All Together Edinburgh

 

Equality, diversity and inclusion policy

 

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is for All Together Edinburgh to set clear intentions for equality of opportunity and following practices which are free from unfair and unlawful discrimination. We value people as individuals with diverse opinions, cultures, lifestyles and circumstances. All employees are covered by this policy, and it applies to all areas of employment including recruitment, selection, training, deployment, career development, and promotion. These areas are monitored, and policies and practices are amended if necessary to ensure that no unfair or unlawful discrimination, intentional, unintentional, direct or indirect, overt or latent exists.

 

Aim

 

All Together Edinburgh is committed to: 

 

• providing services to which all customers/users/clients are entitled regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation, offending past, caring responsibilities or social class

• making sure our services are delivered equally and meet the diverse needs of our service users and clients by assessing and meeting the diverse needs of our clients

• selecting those for employment, promotion, training, or any other benefit purely on the basis of aptitude and ability

• monitoring and reviewing this policy annually

• having clear procedures that enable our customers/users/clients, candidates for jobs and employees to raise a grievance or make a complaint if they feel they have been unfairly treated.

• treating breaches of our equality and diversity policy as misconduct which could lead to disciplinary proceedings.

• encouraging all staff to come forward with any issues they need organisation assistance and understanding with, no matter their background, identity or circumstances, such as if they are victims of domestic abuse or have caring commitments. 

 

The policy also aims to achieve equality by removing any potential discrimination in how our employees are treated by fellow employees or the Organisation, including:

Discrimination can occur in two forms: direct or indirect. Discrimination based on protected characteristics is prohibited under the Equality Act 2010, except where specific legal exceptions apply.

 

The protected characteristics are detailed below:

 

 

Age

 

We will:

 

• ensure that people of all ages are treated with respect and dignity

• ensure that people of working age are given equal access to our employment, training, development and promotion opportunities, and 

• challenge discriminatory assumptions about younger and older people.

 

Disability

 

We will:

 

• provide any reasonable adjustments to ensure disabled people have access to our services and employment opportunities

• challenge discriminatory assumptions about disabled people, and 

• seek to continue to improve access to information by ensuring availability of loop systems, braille facilities, alternative formatting and sign language interpretation.

 

Race

 

We will:

 

• challenge racism wherever it occurs

• respond swiftly and sensitively to racist incidents and

• actively promote race equality in the organisation.

 

 

Sex 

 

We will:

 

• challenge discriminatory assumptions about people

• take positive action to redress the negative effects of discrimination against people

• offer equal access for people to representation, services, employment, training and pay and encourage other organisations to do the same. 

 

Gender reassignment 

 

We will:

 

• provide support to prevent discrimination against transgender people who have or who are about to undergo gender reassignment

• prohibit and respond to all instances of discrimination, both from colleagues and externally.

 

Sexual orientation

 

We will:

 

• ensure that we take account of the needs of lesbians, gay men and bisexuals, and

• promote positive images of lesbians, gay men and bisexuals.

 

Religion or belief

 

We will:

 

• ensure that employees’ religion or beliefs and related observances are respected and accommodated wherever possible, and 

• respect people’s beliefs where the expression of those beliefs does not impinge on the legitimate rights of others.

 

Pregnancy or maternity

 

We will:

 

• ensure that people are treated with respect and dignity and that a positive image is promoted regardless of pregnancy or maternity

• challenge discriminatory assumptions about the pregnancy or maternity of our employees, and 

• ensure that no individual is disadvantaged and that we take account of the needs of our employees’ pregnancy or maternity.

 

Marriage or civil partnership

 

We will:

 

• ensure that people are treated with respect and dignity and that a positive image is promoted regardless of marriage or civil partnership

• challenge discriminatory assumptions about the marriage or civil partnership of our employees, and 

• ensure that no individual is disadvantaged and that we take account the needs of our employees’ marriage or civil partnership.

 

Ex-offenders

 

Although being an ex-offender is not one of the protected characteristics included in this legislation. We will prevent discrimination against our employees regardless of their offending background (except where there is a known risk to children or vulnerable adults) 

 

 

 

Direct discrimination

This is where someone is treated less favourably due to one (or more) protected characteristics. It can be intentional or unintentional discrimination. Occasionally the discrimination may occur due to a protected characteristic of another person, so the discrimination may be because of association. An example is an advert for a job that requires ‘men only’ or ‘under 30s only’. 

 

Indirect discrimination

Indirect discrimination occurs when a seemingly neutral provision, criterion, or practice (PCP) applies to everyone equally but disadvantages people with a particular protected characteristic. This disadvantage may be unintended but still has a real impact.

 

For example, a workplace policy that prohibits all head coverings might seem neutral. However, it could disproportionately disadvantage individuals who wear head coverings for religious reasons, such as Sikh turbans or Muslim hijabs. In such cases, the policy could be considered indirect discrimination unless the organization can justify it as a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim, such as health and safety requirements.

 

Victimisation

This is not the same as the common meaning of victimisation but is specifically regarding treating someone less favourably because they have complained about or given information about discrimination or harassment, either regarding themselves or someone else. 

 

Victimisation is treating a person badly because they have, in good faith, complained (formally or otherwise) that someone has been bullying or harassing them or someone else, or supported someone to make a complaint or given evidence in relation to a complaint.

 

Commitment to Equality

As part of our commitment to equality, All Together Edinburgh will ensure that all employees, regardless of gender, have the right to equal contractual pay and benefits for carrying out the same work, work rated as equivalent, or work of equal value.

 

Unconscious Bias

 

All Together Edinburgh recognises the potential risks posed by unconscious bias in the workplace. Unconscious bias occurs when managers or colleagues form opinions about individuals without being consciously aware of doing so.

This bias can manifest in various ways, such as favoring individuals with similar backgrounds or placing undue emphasis on perceived negative traits.

We are committed to addressing unconscious bias in all employment-related decisions, including recruitment, promotions, and training opportunities. Our aim is to foster a culture of diversity and inclusion by ensuring decisions are fair, objective, and based on merit.

 

To combat unconscious bias, All Together Edinburgh will:

• Omit personal questions from job interviews.

• Ensure decision-making panels are diverse.

• Refer to specific job criteria when making recruitment decisions.

• Make decisions collectively, involving Senior Management or Management teams.

 

By implementing these measures, we aim to create a workplace environment that values equality, fairness, and inclusion for all.

 

 

 

 

Document version control

 

Version number 1.0

Author or owner Adham Mostafa 11/03/2024

Version number 2.0

Author and owner Adham Mostafa 20/06/2024