Equal Opportunities & The Work Environment
Equal Opportunity
You need to be aware that the Organisation is committed to the principle of equal opportunity in employment.
Accordingly, management will ensure that recruitment, selection, training, development and promotion procedures result in no job applicant or employee receiving less favourable treatment because of a 'protected characteristic' (i.e. race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, disability, trade union membership or non-membership, gender, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, gender reassignment, marriage/civil partnership, age, or on the basis of being a part-time or fixed term worker).
The Organisation's objective is to ensure that individuals are selected, promoted and otherwise treated solely on the basis of their relevant aptitudes, skills, abilities and performance, where applicable.
Management has the primary responsibility for successfully meeting these objectives by:
- not discriminating in the course of employment against employees or job applicants
- not inducing or attempting to induce others to practise unlawful discrimination
- bringing to the attention of employees that they will be subject to action under the Disciplinary Procedure for unlawful discrimination of any kind.
Everyone should contribute by:
- not discriminating against fellow employees, customers, clients, suppliers or members of the public with whom you come into contact during the course of your duties
- not inducing or attempting to induce others to practise unlawful discrimination
- reporting any discriminatory action to your line manager
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.
If you consider that you are a victim of unlawful discrimination you may raise the issue through the Grievance Procedure.
Positive Work Environment Policy
STATEMENT OF THE POLICY
The Organisation is committed to creating a harmonious working environment, which is free from harassment and bullying and in which every employee is treated with respect and dignity.
It is committed to ensuring that individuals do not feel apprehensive because of their religious belief, gender, marital/civil partnership status, sexual orientation, race, age, disability or as a result of being subjected to any inappropriate behaviour.
Harassment and bullying are unacceptable behaviour at work and will be treated as misconduct, which may include gross misconduct warranting dismissal. All employees must comply with this policy.
DEFINITION OF HARASSMENT
Harassment is unwanted conduct that violates a person's dignity or creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for them.
Harassment may take many forms. It can range from extreme forms such as violence to less obvious actions such as persistently ignoring someone at work. The following, though not an exhaustive list, may constitute harassment:
- physical contact ranging from touching to serious assault
- verbal and written harassment through jokes, offensive language, gossip and slander, letters
- isolation or non-cooperation at work, exclusion from social activities
- intrusion by pestering, spying, following etc.
DEFINITION OF WORKPLACE BULLYING
Workplace bullying is repeated inappropriate, offensive behaviour, which is often an abuse of power or position. It can be direct or indirect, either verbal, physical or otherwise, conducted by one or more persons against another or others, at the place of work and/or in the course of employment, which could reasonably be regarded as undermining the individual’s right to dignity at work.
The following examples may constitute bullying:
- threats, abuse, teasing, gossip and practical jokes
- humiliation and ridicule either in private, at meetings or in front of customers/clients/suppliers
- name calling, insults, devaluing with reference to age, physical appearance
- setting impossible deadlines
- imposing excessive workloads
- making unjustified criticisms
- excessive monitoring
- removing responsibilities
- allocating menial and pointless tasks
- withholding information
- refusing requests for leave, holiday or training unnecessarily
It should be noted that it is the impact of the behaviour which is relevant and not the motive or intent behind it.
YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES
All employees have a responsibility to help create and maintain a working environment that respects the dignity of employees. You should be aware of the serious and genuine problems, which harassment and bullying can cause, ensure that your behaviour is beyond question and could not be considered in any way to be harassment or bullying. You should discourage such behaviour by making it clear that you find it unacceptable and by supporting colleagues if they are experiencing harassment or bullying and are considering making a complaint. You should alert a Manager or Supervisor to any incidents to enable the Organisation to deal with the matter.
MANAGERIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Managers and supervisors have a responsibility to ensure that harassment or bullying does not occur in work areas for which they are responsible.
Managers also have a responsibility to explain the Organisation's policy to their staff and take steps to promote it positively. They will be responsive and supportive to any member of staff who makes a complaint, provide full and clear advice on the procedure to be adopted, maintain confidentiality in all cases and ensure that there is no further problem or any victimisation after a complaint has been resolved. The Organisation will provide training to ensure that all managers, supervisors and other staff are fully aware of this policy and the procedures for dealing with harassment and bullying.
PROCEDURE FOR DEALING WITH ALLEGED HARASSMENT OR BULLYING
If you believe that you have been the subject of harassment or bullying, you should, in the first instance, ask the person responsible to stop the behaviour, as it is unacceptable to you. Person to person reproof at an early stage will often be sufficient to stop the behaviour.
You should report the incident to a Manager or Supervisor as soon as possible to enable the Organisation to deal with the matter.
If you decide to make a formal complaint you should do so through the Grievance Procedure as soon as possible after the incident has occurred. All complaints will be handled in a timely and confidential manner. You will be guaranteed a fair and impartial hearing and the matter will be investigated thoroughly. If the investigation reveals that your complaint is valid, prompt attention and action designed to stop the behaviour immediately and prevent its recurrence will be taken. In such circumstances, if relocation proves necessary, every effort will be made to relocate the harasser or bully rather than you as the victim; however, the Organisation will endeavour to relocate you if this is your preference.
You will be protected from intimidation, victimisation or discrimination for filing a complaint or assisting in an investigation. Retaliating against an employee for complaining about harassment or bullying is a disciplinary offence.
Whilst this procedure is designed to assist genuine victims of harassment or bullying, you should be aware that if you raise complaints, which are proven to be deliberately vexatious, you will become subject to proceedings under the Disciplinary Procedure.
General Working Environment
The Organisation feels it is reasonable to look to employees to observe the following procedures:
You must report all matters, which affect the proper performance of your duties at work, and any matters which might undermine the relationship between yourself and the Organisation, whatever the nature of such matter or matters.
You are responsible both individually and jointly for ensuring that ALL areas of the Organisation premises are maintained in a clean, safe and tidy condition at all times. A clean and tidy area is a safe and healthy one.
The working environment can and does produce a certain amount of noise, the general principles in managing the noise effectively is to respect people have different working styles. You should therefore recognise that individuals may not want to be interrupted or distracted.
You should keep personal effects on your desk/work area to a minimum. Please be aware of security issues for personal items.
Due to the nature of the business, the Organisation operates a Clear Desk Policy. At the end of the working day your desk /workstation should be cleared. All laptops, documents, files etc are to be locked away in the storage areas available to you. You are not to store inflammable materials, soiled clothing, any illegal or dangerous objects in your desk/workstation.
The Organisation provides a canteen to enable you to eat in pleasant surroundings away from your desk/work station, and you are encouraged to use this facility.
You should ensure that screen savers or desktops are not potentially offensive to other members of staff.
Cloakrooms and toilets must be kept clean and tidy.
The all kitchens/canteens are to be kept clean and tidy at all times.
Personal property e.g. handbags, shopping bags etc. must be kept clear of walkways.
The Organisation operates a Minimum Waste Policy, which is essential to the cost effective and efficiency of all operations. You are able to promote this policy by taking extra care in the pursuit of normal duties to avoid unnecessary or extravagant use of services, time, materials and machinery.
Failure to comply with this policy will result in action being taken against you under the Disciplinary Procedure.
