Diversity, Equality & Inclusion Policy

Introduction

We are an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to equality of opportunity and to providing a service and following practices which are free from unfair and unlawful discrimination. The aim of this policy is to ensure that no person receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation, or is disadvantaged by conditions or requirements which cannot be shown to be relevant to performance. It also seeks to ensure that no person is victimised or subjected to any form of bullying or harassment.

Definitions of Equality, Inclusion and Diversity

The terms equality, inclusion, diversity, and equity are at the heart of this policy.  

Equality: means ensuring that everyone has the same opportunities to fulfil their potential free from discrimination. 

Inclusion: means ensuring everyone feels comfortable to be themselves at work and feels the worth of their contribution. 

Diversity: means the celebration of individual differences amongst the workforces. We will actively support diversity and inclusion and ensure that all our employees are valued and treated with dignity and respect. We want to encourage everyone in our business to reach their potential.

We value people as individuals with diverse opinions, cultures, lifestyles, and circumstances. All job applicants are covered by this policy, and it applies to all areas of employment including recruitment, selection, training, career development, and promotion. These areas are monitored, and policies and practices are amended if necessary to ensure that no unfair or unlawful discrimination, intentional, unintentional, direct, or indirect, overt, or latent exists.

Equality of opportunity, valuing diversity and compliance with the law is to the benefit of all individuals in our company as it seeks to develop the skills and abilities of its people. While specific responsibility for eliminating discrimination and providing equal opportunity lies with all managers and supervisors, individuals at all levels have a responsibility to treat others with respect and dignity. The personal commitment of every employee to this policy and application of its principles are essential to eliminate discrimination and provide equality throughout the company.

Discrimination  

You must not unlawfully discriminate against or harass other people including current and former employees, job applicants, clients, customers, suppliers, and visitors. This applies in the workplace, outside the workplace (when dealing with customers, suppliers, or other work-related contacts or when wearing a work uniform), and on work-related trips or events including social events.

The following forms of discrimination are prohibited under this policy and are unlawful:

• Direct Discrimination: treating someone less favourably because of a Protected Characteristic. For example, rejecting a job applicant because of their religious views or because of their sexual orientation.

• Indirect Discrimination: a provision, criterion or practice that applies to everyone   but adversely affects people with a particular Protected Characteristic more than others and is not justified. For example, requiring a job to be done full-time rather than part-time would adversely affect women because they generally have greater childcare commitments than men. Such a requirement would be discriminatory unless it can be justified.

• Harassment: this includes sexual harassment and other unwanted conduct related to a Protected Characteristic, which has the purpose or effect of violating someone’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for them. Harassment is dealt with further in our Anti-harassment and Bullying Policy.

• Victimisation: retaliation against someone who has complained or has supported someone else’s complaint about discrimination or harassment.

• Disability Discrimination: this includes direct and indirect discrimination, any unjustified less favourable treatment because of the effects of a disability, and failure to make reasonable adjustments to alleviate disadvantages caused by a disability.

Our Equal Opportunities Policy Statements

Age

We will ensure that people of all ages are treated with respect and dignity, given equal access to our employment, training, development and promotion opportunities and challenge discriminatory assumptions about younger and older people.

Disabilities

If you are disabled or become disabled, we encourage you to tell us about your condition so that we can support you as appropriate.

If you experience difficulties at work because of your disability, you should discuss any reasonable adjustments that would help overcome or minimise the difficulty with Robert or Caroline Brownlee. Rober or Caroline Brownlee  may wish to consult with you and your medical team about possible adjustments. We will consider the matter carefully and try to accommodate your needs within reason. If we consider a particular adjustment would not be reasonable, we will explain our reasons and try to find an alternative solution where possible.

We will monitor the physical features of our premises to consider whether they might place anyone with a disability at a substantial disadvantage. Where necessary, we will take reasonable steps to improve access.

Equal pay

We will ensure that all employees have the right to the same contractual pay and benefits for carrying out the same work, work rated as equivalent work or work of equal value.

Gender

As a company we will challenge discriminatory assumptions about gender, taking positive action to redress the negative effects of discrimination against employees and offer equal access to representation, services, employment, training and pay. Including the encouragement of other organisations to do the same, whilst providing support to prevent discrimination against transgender people who have or who are about to undergo gender reassignment.

Marriage or civil partnership

Employees will be treated with respect and dignity regardless of marriage or civil partnership status. Any challenging, or discriminatory assumptions about the marriage or civil partnership of our employees will be dealt with accordingly. Ensuring that no individual is disadvantaged as a result of their marriage or civil partnership status.

Part-time and Fixed-term Work

Part-time and fixed-term employees should be treated the same as comparable full-time or permanent employees and enjoy no less favourable terms and conditions (on a pro-rata basis where appropriate) unless different treatment is justified.

Pregnancy or maternity

Whilst an employee is pregnant or on maternity leave they will still be treated with respect and dignity. We will challenge any discriminatory assumptions about pregnancy or maternity and ensure that no individual is disadvantaged during pregnancy or maternity leave taking into account the needs of our employees’ during pregnancy or maternity leave.

Recruitment and Selection

Recruitment, promotion, and other selection exercises such as redundancy selection will be conducted based on merit, against objective criteria that avoid discrimination. Our recruitment procedures should be reviewed regularly to ensure that individuals are treated based on their relevant merits and abilities.

Vacancies should generally be advertised to a diverse section of the labour market. Advertisements should avoid stereotyping or using wording that may discourage particular groups from applying. 

All employees, workers, or self-employed contractors whether part time, full time or temporary, will be treated fairly and with respect. Selection for employment, promotion, training, or any other benefit will be on the basis of aptitude and ability.  All employees will be helped and encouraged to develop their full potential and the talents and resources of the workforce will be fully utilised to maximise the efficiency of the Company.

Job applicants should not be asked questions which might suggest an intention to discriminate on grounds of a Protected Characteristic. For example, applicants should not be asked whether they are pregnant or planning to have children.

Job applicants should not be asked about health or disability before a job offer is made. There are limited exceptions which should only be used with the approval of Robert or Caroline Brownlee.

We are required by law to ensure that all employees are entitled to work in the UK. Assumptions about immigration status should not be made based on appearance or apparent nationality. All prospective employees, regardless of nationality, must be able to produce original documents (such as a passport) before employment starts, to satisfy current immigration legislation. The list of acceptable documents is available from UK Visas and Immigration.

Religion or belief

We will ensure that employees’ religion or beliefs and related observances are respected and accommodated wherever possible and respect people’s beliefs where the expression of those beliefs does not impinge on the legitimate rights of others.

Race

As a company we will challenge racism wherever it occurs, responding swiftly and sensitively to any racist incidents and actively promote race equality and inclusion within the workplace. We will take positive action to redress the negative effects of discrimination against any individual and offer equal access for all to representation, services, employment, training and pay and encourage other organisations to do the same.

Sexual orientation

We will ensure that we take account of the needs of everyone, including the LGBTQ+ communities, promoting positive images of the LGBTQ+ communities whilst challenging any discriminatory assumptions about these. Including taking positive action to redress any negative effects of discrimination against any individual and offer equal access for all individuals to representation, services, employment, training and pay and encourage other organisations to do the same.

Training and Promotion and Conditions of Service

Training needs will be identified through annual performance reviews. You will be given appropriate access to training to enable you to progress within the organisation and all promotion decisions will be made on the basis of merit.

Our conditions of service, benefits and facilities are reviewed regularly to ensure that they are available to all of you who should have access to them and that there are no unlawful obstacles to accessing them.

Termination of Employment 

We will ensure that redundancy criteria and procedures are fair and objective and are not directly or indirectly discriminatory.

We will also ensure that disciplinary procedures and penalties are applied without discrimination, whether they result in disciplinary warnings, dismissal, or other disciplinary action.

Responsibilities

All the management team  must set an appropriate standard of behaviour, led by example, and ensure that those they manage adhere to the policy and promote our aims and objectives with regard to equal opportunities. The management team will be given appropriate training on equal opportunities awareness and equal opportunities recruitment and selection best practice. 

Caroline Brownlee has particular responsibility for implementing and monitoring the Equality and Diversity policy and, as part of this process, all personnel policies and procedures are administered with the objective of promoting equality of opportunity and eliminating unfair or unlawful discrimination. 

The policy will be communicated to all private contractors reminding them of their responsibilities towards the equality of opportunity.

The policy will be implemented in accordance with the appropriate statutory requirements and full account will be taken of all available guidance and in particular any relevant codes of practice.

Our Commitment as an Employer

The Company is committed to: 

• Creating an environment in which individual differences and the contributions of our employees are recognised and valued.

• Everyone is entitled to a working environment that promotes dignity and respect to all. No form of intimidation, bullying or harassment will be tolerated.

• Providing training, development, and progression opportunities to all employees.

• Understanding equality and inclusion in the workplace is good management practice and makes sound business sense.

• Reviewing all our employment practices and procedures to ensure fairness and inclusion for all.

• Taking steps to ensure equity amongst our workforce such as ensuring that our vacancies are advertised to a diverse range of potential candidates and, where relevant, to particular groups that have been identified as disadvantaged or underrepresented in our Company, taking positive action to recruit less able or people living with disabilities and ensuring there are no unlawful barriers to accessing our employment opportunities, training, progression opportunities, benefits and facilities.

• Diversity in our workforce will be regularly monitored to ensure equal opportunities throughout the Company. Where appropriate, measures will be taken to identify and remove unnecessary obstacles and to meet the special needs of disadvantaged or underrepresented groups.

• Monitoring and reviewing this policy annually.

Our Commitment as a Service Provider

The Company is committed to: 

• Providing services to which all clients are entitled regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

• Making sure our services are delivered equally and meet the diverse needs of our service users and clients.

• Taking steps to ensure equality  amongst our clients and service users such as removing any unlawful obstacles to accessing our services or facilities. Where appropriate, measures will be taken to identify and remove unnecessary barriers and to meet the special needs of disadvantaged or underrepresented groups.

• Fully supporting this policy by our management team  and ensuring agreement has been reached with employee representatives, if applicable.

• Monitoring and reviewing this policy annually.

• Having clear procedures that enable our clients, candidates for jobs and employees to raise a grievance or make a complaint if they feel they have been unfairly treated.

Your Commitment as an Employee

You can contribute by:

• Not discriminating against fellow employees, workers, clients, suppliers, or members of the public with whom you come into contact with during the course of your employment and duties.

• Not inducing or attempting to induce others to practice unlawful discrimination.

• Reporting any discriminatory action to management.

The successful achievement of these objectives necessitates a contribution from everyone, and you and you have an obligation to report any act of discrimination known to you.

If you consider that you are a victim of unlawful discrimination you may raise the issue through the grievance procedure.

Breaches of this Policy

We take a strict approach to breaches of this policy, which will be dealt with in accordance with our Disciplinary Procedure. Serious cases of deliberate discrimination may amount to gross misconduct resulting in dismissal.

If you believe that you have suffered discrimination you can raise the matter through our Grievance Procedure or through our Anti-harassment and Bullying Policy as appropriate. Complaints will be treated in confidence and investigated as appropriate.

There must be no victimisation or retaliation against employees who complain about discrimination. However, making a false allegation deliberately and in bad faith will be treated as misconduct and dealt with under our Disciplinary Procedure.