SPE to Host 'World First' Event on Workplace Discrimination

The Society of Petroleum Engineers announced Monday that it will host a "world-first event" next month that will highlight workplace discriminatory issues within the oil and gas industry.

The event, "Breaking the Cycle of Discrimination – Workplace Challenges in the Oil and Gas Industry", will feature keynote addresses from Scottish Energy Minister Fergus Ewing and Skills Development Scotland Director Mike Duncan. It will also see speeches given by representatives of a number of major oil and gas operators, service companies and industry bodies, including Royal Dutch Shell, ConocoPhillips, Total, Schlumberger, Halliburton, Baker Hughes, Decom North Sea and Oil & Gas UK.

The event will include new research data made available by several international companies into the realities of workplace interaction, team dynamics and recruitment. It will also feature real case studies.

Ross Lowdon, the newly-appointed chairman of SPE Aberdeen, commented in a statement:

"Much progress is being made to battle discrimination within the workplace, specifically within the oil and gas industry. People are generally afraid to express themselves and their actual views on such issues – more often than not, we spend more time at work than we do at home; hence we should be all comfortable with the environment we work in and the culture we are a part of.

"This international workshop will take the workplace discrimination issues a step further and address those areas where we must work together to introduce best practice.  This unique workshop will offer our industry another perspective on what matters most – our people."

The event will take place at Norwood Hall Hotel in Aberdeen on October 1 and 2.

http://www.spe.org/events/14aas2/pages/about/index.php