This Policy Statement is intended to provide a summary of the equal opportunities policy and practices adopted by Helforn Limited in its recruitment process. The Policy aims to provide basic equal opportunities to employees of the Company and those involved in its recruitment processes.
POLICY STATEMENT
Helforn Limited is committed to the promotion of equality of opportunity in its employment practices. In its policies and practices generally Helforn holds that the needs and well being of its employees receiving support are paramount.
The main purpose in producing this policy is to seek to ensure that no employee will be discriminated against on the grounds of sex, marital status, religion, sexual orientation, age, disability, colour, race, nationality, or ethnic or national origins.
Helforn seeks to ensure that all applications for employment are selected, and all employees are promoted, solely on the basis of their ability to perform the jobs in question and that, so far as the needs of Helforn permit, all employees are given equal opportunities in training and advancement within the company.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES GUIDELINES
There are a number of areas in selection interviews where discrimination may occur. The Sex Discrimination Act of 1975 and the Race Relations Act of 1976 prohibit discrimination on grounds of sex, marital status, colour, race, nationality, ethnic origin or national origin. The areas where discrimination can occur (but which are not yet governed by stature law in the UK) are age, disability, sexual orientation, and religion.
The sex Discrimination Act renders two kinds of discrimination on the grounds of sex and marriage unlawful. These are: -
DIRECT DISCRIMINATION
Where a person treats a woman less favourably than a man on the grounds of her sex, or a married person less favourably that an unmarried person of the same sex on the grounds of marital status. The Sex Discrimination Act also applies to a man who is treated less favourably that a woman.
INDIRECT DISCRIMINATION
Where an unjustifiable requirement or condition is applied equally to both sexes but which has an inappropriately adverse affect on one sex because the proportion of one sex which can comply with it is considerably smaller that the proportion of the other sex which can comply with it.
Everyone involved in the interviewing process should be particularly careful no to treat a person of one sex less favourably that a person of the opposite sex, or a married person less favourably than one who is not married. Candidates must be assessed solely on their qualifications, relevant knowledge, experience and personal qualities. Identical standards should apply in assessing women and men, based entirely on the individual’s suitability for appointment. Equally, all candidates should be assessed on the basis of same job related criteria (as in the personal specification) regardless of marital status and domestic responsibilities.
Criteria used for the assessment of candidates should not discriminate indirectly against women. Subtle and unconscious discrimination can result from general assumptions about women’s capabilities, characteristics and motivation. For examples, preconceptions about their ability to supervise men. In judging personal qualities by reference to leisure interests, it is important to remember that many women have less opportunity for these than men because they combine work with domestic responsibilities.
The Race Relations Act renders unlawful both direct and indirect discrimination on the grounds of colour, race, nationality or ethnic or national origin.
DIRECT RACIAL DISCRIMINATION
This occurs when one person is treated less favourably, on the grounds of their ethnic origin, than a person of another ethnic group is or would be treated in similar circumstances.
INDIRECT RACIAL DISCRIMINATION
This occurs when a requirement or condition which cannot be justified on grounds other than ethnic origin is applied equally to members of all ethnic groups, but has the effect, in practice, of disadvantaging a considerably higher proportion of members of one or more ethnic groups.
Person specifications should be carefully checked to ensure they do not include unessential requirements or conditions. Criteria should be realistic.
AGE DISCRIMINATION
Helforn seeks to ensure that no employee or job applicant receives less favourable treatment on account of his or her age.
DISCRIMINATION ON THE GROUNDS OF SEXUALITY
Helforn seeks to ensure that no employee or job applicant receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of sexual orientation.
PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
The laws, which exist in the UK on discrimination against people with disabilities, are unlike those against women and minorities. These relate to ratios of disabled to non disabled employees which employers are encouraged to try and meet.
RELIGION
Discrimination on grounds of religion or religious observance, may be unlawful; as indirect discrimination. For example, a requirement that job applicants must be Christians would not be directly discriminatory, unless justifiable. It would be indirectly discriminatory on the grounds of race if, say a Moslem Pakistani applied. The reason for this is that a considerably smaller proportion of Pakistanis could comply with the requirement than could job applicants who are not Pakistani. Although no mention of nationality was made there could still be discrimination on racial grounds
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