INTRODUCTON
This policy applies to all employees and external applicants to Safetymen and deals with equal opportunity in all aspects of the Safetymen Policy.
Safetymen's policy is to:
- Eliminate, as far as is reasonably possible, discrimination and harassment from the workplace;
- Encourage all its employees to take an active role against all forms of discrimination and harassment;
- Deter employees from participating in discriminatory behaviour or harassment;
- Demonstrate to all employees that they can rely upon the Safetymen's support in cases of discrimination or harassment at work.
Safetymen is fully committed to providing a good and harmonious working environment that offers equal treatment and equal opportunities for all employees and where every employee is treated with respect and dignity. The Safetymen's aim is that remuneration, recruitment, promotion and retention should not be affected by irrelevant considerations and stereotyping.
Safetymen recognises that the provision of equal opportunities in the workplace is not only good management practice; it also makes sound business sense. The Safetymen's equal opportunities policy will help all employees develop their full potential and the talents and resources of the workforce will be fully utilised to maximise the efficiency of the organisation.
Safetymen's intention is to make full use of the talents and resources of its workforce. Safetymen’s Policies will comply with the spirit and general provisions of the legislations and Codes of Practice on equal opportunities and cover all aspects of employment.
Safetymen will not tolerate any acts of behaviour, which might breech these policy principles. Any complaint under the following Policy will be carefully investigated. Employees breaching the terms of this Policy may be subject to disciplinary action.
It is Safetymen’s Policy that discrimination (defined below) will not be tolerated at any stage of any of Safetymen’s procedures for any unjustified reason.
Discrimination
Under the Equality Act 2010 it is unlawful for employers to discriminate against the following ‘Protected Characteristics’; Discrimination means treating some people differently from others, i.e their age, disability (which includes mental health and people diagnosed as clinically obese), race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment (people who are having or who have had a sex change, transvestites and transgender people), marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity.
It isn't always unlawful - some people are paid different wages depending on their status and skills.
Please find below different types of discrimination:
Direct discrimination
Direct discrimination happens when an employer treats an employee less favourably than someone else because of one of the above reasons. For example, it would be direct discrimination if a driving job was only open to male applicants.
There are limited circumstances in which an employer might be able to make a case for a genuine occupational requirement for the job. For example, a Roman Catholic school may be able to restrict applications for a scripture teacher to baptised Catholics only.
Associative discrimination
Associative discrimination is when there is direct discrimination against someone because they are associated with another person with a protected characteristic. (This includes carers of disabled people and elderly relatives, who can claim they were treated unfairly because of duties that had to carry out at home relating to their care work. It also covers discrimination against someone because, for example, their partner is from another country.)
Indirect discrimination
Indirect discrimination is when a working condition or rule disadvantages one group of people more than another. For example, saying that applicants for a job must be clean shaven puts members of some religious groups at a disadvantage.
Indirect discrimination is unlawful, whether or not it is done on purpose. It is only allowed if it is necessary for the way the business works, and there is no other way of achieving it. For example, the condition that applicants must be clean shaven might be justified if the job involved handling food and it could be shown that having a beard or moustache was a genuine hygiene risk.
Harassment
You have the right not to be harassed or made fun of at work or in a work-related setting (e.g. an office party). Harassment means offensive or intimidating behaviour - sexist language or racial abuse, which aims to humiliate, undermine or injure its target or has that effect. For example, allowing displays or distribution of sexually explicit material or giving someone a potentially offensive nickname.
Harassment by a third party
Also harassment by a third party your employer is potentially liable for the harassment of staff or customers by people they don't directly employ, such as a contractor.
Victimisation
Victimisation means treating somebody less favourably than others because they tried to make, or made, a complaint about discrimination. For example, it could be preventing you from going on training courses, taking unfair disciplinary action against you, or excluding you from Safetymen social events.
Discrimination by perception
Discrimination by perception means direct discrimination against someone because others think they have a protected characteristic (even if they don't).
Sex Discrimination & Equal Pay
Under the Equality Act 2010 it's unlawful for an employer to discriminate against you because of your sex.
Sex discrimination law covers almost all workers (men and women) and all types of organisations in the UK. It covers:
- recruitment
- employment terms and conditions
- pay and benefits
- training
- promotion and transfer opportunities
- redundancy
- dismissal
Equal terms - equal pay
Where men and women, working for the same employer, are doing one of the following they are entitled to the same terms in their employment contract:
- the same or similar work (like work)
- work rated as equivalent in a job evaluation study by the employer
- work of equal value
There may be exceptions where there is a genuine material factor which explains the difference.
Pay secrecy clauses in employment contracts are unenforceable if you are trying to find out if any difference in pay is connected with a 'protected characteristic', for example sex.
Communication
This policy and accompanying action programmes will be communicated widely and effectively throughout the workforce and to potential employees.
It is the responsibility of management at all levels to ensure that such communication takes place.