Equal Opportunities and Diversity Policy

This Equal Opportunities and Diversity Policy Statement are designed to implement the commitment Greenwell Gleeson has to Equal Opportunities and Diversity. It is the responsibility of every employee to ensure his or her own conduct conforms to the expected standards and reflects these Policy Statements.

The aim of the policies is to encourage harmony and respect amongst individuals so as to promote good working practices with a view to maximising the performance and the return to the Employer and the employees.

If Equal Opportunities and Diversity are not applied and respected then valuable talent and potential are wasted. Moreover when unfair discrimination, harassment, bullying or victimisation take place they bring about a climate of fear, insecurity and poor work performance. As well as being unlawful it affects profitability and morale. It is therefore vital that every employee understands his or her responsibilities. Equal Opportunities and Diversity is taken very seriously by the Employer and wilful failure to apply the policies or evidence of discrimination, harassment, bullying or victimisation will result in disciplinary action which may include your dismissal.

The Equal Opportunities Policy Statement

1. Greenwell Gleeson seeks to employ a workforce which reflects the diverse community at large because Greenwell Gleeson values the individual contribution of people irrespective of sex, pregnancy or maternity leave, age, marital status, civil partnership, disability, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, race, colour, religion or belief, ethnic or national origin.

2. All employees will be treated with dignity and respect. Greenwell Gleeson will use its best endeavours to provide a working environment free from unlawful discrimination, harassment or victimisation on the grounds of sex, pregnancy or maternity leave, age, marital status, civil partnership, disability, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, race, colour, religion or belief, ethnic or national origin.

3. Greenwell Gleeson recognises its legal obligations including those under the Race Relations Act, the Sex Discrimination Act, the Civil Partnership Act, the Equal Pay Act, the Disability Discrimination Act, the Fixed-term Employees (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations, the Part-time Workers (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations, the Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations, the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations and the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations.

4. Greenwell Gleeson undertakes to review periodically its selection criteria and procedures to maintain a system where individuals are selected, promoted and treated solely on the basis of their merits and abilities.

5. Greenwell Gleeson will not tolerate acts which breach this policy and all instances of such behaviour or alleged behaviour will be taken seriously, fully investigated and may be subject to disciplinary procedures. Greenwell Gleeson further seeks to give all employees equal opportunity and encouragement to progress within the organisation by implementing a positive action plan.

6. If an existing employee becomes disabled Greenwell Gleeson will make every effort to retain him or her within the workforce whenever reasonable and practicable.

7. Whenever reasonably practicable to do so Greenwell Gleeson will install in existing premises facilities for people with disabilities. Whenever Greenwell Gleeson invests capital in new or refurbished premises every practicable effort will be made to provide for the needs of staff and customers with disabilities.

8. Greenwell Gleeson undertakes to distribute and publicise this policy statement to all employees and elsewhere as from time to time appropriate.

9. Any employee who believes that they may have been subjected to treatment which breaches this policy may raise the matter through the grievance procedure of Greenwell Gleeson

Policy statement on harassment at work

1. Greenwell Gleeson believes that the dignity of every person must be respected. Harassment of colleagues or visitors is unacceptable and will be regarded as gross misconduct. The highest standards of conduct are required of everyone regardless of seniority.

2. Greenwell Gleeson recognises that harassment may take many forms. It may be directed towards persons of either sex. It may relate to a person's ethnic origin, religion or belief, age, sex, pregnancy or maternity leave, sexual orientation, physical or mental attributes or some other personal characteristic.

3. Harassment may involve action or inaction, behaviour, exclusion, comment or physical contact that the recipient finds objectionable or offensive. It may result in the recipient feeling threatened, humiliated, intimidated, patronised, demoralised or less confident in their ability. Condoning such conduct may be harassment in itself. The test of harassment is, at least in part, subjective.

4. Examples of unacceptable conduct include:

verbal abuse, or insulting behaviour

sexist or racist jokes, jokes about an individual's sexual orientation, jokes about a person's age or jokes about an individual's physical or mental attributes

the display or circulation of sexually suggestive or racially abusive material

bullying, coercive or threatening behaviour

the ridicule or exclusion of an individual for cultural or religious differences, on the grounds of sex or sexual orientation, on the grounds of age or on the grounds of disability

unsolicited or unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature including touching, staring or commenting

comments of a sexual nature about a person's appearance or dress

any conduct, whether or not of a sexual nature, which has the purpose or effect of intimidating, degrading, humiliating or offending someone simply because he/she is of a particular sex

treating someone unfavourably because they have rejected or submitted to unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature or to harassment on the grounds of their sex.

5. Harassment, particularly on the grounds of sex, sexual orientation, race, age, disability, religion or belief, will be regarded as gross misconduct for disciplinary purposes. Accordingly, employees guilty of harassment run a serious risk of summary dismissal.

6. Equally, an allegation of harassment must not be made lightly. If it is found that an allegation of harassment has been made without foundation and maliciously then this will also be regarded as gross misconduct for disciplinary purposes.

7. All complaints of harassment should be made to your manager through the grievance procedure unless the complaint is regarding this person when you should complain to that person's superior.