Company Name: ReQuire Consultancy Ltd
Model Policy Name: Model Equal Opportunities and Diversity Policy
Date:20/05/2020
OUR POLICY
ReQuire Consultancy Ltd embraces diversity
and aims to promote the benefits of diversity in all of our business
activities. We seek to develop a business culture that reflects that belief. We
will expand the media in which we recruit to in order to ensure that we have a
diverse employee and candidate base. We will also strive to ensure that our clients
meet their own diversity targets.
ReQuire Consultancy Ltd is committed to
diversity and will promote diversity for all employees, workers and applicants.
We will continuously review all aspects of recruitment to avoid unlawful
discrimination. ReQuire will treat everyone equally and will not discriminate
on the grounds of an individual’s “protected characteristic” under the Equality
Act 2010 (the Act) which are age, disability, gender re-assignment, marriage
and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex
and sexual orientation. We will not discriminate on the grounds of an
individual's membership or non-membership of a Trade Union. All staff have an
obligation to respect and comply with this policy. ReQuire is committed to
providing training for its entire staff in equal opportunities and diversity. ReQuire
will avoid stipulating unnecessary requirements which will exclude a higher
proportion of a particular group of people and will not prescribe
discriminatory requirements for a role.
ReQuire Consultancy Ltd will not
discriminate unlawfully when deciding which candidate/temporary worker is
submitted for a vacancy or assignment, or in any terms of employment or terms
of engagement for temporary workers. ReQuire will ensure that each candidate is
assessed in accordance with the candidate’s merits, qualifications and ability
to perform the relevant duties for the role.
DISCRIMINATION
Under the Act unlawful discrimination occurs in the following
circumstances:
Direct
discrimination
Direct discrimination occurs when an
individual is treated less favourably because of a protected characteristic.
Treating someone less favourably means treating them badly in comparison to
others that do not have that protected characteristic.
It is unlawful for a recruitment
consultancy to discriminate against a person on the grounds of a protected
characteristic:
·
in the
terms on which the recruitment consultancy offers to provide any of its
services;
·
by
refusing or deliberately omitting to provide any of its services;
·
in the
way it provides any of its services.
Direct discrimination can take place even if
the individual does not have the protected characteristic but is treated less
favourably because it is assumed he or she has the protected characteristic or
is associated with someone that has the protected characteristic.
Direct
discrimination would also occur if a recruitment consultancy accepted and acted
upon instructions from an employer which states that certain persons are
unacceptable due to a protected characteristic, unless an exception applies.
The Act contains provisions that permit specifying a
requirement that an individual must have a particular protected characteristic
in order to undertake a job. These provisions are referred to as occupational
requirements.
Where there is an occupational requirement
then the client must show that applying the requirement is a proportionate
means of achieving a legitimate aim, i.e. the employer must be able to
objectively justify applying the requirement. An occupational requirement does
not allow an employer to employ someone on less favourable terms or to subject
a person to any other detriment. Neither does an occupational requirement
provide an excuse against harassment or victimisation of someone who does not
have the occupational requirement.
Indirect
discrimination
Indirect discrimination occurs when a
provision, criterion or practice (PCP) is applied but this results in people
who share a protected characteristic being placed at a disadvantage in
comparison to those who do not have the protected characteristic. If the PCP
can be objectively justified it will not amount to discrimination.
Indirect discrimination would also occur
if a recruitment consultant accepted and acted upon an indirectly
discriminatory instruction from an employer.
If the vacancy requires characteristics
which amount to an occupational requirement or the instruction is
discriminatory but there is an objective justification, ReQuire will not
proceed with the vacancy unless the client provides written confirmation of the
occupational requirement, exception or justification.
ReQuire Consultancy Ltd will use best
endeavours to comply with the Act and will
not accept instructions from clients that will result in unlawful
discrimination.
Harassment
Under the Act, harassment is
defined as unwanted conduct that relates to a protected characteristic which
has the purpose or effect of violating an individual’s dignity or creating an
intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for that
individual.
ReQuire Consultancy Ltd is committed to
providing a work environment free from unlawful harassment.
ReQuire Consultancy Ltd will ensure that
the consultants do not harass any individual.
Examples of prohibited harassment are:
1.
verbal
or written conduct containing derogatory jokes or comments;
2.
slurs
or unwanted sexual advances;
3.
visual
conduct such as derogatory or sexually orientated posters;
4.
photographs,
cartoons, drawings or gestures which some may find offensive;
5. physical conduct such as assault, unwanted touching, or any
interference because of sex, race or any other protected characteristic basis;
6.
threats
and demands to submit to sexual requests as a condition of continued employment
or to avoid some other loss, and offers of employment benefits in return for
sexual favours;
7.
retaliation
for having reported or threatened to report harassment.
If an individual believes that they have
been unlawfully harassed, they should make an immediate report to
Louise Howard followed by a written complaint as soon as possible after the
incident. The details of the complaint should include:
·
Details
of the incident
·
Name(s)
of the individual(s) involved
·
Name(s)
of any witness(es)
ReQuire Consultancy will undertake a
thorough investigation of the allegations. If it is concluded that harassment
has occurred, remedial action will be taken.
All employees and workers will be expected
to comply with ReQuires policy on harassment in the workplace. Any breach of
such a policy will lead to the appropriate disciplinary action.
Any individual who ReQuire Consultancy Ltd
finds to be responsible for harassment will be subject to the disciplinary
procedure and the sanction may include termination.
Victimisation
Under the Act victimisation occurs when an
individual is treated unfavourably because he/she has done a ‘protected act’
which is bringing a claim for unlawful discrimination or raising a grievance
about discrimination or giving evidence in respect of a complaint about
discrimination.
ReQuire
Consultancy Ltd will ensure that the consultants do not victimise any
individual.
DISABLED
PERSONS
Discrimination occurs when a person is
treated unfavourably as a result of their disability.
In direct discrimination occurs where a
provision, criterion or practice is applied by or on behalf of an employer, or
any physical feature of the employer’s premises, places a disabled person at a
substantial disadvantage in comparison with persons who are not disabled.
In recruitment and selection there may be
a requirement to make reasonable adjustments. For example, it might be
necessary to have different application procedures for partially sighted or
blind applicants that enable them to use Braille. With testing and assessment
methods and procedures, tests can only be justified if they are directly
related to the skills and competencies required for the job. Even then, it
might be appropriate to have different levels of acceptable test results,
depending on the disability. For example, an applicant with a learning
disability might need more time to complete a test, or not be expected to reach
the same standard as other non-disabled applicants.
Reasonable adjustments in recruiting could
include:
·
modifying
testing and assessment procedures;
·
meeting
the candidate at alternative premises which are more easily accessible;
·
having
flexibility in the timing of interviews;
·
modifying
application procedures and application forms;
·
providing
a reader or interpreter.
Wherever possible ReQuire will make
reasonable adjustments to hallways, passages and doors in order to provide and
improve means of access for disabled employees and workers. However, this may
not always be feasible, due to circumstances creating such difficulties as to
render such adjustments as being beyond what is reasonable in all the
circumstances.
ReQuire Consultancy Ltd will not
discriminate against a disabled person:
·
in the
arrangements i.e. application form, interview or arrangements for selection for
determining whom a job should be offered; or
·
in the
terms on which employment or engagement of temporary workers is offered; or
·
by
refusing to offer, or deliberately not offering the disabled person a job for
reasons connected with their disability; or
·
in the opportunities
afforded to the person for receiving any benefit, or by refusing to afford, or
deliberately not affording him or her any such opportunity; or
·
by
subjecting the individual to any other detriment (detriment will include
refusal of training or transfer, demotion, reduction of wage, or harassment).
ReQuire Consultancy Ltd will make career
opportunities available to all people with disabilities and every practical
effort will be made to provide for the needs of staff, candidates and clients.
AGE
DISCRIMINATION
Under the Act, it is unlawful
to directly or indirectly discriminate against or to harass or victimise a
person because of age. Age discrimination does not just provide
protection for people who are older or younger. People of all ages are
protected.
A reference to age is a
reference to a person’s age group. People who share the protected
characteristic of age are people who are in the same age group.
Age group can have various
references:
Under 21s
People in their 40s
Adults
ReQuire Consultancy will not discriminate
directly or indirectly, harass or victimise any person on the grounds of their
age. We will encourage clients not to include any age criteria in job
specifications and every attempt will be made to encourage clients to recruit
on the basis of competence and skills and not age.
ReQuire Consultancy is committed to
recruiting and retaining employees whose skills, experience, and attitude are
suitable for the requirements of the various positions regardless of age. No age requirements will be stated in any job
advertisements on behalf of the company.
If ReQuire requests age as part of its
recruitment process such information will not be used as selection, training or
promotion criteria or in any detrimental way and is only for compilation of
personal data, which the company holds on all employees and workers and as part
of its equal opportunities monitoring process. In addition, if under age 22 to
adhere to Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Business Regulations
2003 and other relevant legislation applicable to children or young candidates.
Where a client requests age or date of birth,
this will have to be under an occupational requirement or with an objective
justification which should be confirmed in writing.
PART-TIME
WORKERS
This policy also covers the treatment of
those employees and workers who work on a part-time basis, ReQuire recognises
that it is an essential part of this policy that part time employees are
treated on the same terms, with no detriment, as full time employees (albeit on
a pro rata basis) in matters such as rates of pay, holiday entitlement,
maternity leave, parental and domestic incident leave and access to our pension
scheme. ReQuire also recognises that part time employees must be treated the
same as full time employees in relation to training and redundancy situations.
GENDER
REASSIGNMENT POLICY
ReQuire Consultancy Ltd recognises that
any employee or worker may wish to change their gender during the course of
their employment with the Company.
ReQuire Consultany Ltd will support any
employee or worker through the reassignment.
ReQuire Consultancy Ltd will make every effort to try to protect an employee or
worker who has undergone, is undergoing or intends to undergo gender
reassignment, from discrimination or harassment within the workplace.
Where an employee is engaged in work where
the gender change imposes genuine problems ReQuire will make every effort to
reassign the employee or worker to an alternative role in the Company, if so
desired by the employee.
Any employee or worker suffering discrimination on the grounds
of gender reassignment should have recourse to the Company’s grievance
procedure.
RECRUITMENT OF EX-OFFENDERS
Where ReQuire has registered with the
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and has the authority to apply for
criminal records checks on individual because they are working with children or
vulnerable adults or both, we will comply with the DBS’s Code of Practice which
includes having a policy on the recruitment of ex-offenders.
COMPLAINTS AND MONITORING PROCEDURES
ReQuire
Consultancy Ltd has in place procedures for monitoring compliance with this
policy and for dealing with complaints of discrimination. These are available
from Louise Howard and will be made available immediately upon request. Any
discrimination complaint will be investigated fully.