed that they made the assumption in the first place. My top tip is to keep the conversion moving and don’t dwell on what might have been an awkward moment.

    Remember: you don’t have to come out to anyone, including work colleagues, if you don’t want to!

  • Coming out as trans or non-binary might look a bit different, especially if you want to present yourself differently to better align with your gender.

    To ensure your gender is affirmed by your colleagues and others, it’s worth talking to your line manager/HR, or someone you trust at your company, to discuss what changes you want to happen. If your company has an LGBTQIA+ network, they’ll be able to support you as well.

    Policies / processes:

    It’s becoming increasingly common for organisations to have specific policies that support trans and non-binary people in the work place. This will explain what you can expect from your company, line manager and HR, and what processes you need to follow to access support. For example, changing your name or gender on systems, changing your email address or notifying colleagues / clients of your name or pronouns. This could help you decide what next steps you want to take.

    • Think about what you want to happen next (do you want them to tell other people on your behalf? Do you want them / your team to use different pronouns or a different name for you?)

    • If telling them face to face (or on video) is making you feel really nervous, consider writing them an email instead, with a follow up conversation in person

    • It’s not your responsibility to educate them, if you don’t want to. LGBT+ charities such as Stonewall have plenty of information available.

Challenges for women in the workplace

This information likely, though not exclusively, relates to situations women in their early careers may experience.

Trigger warning: this content contains mention of sexual harassment and sexual assault.

  • Firstly, you may have entered an organisation which has disproportionately more men than women in senior roles. If this is the case, it can sometimes be difficult to express your opinions confidently or feel your opinions matter in a room of senior men.

    • Build your confidence gradually by expressing a thought or opinion and asking what others think. Often it is easier to be one of the first people to speak in a meeting, so speak up early if you can

    • If expressing an idea or opinion is no problem, it might be that you feel your opinions aren’t being recognised and valued. In this case, follow up with individuals after the meeting and ask what they thought about a particular suggestion. It might be that so many suggestions were being thrown out, that yours was forgotten rather than not heard or valued

  • As a junior member of staff it is understandable that a certain number of administration tasks will be delegated your way, and these tasks are often important and a good way to learn the fundamentals of a role. If however, you find you are not progressing from these roles over time, try the below:

    • Speak to your line manager about how you can take on more responsibility and this may involve delegating some of the more administrative duties to someone else, or sharing them. Be aware of your time and how much you can realistically take on without being too stretched

  • Social events and offering teas/coffees to colleagues is hugely important and contributes to good team morale and a positive workplace culture. However, if you find you or women in general are the only ones opting in to these activities, there is gender imbalance:

    • Ask your male colleagues if they would like to get involved with organising social events for the team. It might be that no-one has ever asked and they’d love to help!

    • This is controversial but if you find you are the only one offering those around you drinks, stop doing it. You might be ambitious, hard working, full of exceptionally brilliant ideas, but some people might only see you are the tea woman. Until it’s reciprocated, leave your excellent tea-making abilities to your private life!

  • Whilst this is vital to a positive workplace culture as well as the financial resilience and profitability of the organisation, this should not be solely down to you and other marginalised groups:

    • If you feel that only women are taking on EDI roles in your team or department, reach out to men and non-binary individuals for their advocacy and involvement

    • It is worth noting that that unless EDI forms part of your performance goals, it is unlikely that EDIactivities will be considered when it comes to performance ratings and promotion opportunities. Taking on internal EDI responsibilities can be brilliant at developing and showcasing your leadership capabilities so if you can, ensure EDI activities DO form part of your performance objectives. Speak to your line manager or people lead about this

  • Unfortunately we live in a world where harassment and assault still takes place and is often gender motivated. Here is our advice for if you feel you may have been a victim of sexual assault or harassment:

    • Talk to a trusted friend or family member about what happened. It is important that you don’t keep the information to yourself and talking to people is not to necessarily seek advice, but to verbalise what happened to you in a caring and understanding environment

    • Seek support. This could be from a healthcare professional like your GP, a charity specialising in assault and harassment, or the samaritans (they offer 24 hour support, you do not need to be suicidal)

    • Look after yourself. It might take some time for you to recognise what happened to you, or that it was indeed assault or harassment, and that is normal. Try to eat healthily, rest, exercise and do whatever makes you feel like yourself

    • Report when the time feels right. Reporting is not something you need to do and many individuals never report instances of harassment or assault - that is your decision to make. If you do decide to report, we suggest you report to the police, your HR department or via your organisation’s whistleblowing policy (or all of the above). The more women that speak out, the quicker societal and organisational change can occur

    • The NHS website has useful resources and gives advice on how to support someone who you know is a victim of sexual assault

    • Rape Crisis England & Wales has a 24/7 support line or you can chat to someone via their website

    • Galop support individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community who have experienced abuse and violence

    • Men and non-binary individuals can be victims too of course and Survivors UK offers support via a helpline or text service, as does the charity Respect

    • The Havens are specialist centres in London for victims of rape and sexual assault (in the last 12 months). If you’re not ready to talk to the police just yet, the Havens can provide medical help and emotional support in confidence. They also have a 24/7 support service

    • The Metropolitan Police has an information page about how to report rape and sexual assault; either via phone, online, in person or even anonymously

    • Rights of Women is a brilliant website offering all kinds of legal information as well as an advice line (all for free!). Areas of support include sexual harassment at work, family law advice, criminal law advice, and immigration & asylum advice

Ethnicity

Scan our QR code to the left to view the seven steps to impactful anti-racist allyship, courtesy of Deborah Harris and The Confidence Vault.