Background should not act as a handbrake on success, Co-op chief Shirine Khoury-Haq warns

Comments come as the company released a report about social mobility

Co-Op CEO Shirine Khoury-Haq, Manchester, Sept, 2022. Photo: Co-op

A person’s background should not limit their chances for success in life, the chief executive of The Co-op Group has warned.

Shirine Khoury-Haq’s comments come as the company released a report showing one in five adults believe they have missed out on a job because of their background, accent or social status.

And as many as one in 10 have been teased over their accent, leading some to change the way they speak during a job interview.

The Co-op said it was taking action to tackle the issue following its survey of 8,500 people found many people believe the opportunities available to them are fewer and the outlook tougher because of their background.

Ms Khoury-Haq, who recently featured in an Arab Showcase article in The National, said: “Too often our life chances are defined by things outside of our control, be that gender, ethnicity, disability or socio-economic background.

“It cannot be right that those from less advantaged backgrounds are almost twice as likely to end up in working class jobs than others from more privileged backgrounds. It's a question of fairness.

“Our evidence shows socio-economic background can act as a brake on progression and performance. This has to change.

“We want to lead by example, taking action to identify where unfairness is holding our people back.

“That's why we've announced a range of measures today to break through these barriers, and that's why we are also calling on the government and other parties to make it a priority in their manifesto – for socio-economic background to be made the 10th protected characteristic under the Equalities Act 2010 and it becoming illegal to discriminate against an individual because of their background.”

The Co-op through the years – in pictures

Shoppers outside the Co-Operative Society Ltd in East Ham, London, in 1929. All photos: Getty Images

Tea tasting and inspection at Co-Op Society warehouse in 1931

Due to two weeks’ delay in the delivery of tinned food, 'not for sale' signs are placed on items in this Co-op shop in St John's Wood Terrace, London, in 1941

Customers doing their weekly shop at Bexley Heath Co-Op supermarket in 1961

A manager and two assistants outside a Co-Op in 1963

A Co-Operative Society supermarket in 1967

The new logo of the Co-operative Society shops and bank in 1974

A Co-op provide essentials for residents after flooding in Mytholmroyd, West Yorkshire in December 2015

A Co-op supermarket worker loads a Starship delivery robot with groceries in Milton Keynes in 2020

The Co-op said it is introducing a business plan on social mobility, which includes changing internal job adverts to make it easier for staff to find a new role, continuing plans to improve its financial well-being offer to help employees be more financially resilient, and establishing a mentoring scheme for those from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

It will also look to publish a socio-economic class pay gap report next year.

Sarah Atkinson, chief executive of the Social Mobility Foundation, commented: “We welcome Co-op's ambitious plan to improve social mobility and smash the class ceiling.

“The workplace is as important as the classroom for improving social mobility, and it is excellent to see Co-op take a lead on this issue.”

Ms Khoury-Haq recently told The National how her original ambition, aged five, was to be a supermarket checkout assistant, after accompanying her mum on a trip to the shops one day and seeing a till filled notes and coins, which she thought belonged to the employee.

“I remember saying, ‘I want to do that job',” the Beirut-born executive said. “‘Look at all the money she has’, and my mother said: ‘Well, that’s not her money. It belongs to Safeway'.”