Appendix 1 - Equal opportunities including employment policy
Tracklements is committed to the principle of equal opportunity in employment.
We treat everyone with respect and dignity, from our employees and customers to our suppliers and the environment. We believe in creating a culture of inclusivity and diversity, where everyone feels valued and welcomed irrespective of race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, disability, trade union membership or non-membership, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, gender reassignment, marriage/civil partnership, age, or on the basis of being a part-time or fixed term worker. We expect everyone who works here to respect and support this policy and each other.
This policy applies to all individuals working at all levels and grades, whether permanent, temporary, casual, part-time or on fixed term contracts, to ex-employees or contractors, to job applicants and to individuals such as agency staff and consultants who are not our employees, but who work at Tracklements (collectively referred to as staff in this policy).
All members of staff are responsible for the success of this policy and must ensure they familiarise themselves with the policy and act in accordance with its aims and objectives. If you have any questions about the content or application of this policy, you should contact your manager for further information.
This policy applies to all aspects of our relationship with staff and to relations between staff members at all levels. This includes recruitment and selection, training and development, opportunities for promotion, disciplinary and grievance procedures and termination of employment including redundancy. Promotions and progression within Tracklements are based solely on aptitude, attitude, skill and ability.
The successful achievement of these objectives necessitates a contribution from everyone and you have an obligation to report any act of discrimination known to you.
Discrimination can be both direct and indirect. The former is generally easy to identify, whereas indirect forms can be difficult to identify because they are not, on the face of it, immediately obvious.
Discrimination can occur under the following protected characteristics, although not all characteristics are covered by every type of discrimination:
Race, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender assignment, religion or belief, disability, age and pregnancy and maternity.
Direct discrimination is defined as where someone is treated less favourably than another person because of one of the protected characteristics which they have, or are thought to have. Direct discrimination cannot usually be justified.
Examples include:
An applicant is rejected on the grounds of their race because they would not ‘fit in’.
A person is subjected to sexual innuendo or other offensive conduct of a sexual nature at work.
Direct discrimination can also apply where there is an action against someone because they associate with someone who possesses a protected characteristic and also where there is a perception that someone possesses a particular characteristic. Maternity and Pregnancy and Marriage and Civil Partnership are not protected characteristics with regard direct discrimination by both association and perception.
Indirect discrimination can occur when you have a rule, policy or practice in an organisation that applies to everyone but particularly disadvantages people who share a protected characteristic. This kind of discrimination is unlawful unless it can be justified.
Examples include:
The Company having a policy that equally applies to everyone i.e. everyone has to work on a specific day
A job advert specifying a specific length of experience required
Having interview questions that are only available in one format
The Company takes very seriously any act of discrimination and will consider this to be a disciplinary offence under the disciplinary procedure.
If you consider that you are a victim of unlawful discrimination you may raise the issue through the Grievance Procedure.
Definition Of Victimisation
Victimisation occurs where an individual is treated badly because they have made or supported a complaint or raised a grievance under the Equality Act; or because they are suspected of doing so. We wish to make it very clear however, that lodging false or malicious complaints, complaints in bad faith, or providing false or deliberately misleading information during an investigation will be viewed as an act of misconduct and will usually result in disciplinary action being taken which may result in dismissal.
We are committed to ensuring that all our employees and applicants for employment are free from any form of victimisation.
Disability Policy and Procedures
Under the Equality Act 2010, a person is disabled if they have a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities, which would include things like using a telephone, reading a book or using public transport.
We aim to provide a working environment, and to offer terms and conditions of employment, that will enable disabled persons with appropriate skills and qualifications to seek employment with us. We will actively consider ways of continuing and securing the employment of employees and applicants who have a disability or become disabled during their employment.
Consideration will be given to making reasonable adjustments, where practical, to the workplace and methods of working to accommodate disabled applicants and employees.