All our employees have a right to equality of opportunity and not to be harassed or bullied. All staff must act in accordance with this policy and treating all colleagues, clients, visitors and other third parties with dignity and respect.
Breach of this policy will be taken seriously. Serious breaches may constitute gross misconduct and result in summary dismissal. Anyone who believes that he or she may have been discriminated against and/or harassed/bullied is encouraged to raise the matter.
No member of staff, who makes such allegations in good faith, should be victimised or treated less favourably as a result.
OUR COMMITMENT TO EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
Listening Dog Media believes wholeheartedly in dignity at work and in the principle of Equal Opportunities in employment and intends this statement to be a formal declaration of its status as an Equal Opportunities employer. The Company is committed to promoting equality of opportunity for all staff and job applicants.
Listening Dog Media wants to ensure that no employee, job applicant or candidate for promotion receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of age, disability, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation and gender reassignment (the “Protected Characteristics”). The Company will therefore seek to ensure that individuals are selected, promoted and treated on the basis of their relevant aptitudes, skills and abilities.
Apart from recognising the natural justice of this policy, the Company believes that it is both in its own and the individual’s best interests for the individual to achieve his/her full potential.
. What is discrimination?
- Discrimination may be direct or indirect and may occur intentionally or unintentionally.
- Direct discrimination occurs where someone is treated less favourably because of one or more of the Protected Characteristics. It may be direct discrimination where someone is perceived to have one of the Protected Characteristics but they in fact do not. It may also be direct discrimination where someone is discriminated against because of their association with another person who has one of the Protected Characteristics.
- Indirect discrimination occurs where someone is disadvantaged by a provision, criterion or practice that applies to everyone, but that people with a Protected Characteristic find it more difficult to meet and it is unjustified.
- Disability discrimination incorporates both direct and indirect discrimination as well as unjustified less favourable treatment because of the effects of a disability and a failure to make reasonable adjustments to assist disabled job applicants and employees in certain circumstances.
- Harassment Victimisation occurs where an individual is treated less favourably than colleagues as a result of carrying out what is described by legislation as a “protected act”, for instance because he/she has complained or given information about discrimination or harassment or supported someone else’s complaint or who might do.
RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION
Listening Dog Media aims to ensure that no job applicant suffers discrimination because of a Protected Characteristic. Recruitment and employment decisions will be made on the basis of fair and objective criteria. Our selection procedures are reviewed from time to time to ensure that they are appropriate for achieving our objectives and for avoiding unlawful discrimination.
Job applicants should not be asked about health or disability before a job offer is made, except in the very limited circumstances allowed by law: for example, to check that the applicant could perform an intrinsic part of the job (taking account of any reasonable adjustments), or to see if any adjustments might be needed at interview because of a disability. Where necessary, job offers can be made conditional on a satisfactory medical check. Health or disability questions may be included in equal opportunities monitoring forms, which must not be used for selection or decision-making purposes.
Listening Dog Media is required by law to ensure that all staff are entitled to work in the UK. Making assumptions about immigration status based on an individual’s appearance or apparent nationality should be avoided. All prospective staff, regardless of nationality, must produce original documents (such as a passport) before work starts, to satisfy current immigration legislation. The list of acceptable documents is available from HR or the UK Border Agency.
DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION
If you are or become disabled, we encourage you to tell the Company about your condition so that it can support you as appropriate.
If you experience difficulties at work because of a disability, you may wish to the MD to discuss any reasonable adjustments that would help overcome or minimise the difficulty. We may also wish to consult with you and your medical adviser(s) about possible adjustments. The Company will consider the matter carefully and try to accommodate your needs where reasonable. If the Company considers a particular adjustment would not be reasonable it will explain its reasons and try to find an alternative solution where possible.
ANTI-HARASSMENT AND ANTI BULLYING
Coupled with our commitment to equal opportunities is the right each individual engaged by the Company has to carry out his/her work free of the stress caused by any form of upsetting, embarrassing or offensive behaviour, which constitutes harassment or bullying.
Harassment and bullying is unlawful and has no place at Listening Dog Media. Accordingly, the Company will deal with allegations of harassment and bullying seriously, sensitively and in confidence. This policy statement makes clear our commitment to the right of all employees and others working for the Company to a working environment free from harassment or bullying.
What is harassment?
Harassment often takes the form of unwanted attention of various natures, but harassment for whatever reason, including on the grounds of the Protected Characteristics (will be viewed as serious misconduct or gross misconduct, depending on the severity of the behaviour involved.
Harassment is any unwanted physical, verbal or non-verbal conduct which has the purpose or effect of violating a person’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for them. A single incident can amount to harassment. It also includes treating someone less favourably because they have submitted or refused to submit to such behaviour in the past.
Unlawful harassment may involve conduct of a sexual nature (sexual harassment), or it may be related to a Protected Characteristic. Harassment is unacceptable even if it does not fall within any of these categories.
What is bullying?
Bullying is offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behaviour involving the misuse of power that can make a person feel vulnerable, upset, humiliated, undermined or threatened. Power does not always mean being in a position of authority, but can include both personal strength and the power to coerce through fear or intimidation. Bullying can take the form of physical, verbal and non-verbal conduct.