EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES AND DIVERSITY POLICY
General Rapier
Employment Limited embraces diversity and will seek to promote the benefits of diversity
in all of our business activities. We will seek to develop a business culture
that reflects that belief. We will seek to widen the media in which we recruit
to ensure as diverse an employee and candidate base as possible. We will strive
to make sure that our clients meet their own diversity targets. Rapier
Employment Limited is committed to diversity and will promote diversity for all
employees, workers and applicants and shall adhere to such a policy at all
times. We will review on an on-going basis all aspects of recruitment to avoid
unlawful or undesirable discrimination. Rapier Employment Limited will treat
everyone equally irrespective of sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment,
marital or civil partnership status, age, disability, colour, race,
nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, political beliefs
or membership or non-membership of a Trade Union or spent convictions, and
places an obligation upon all staff to respect and act in accordance with the
policy. Rapier Employment Limited is committed to providing training for its
entire staff in equal opportunities practice. Rapier Employment Limited shall
avoid stipulating any unnecessary requirements which would exclude a higher
proportion of a particular gender, sexual orientation, age, religion or racial
group or which would exclude disabled job applicants; and will avoid
prescribing any requirements as to marital or civil partnership status. Rapier
Employment Limited shall not discriminate unlawfully when deciding which
candidate/temporary worker is submitted for a vacancy or assignment, or in any
terms of employment or terms of engagement for temporary workers. Rapier
Employment Limited will ensure that each candidate is assessed only in
accordance with the candidate’s merits, qualifications and abilities to perform
the relevant duties required by the particular vacancy. Rapier Employment
Limited will not accept instructions from clients that indicate an intention to
discriminate unlawfully. Discrimination Unlawful discrimination occurs in the
following circumstances: Direct discrimination Direct discrimination occurs
where one individual treats or would treat another individual less favourably
because of sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership,
age, disability, colour, race, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion
or belief, political beliefs (“the protected categories”). It is unlawful for a
recruitment consultancy to discriminate against a person on the grounds of a
protected category: 6 V3 01/10/2015 in the terms on which the recruitment
consultancy offers to provide any of its services; by refusing or deliberately
omitting to provide any of its services; in the way it provides any of its
services. Direct discrimination would also occur if a recruitment consultancy
accepted and acted upon a job registration from an employer which states that
certain persons are unacceptable due to a protected category, unless one of the
exceptions applies, for instance, the job demands a genuine occupational
requirement or in the case of age, the discrimination can be lawfully
justified. Indirect Discrimination Indirect discrimination occurs where an
agency or employer applies a provision, criterion or practice generally, which
disadvantages a minority group in the community on the basis of a protected
category. Indirect discrimination would also occur if a recruitment consultant
accepted and acted upon an indirectly discriminatory instruction from an
employer. If the vacancy requires characteristics which amount to a genuine
occupational requirement or the instruction is lawfully discriminatory due to a
statutory exception or objective justification, Rapier Employment Limited will
not deal further with the vacancy unless the client provides written
confirmation of such genuine occupational requirement, exception or
justification. Disabled Persons Discrimination Direct discrimination against a
person occurs where, a person is treated less favourably because of disability,
either their own disability or because someone they are associated with has a
disability Indirect discriminations occurs when a practice, criterion or
provision which cannot be objectively justified is applied to everyone but
results in person with a disability being placed at a disadvantage. Disability
arising from discrimination occurs when a person is treated unfavourably
because of something arising in connection with their disability. Duty to make
reasonable adjustments and to provide auxiliary aids and services This is a similar
protection to indirect discrimination in the other protected categories. Where
a provision, criterion or practice applied by or on behalf of an employer, or
any physical feature of the employer’s premises, places a disabled person at a
substantial disadvantage in comparison with persons who are not disabled, it
will be the duty of an employer to take such steps as are reasonable, in all
the circumstances of the case, to remove the provision, criterion, practice or
physical feature. Agencies must take reasonable steps to provide auxiliary aids
or services if this would make it easier for the disabled person to use their
services. For instance, an appropriate auxiliary aid or service can include the
provision of information on audiotape or provision of a sign language
interpreter. Rapier Employment Limited will not discriminate against a disabled
person on the grounds of disability: in the arrangements i.e. application form,
interview or arrangements for selection for determining to whom a job should be
offered; or in the terms on which employment or engagement of temporary workers
is offered; or 7 V3 01/10/2015 by refusing to offer, or deliberately not
offering the disabled person a job for reasons connected with their disability;
or in the opportunities afforded to the person for receiving any benefit, or by
refusing to afford, or deliberately not affording him or her any such
opportunity; or by subjecting him or her to any other detriment (detriment will
include refusal of training or transfer, demotion, reduction of wage, or
harassment). Rapier Employment Limited will accordingly make career
opportunities available to all people with disabilities and every practical
effort will be made to provide for the needs of staff, candidates and clients.
Wherever possible Rapier Employment Limited will make reasonable adjustments to
hallways, passages and doors in order to provide and improve means of access
for disabled employees and workers. However, this may not always be feasible,
due to circumstances creating such difficulties as to render such adjustments
as being beyond what is reasonable in all the circumstances. Age Discrimination
Rapier Employment Limited will not discriminate directly or indirectly, harass
or victimise any person on the grounds of their age. We will encourage clients
not to include any age criteria in job specifications and every attempt will be
made to persuade clients to recruit on the basis of competence and skills and
not age. Rapier Employment Limited is committed to recruiting and retaining
employees and workers whose skills, experience, and attitude are suitable for
the requirements of the various positions regardless of age. No age
requirements will be stated in any job advertisements on behalf of the company.
Rapier Employment Limited will request age as part of its recruitment process
but such information will not be used as selection, training or promotion
criteria or in any detrimental way and is only for compilation of personal
data, which the company holds on all employees and workers and as part of its
equal opportunities monitoring process. Harassment Policy Rapier Employment
Limited is committed to providing a work environment free from unlawful
harassment on grounds of sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marital
or civil partnership status, age, disability, colour, race, nationality, ethnic
or national origin, religion or belief, political beliefs or any other basis
protected by legislation is unlawful and will not be tolerated by Rapier
Employment Limited. This policy prohibits unlawful harassment by any employee
or worker of Rapier Employment Limited. Examples of prohibited harassment are:
verbal or written conduct containing derogatory jokes or comments; slurs or
unwanted sexual advances; visual conduct such as derogatory or sexually
orientated posters; photographs, cartoons, drawings or gestures which some may
find offensive; physical conduct such as assault, unwanted touching, or any
interference because of sex, race or any other protected category basis;
Threats and demands to submit to sexual requests as a condition of continued
employment or to avoid some other loss, and offers of employment benefits in
return for sexual favours; Retaliation for having reported or threatened to
report harassment. If you believe that you have been unlawfully harassed, you
should make an immediate report to your Line Manager followed by a written
complaint as soon as possible after the incident. Your complaint should
include: Details of the incident 8 V3 01/10/2015 Name(s) of the individual(s)
involved Name(s) of any witness(es) Rapier Employment Limited will undertake a
thorough investigation of the allegations. If it is concluded that unlawful
harassment has occurred, remedial action will be taken. Gender Reassignment
Policy Rapier Employment Limited recognises that any employee or worker may
wish to change their gender during the course of their employment with the
Company. Rapier Employment Limited will support any employee or worker through
the reassignment. Rapier Employment Limited will make every effort to try to
protect an employee or worker who has undergone, is undergoing or intends to
undergo gender reassignment, from discrimination or harassment within the
workplace. All employees and workers will be expected to comply with Rapier
Employment Limited’s policy on harassment in the workplace. Any breach of such
a policy will lead to the appropriate disciplinary sanction. Where an employee
or worker is engaged in work where the gender change imposes genuine problems
Rapier Employment Limited will make every effort to reassign the employee or
worker to an alternative role in the Company. Any employee or worker suffering
discrimination on the grounds of gender reassignment should make recourse to
the Company’s grievance procedure. Complaints and Monitoring Procedures Rapier
Employment Limited has in place procedures for monitoring compliance with this
policy and for dealing with complaints of discrimination. These are available
from your HR Manager and will be made available immediately upon request. Any
discrimination complaint will be investigated fully