It is the policy of the Company to provide equal opportunities in employment, irrespective of race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, sex, mental or physical disabilities, age, marital or civil partnership status, actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender re- assignment, religion or belief.
This Policy applies to all employees and to all applicants for employment.
The Company is committed to the promotion of equal opportunities and to ensure that the talent and skills of all employees are maximised.
It is the policy of the Company to treat all employees with respect and dignity, and to ensure that employees are not victimised or subjected to harassment or discrimination on the grounds outlined above.
The Company seeks to fulfil this commitment to equal opportunities through the application of policies and procedures, which are consistent and equitable, and recognise the expertise and ability of each individual.
All allegations of discrimination will be thoroughly and promptly investigated. Where allegations are substantiated, appropriate disciplinary action up to and including dismissal will be taken against any person responsible.
Rodgers Leask are committed to equal pay and equality of terms and conditions in employment. Male and female employees should receive equal pay for like work, work rated as equivalent or work of equal value. In order to achieve this, the Company endeavour to maintain a pay system that is transparent, free from bias and based on objective criteria.
The Company will make reasonable adjustments to our standard working provisions, criteria or practices, or to physical features of the workplace, to ensure that a disabled employee is not placed at a substantial disadvantage in comparison with persons who are not disabled.
Recruitment
All terms and conditions of employment and related benefits shall be non-discriminatory, except in cases where, having regard to the nature and context of the work, having a particular protected characteristic is an occupational requirement and that occupational requirement is a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim, the Company will apply that requirement to the job role.
All applicants for employment and all employees applying for alternative positions or promotion within the Company shall be assessed according to their skills, experience and ability to do the job.
When vacancies are advertised, both internally and externally, the Company will continue to ensure that such advertising, both in placement and content, is compatible with the Terms of this Policy.
Advertisements will encourage applications from all suitably qualified and experienced people. When advertising job vacancies, in order to attract applications from all sections of the community, the Company, as far as reasonably practicable:
- – Ensure advertisements are not confined to those publications which would exclude or disproportionately reduce the numbers of applicants with a particular protected characteristic.
- – Avoid prescribing any unnecessary provisions or criteria which would exclude a higher proportion of applicants with a particular protected characteristic. Where vacancies may be filled by promotion or transfer, they will be published to all eligible employees in such a way that they do not restrict applications from employees of any particular age group, racial group, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation or from disabled employees, those who are married or in a civil partnership, those who have undergone or are undergoing gender reassignment or those who are pregnant or on maternity leave. Internal applicants for vacancies should expect a full review of their work history, including their work performance, salary history and other information in their personnel file. With disabled job applicants, the Company will have regard to its duties to make reasonable adjustments to work provisions, criteria or practices, or to work premises in order to ensure that the disabled person is not placed at a substantial disadvantage in comparison with persons who are not disabled.
Employment Verification
The Company will provide information to prospective external employers and others regarding any dates of employment and positions held, and will also verify the accuracy of salary information released by the employee.
Employees or former employees should refer those seeking employment verification to their Line Manager.
Training and Development
Equal consideration will be given to all employees for training opportunities, both to perform their job and to develop personally.
Employees will be appraised against relevant, objective criteria to measure performance and training needs. Promotion prospects will be governed by individual merit, ability, achievement and development potential.
It is a condition of employment that employees are required to attend appropriate induction/ training/educational courses.
The Company will train, develop and promote on the basis of merit and ability only.
All Supervisors and Managers will be trained in the Company’s Policy on Equal Opportunities to help them identify discriminatory acts, practices or acts of harassment or bullying. Managers will be responsible for ensuring they actively promote equal opportunities within the departments for which they are responsible.
Eliminating Discrimination
Direct discrimination occurs when, because of one of the protected characteristics, a job applicant or an employee is treated less favourably than other job applicants or employees are treated or would be treated. The treatment will still amount to direct discrimination even if it is based on the protected characteristic of a third party with whom the job applicant or employee is associated and not on the job applicant’s or employee’s own protected characteristic. In addition, it can include cases where it is perceived that a job applicant or an employee has a particular protected characteristic when in fact they do not. The Company will take all reasonable steps to eliminate direct discrimination in all aspects of employment.
Indirect discrimination is treatment that may be equal in the sense that it applies to all job applicants or employees but which is discriminatory in its effect on, for example, one particular sex or racial group. Indirect discrimination occurs when there is applied to the job applicant or employee a provision, criterion or practice (PCP) which is discriminatory in relation to a protected characteristic of the job applicant’s or employees. A PCP is discriminatory in relation to a protected characteristic of the job applicant’s or employee’s if:
- – It is applied, or would be applied, to persons with whom the job applicant or employee does not share the protected characteristic,
- – The PCP puts, or would put, persons with whom the job applicant or employee shares the protected characteristic at a particular disadvantage when compared with persons with whom the job applicant or employee does not share it,
- – It puts, or would put, the job applicant or employee at that disadvantage, and
- – It cannot be shown by the Company to be a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim. The Company will take all reasonable steps to eliminate indirect discrimination in all aspects of employment.
The Company will take all reasonable steps to eliminate indirect discrimination in all aspects of employment.
Post-employment Discrimination
The Company will not discriminate against any former employee because of a protected characteristic; for example, when providing references for future employment, or in conducting the Appeals Procedure for any former employee.
Monitoring
From time to time, the Company review the Equal Opportunities Policy and progress in achieving its objectives. Where barriers to equal opportunities are identified, any necessary changes will be made to this Policy.
Discrimination Grievances
If an employee (or applicant) believes that they have been subjected to direct or indirect discrimination because of a protected characteristic, they should invoke the Company’s Grievance Procedure as set out in the Employee Handbook.
In view of the sensitivity of this subject, an employee (or applicant), if preferred, approach a Senior Manager directly rather than their immediate Manager. In either case, this will be treated as strictly confidential.