Equality & Diversity Policy
General Policy Statement
The Company supports the principle of Equality and Diversity in employment wholeheartedly and opposes all forms of unlawful or unfair discrimination on the grounds of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion, belief and marital status.
We believe that it is in the best interests of the Company and those who work in it, to ensure that the talents and skills available throughout the whole community are considered when employment opportunities arise.
To this end we are committed, wherever practical and consistent with our statutory and professional obligations, to achieving and maintaining a workforce which broadly reflects the composition of the adult population of the UK. We encourage and support the recruitment, retention and career development of people from as wide a range as possible of ethnic, cultural and social backgrounds.
We will continue to take every possible step to ensure that individuals are treated equally and fairly and that decisions on recruitment, selection, training, promotion and career management are based solely on individual merits and abilities, appropriate to the job.
We work within the requirements of all current legislation and we implement the provisions of regulatory codes of practice in employment.
Equal Opportunities Policy The Company aims to provide a workplace in which all staff are treated in a fair and consistent manner. We will ensure, to the best of our ability, that staff and all others who have contact with the firm are not discriminated against, either directly or indirectly.
We are committed to providing equality of opportunity in all areas of dealing with staff, whether in recruitment and selection, promotion or training and development.
We will not tolerate any form of bullying or harassment. Any employee having a complaint of discrimination or harassment is encouraged to raise the matter. Such instances will be viewed very seriously and dealt with under the Company
disciplinary policy and in line with the Equality Act 2010. The complaint will be fully examined, and all possible action taken to eradicate the problem.
If any concerns or queries about any equality issue at work arise, whether it relates to a personal experience or lack of clarity on how to deal with a specific issue, the relevant director should be contacted in the first instance. If this is inappropriate in the circumstances, then our HR Director should be contacted.
Implementing our Policy In order to put our existing policy of Equality and Diversity on a more structured basis and to develop its application in the day-to-day operation of the business, we continually:
· Monitor the application and effects of this policy.
· Review and if necessary, improve existing procedures for recruitment, selection, promotion and training.
· Review our Equality and Diversity Statement on a regular basis.
· Research and review current legislation, regulatory guidance and codes of practice to address key areas on which the company should focus to ensure quality outcomes for equality and diversity issues.
· Advise on and coordinate the production, distribution and follow up of good practice guidance to all staff.
· Review current practices and address any areas of weakness in our procedures in relation to current legislative, regulatory and associated good practice frameworks.
· Research and recommend positive action initiatives, so that we can work towards building a diverse workforce.
· Ensure new procedures support the organisational aims and objectives of developing a culture of equality.
All employees are reminded that they have a responsibility to play their part in achieving the objectives set out in the policy statement and any discrimination or breaches will be dealt with through our Disciplinary Procedure.