Striving For Fairness

Joanne Lockwood speaks with EDI coach and consultant Pamela Permalloo Bass about what it really means to strive for fairness in workplaces and wider society.

Drawing on Pamela’s experience in NHS roles and consulting, they explore how inequity shows up through organisational structures, hierarchy, and decision-making, and why data alone (including workforce equality standards) is only a starting point unless organisations also listen to the lived realities behind the numbers. The conversation looks at barriers to progression, the “sticky floor,” and how fairness, trust, and psychological safety shape whether people feel able to speak up and thrive.

They also discuss how broader social narratives and policy debates influence workplace culture, and move into practical examples of inclusion in everyday working life: commuting and remote work, retention, and how social norms like alcohol-centred events or one-size-fits-all workplace expectations can unintentionally exclude people. The episode closes with reflections on fairness at a societal level, including wealth distribution and ideas such as universal basic income.