Our commitment and aims
We are committed to providing equality of opportunity in our employment practices and procedures by respecting and valuing the positive impact a diverse workforce brings to our culture. We aim to avoid unlawful discrimination being suffered by our employees, job applicants, clients, customers, workers, or volunteers. We aim to encourage equity of opportunity by allocating or reallocating resources fairly and without discrimination, taking steps to redress any existing inequalities or unfairness in how current resources are distributed or current processes and practices are undertaken.
We aim to apply the principles of fairness to ensure that the diverse needs of individuals are respected, so that all individuals have equal opportunities within the workplace and have their rights protected.
We will not discriminate directly or indirectly in recruitment or employment because of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, pregnancy, maternity, race (which includes colour, nationality and ethnic or national origins), sexual orientation, religion, or belief, or because someone is married or in a civil partnership. These are known as “protected characteristics”.
We will offer varying levels of support for those who have a protected characteristic depending upon the need, with the aim to cultivate equity of opportunity and achieve greater fairness of outcomes.
We will not discriminate unlawfully against customers, contractors, suppliers, or visitors using or attempting to use the goods, facilities, and services that we provide.
The aim of this policy is to assist us in putting this commitment into practice to ensure all our employees are treated fairly, respectfully and without prejudice, so that they are able to maximise their full potential, and do not commit or are not subjected to unacceptable and unlawful acts of discrimination.
Our policy is implemented in accordance with the Equality Act 2010 and all other appropriate statutory requirements and has been compiled after consideration of all available guidance and relevant Codes of Practice.
We will strive to ensure that our work environment remains positive, free from harassment and bullying, and that everyone is treated with dignity and respect at all times in maintaining and sustaining equal opportunities and diversity in employment.
What’s the difference between equality and equity?
Equality is about treating everyone the same, whereas equity, and inclusion, is about how equality only works if everyone is the same. Therefore, as we are not all the same, we need to adapt systems for different people and challenge systems that lead to disadvantage.
Equality involves treating people the same. Equity, and inclusion, is about making sure people can access the same opportunities. To support this process, we need to adapt systems for different people depending on need, and challenge systems that lead to disadvantage.
Types of unlawful discrimination
Direct discrimination
Direct discrimination is where a person is treated less favourably than another because of a protected characteristic. An example of direct sex discrimination would be refusing to employ a candidate because they are pregnant.
Indirect discrimination
Indirect discrimination is where a provision, criterion or practice is applied that is discriminatory, in relation to individuals that have a protected characteristic. However, for there to be a claim of indirect discrimination the provision, criterion or practice must also:
- be to the detriment of people who share the particular protected characteristic compared with people who do not;
- not be a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim.
Harassment
Harassment is where there is unwanted conduct related to one of the prohibited grounds which has the purpose of violating a person’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating, or offensive environment. Harassment will have taken place in such circumstances even if this effect was not intended by the person responsible for the conduct.
Associative discrimination
Associative discrimination is where an individual is directly discriminated against or harassed due to their association with another individual who has a protected characteristic.
Perceptive discrimination
Perceptive discrimination is where an individual is directly discriminated against or harassed due to a mistaken perception that they have a particular protected characteristic.
Failure to make reasonable adjustments
Failure to make reasonable adjustments is where a physical feature or a provision, criterion or practice puts a disabled person at a substantial disadvantage compared with someone who does not have a disability and the employer has failed to make reasonable adjustments to enable the disabled person to overcome the disadvantage.
Victimisation
Victimisation occurs where an employee is subjected to a detriment, because they made or supported a complaint or raised a grievance under the Equality Act 2010, or because they are suspected of doing so. However, an employee is not protected from victimisation if they gave false evidence or information, or made a false allegation, if the evidence or information is given, or the allegation is made, in bad faith.
Dignity at work
Responsibilities
You are required to support us in meeting our commitment to provide equal opportunities in employment and to avoid unlawful discrimination.
If you commit serious acts of harassment, you may be guilty of a criminal offence. As well as exposing us to liability for unlawful discrimination, you can be held personally liable for such acts.
Acts of discrimination, harassment, bullying or victimisation against you or customers are disciplinary offences and will be dealt with under our disciplinary procedure. Such acts may in certain circumstances be tantamount to gross misconduct and could lead to your summary dismissal.
Redress
If you consider that you may have been unlawfully discriminated against or been the victim of a breach of this policy, you may use our grievance procedure to make a complaint.
We will take all complaints seriously and will seek to resolve any grievance which we uphold.
You will not be penalised for raising a grievance, even if your grievance is not upheld, unless your complaint is both untrue and made in bad faith.
Monitoring and review
We will monitor this policy periodically to judge its effectiveness and it will be updated in accordance with relevant changes in the law.
In particular, we will monitor the ethnic and gender composition of the existing workforce and of applicants for jobs (including promoted posts), and the number of people with disabilities within these groups. We will review our Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Policy in accordance with the results shown by the monitoring. If changes are required, we will implement them.
Information provided by job applicants and you for monitoring will be used only for this purpose. The data will be dealt with in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulations, where it cannot be anonymised or where there is a risk that the information can be identified to a particular