The law protects you against discrimination at work and requires that we give equal opportunities to all of our employees at every stage of employment. We are committed to upholding these values and have put this policy in place to help us do so.
Our commitment
Our people are the greatest asset that we have, and we want you to feel happy and supported. We try hard to ensure that our employment is a fair and inclusive environment for all.
We treat all employees with respect and dignity. We will not discriminate against anyone based on age, sex, race, disability, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender reassignment or religious background. These are known as ‘protected characteristics’ under the Equality Act 2010.
Our responsibilities
Avoiding direct discrimination
We provide equal opportunities for every individual at each stage of employment, from their application right through to termination.
When making decisions about recruitment, selection, conditions of work, pay and benefits, management and every other aspect of employment, we take every step possible to ensure that they are justifiable and based on objective criteria. In almost all circumstances, this means that our decision solely comes down to the individual’s aptitudes, potential, skills and abilities and the requirements of the job.
We would only ever take a person’s protected characteristics into account where there was a genuine occupational requirement and where allowed to do so by law.
Avoiding indirect discrimination
Indirect discrimination happens when there’s a policy, practice or rule that applies to everybody in the same way and – without good reason – places people who share a protected characteristic at a disadvantage.
Our employment policies are written and implemented in a way that supports our commitment to equal opportunities. They are designed to ensure that you receive treatment that is fair and equitable and consistent with your relevant aptitudes, potential, skills and abilities.
When advertising for new employees, we take care to write marketing materials that are non-discriminatory and encourage a diverse workforce.
Your responsibilities
You have a personal responsibility for the practical application of this policy and to support our equality objectives. You’re expected to treat your colleagues and everyone you come into contact with while on assignment with the respect and dignity that you should rightly expect from others.
This includes all staff, service-users, customers and members of the public that you meet at your recruitment agency and workplace.
You must adhere strictly to our equal opportunities policy and practices. If you’re unsure of what this means for you, please ask us for clarification. Disciplinary action will be taken against any employee who is found to have committed an act of discrimination or abuse, with the most serious breaches being treated as gross misconduct for which the appropriate penalty is summary dismissal.
Gender pay gap report
Large employers are required to expose any differences in pay between their male and female employees by reporting certain payroll statistics each year. Our latest gender pay gap report will always be available on our website.
Reporting an incident
If you believe that you’ve experienced direct, indirect or unfair discrimination, harassment or victimisation then we’d urge you to raise the matter with us. You can do this informally by phone or email in the first instance, or formally through our grievance procedure if need be.
All complaints will be dealt with seriously, properly and confidentially and we’ll make every effort to secure a satisfactory resolution.
You may also wish to contact the Equality Advisory & Support Service for impartial advice.