Equal Opportunity Statement

The Company 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 on the grounds of race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or beliefs, disability, trade union membership or non-membership, sex, sexual orientation or marital status or being a part-time worker.  The objective is to ensure that individuals are selected, promoted and otherwise treated solely on the basis of their relevant aptitudes, skills and abilities.

Guidance to Management

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 practice unlawful discrimination; and
  • bringing to the attention of employees that they will be subject to action under the Disciplinary and Dismissal Procedure for discrimination of any kind.

Guidance to Employees

Individual employees have the responsibility to ensure that they assist the Company in successfully achieving these objectives and can contribute by:

  • not discriminating in the course of employment against fellow employees, customers and suppliers or members of the public with whom they come into contact during the course of their duties.
  • not inducing or attempting to induce others to practice unlawful discrimination; and
  • reporting any discriminatory action to a Director.

Induction programmes for new staff and training for existing staff will include general and specific matters relating to equal opportunities.

A copy of the Policy is available in the Employee Information Handbook (A copy of which is issued upon their Induction).

Any employee who believes he/she has been discriminated against should make a formal complaint using the Grievance Procedure.

Monitoring

The Company recognises the necessity for monitoring and evaluating the implementation of this Policy and appropriate mechanisms will be developed. The Managing Directors are responsible for the effective implementation and operation of the Company’s Policy

To ensure that the Policy is operating effectively, the Company maintains records of employees’ and applicants’ racial origins, gender and disability.

Ongoing monitoring and regular analysis of such records provide the basis for appropriate action to eliminate unlawful direct and indirect discrimination and promote equality of opportunity.

Recruitment

Vacancy advertising

  • Wherever possible, all vacancies in the Company will be advertised internally and externally. Job descriptions and personnel specifications will be used for each post in question.
  • Wherever possible, vacancies will be notified to job centres, careers offices, schools, colleges, polytechnics, etc.
  • Any advertisement for a vacancy in the Company will clearly define main duties and necessary requirements for the post in question.

Selection

  • Selection criteria (job description and employee specification) will be kept under constant review to ensure that they are justifiable on non-discriminatory grounds as being essential for the effective performance of the job.
  • All applicants will be required to complete an application form, which will be accompanied by a voluntary monitoring form on community background for the collection of equal opportunity data. This monitoring form will not be included as part of the formal application but will be retained separately and will not be used as the basis for any employment decision.
  • Wherever possible, more than one person will be involved in the selection interview and recruitment process
  • Short-listing for interviews will be made upon job-related criteria and where appropriate, job related tests may be used.
  • Written assessments will be made on each individual interviewed and reasons for selection and rejection of applicants for vacancies will be recorded.

Training

It is the aim of the Company to provide training on equal opportunities for all employees who are involved in the recruitment process.

Personnel records – Data Protection

  • In order to ensure the effective operation of the equal opportunity policy (and for no other purpose) a record will be kept of all employees’ and job applicants’ gender, racial origins and disability.
  • Where necessary, employees will be able to check/correct their own record of these details.
  • Such records will be analysed regularly and appropriate follow-up action taken.

Annual Review

The Company will review this Policy on an annual basis to take account of changing circumstances and adopt appropriate measures including the setting of goals and timetables to ensure that the provisions are being effectively implemented.