Page 52 - Spring 2015

A step further - Going above and
beyond the rules
Equality and diversity in the workplace is
rightly the domain of legislation and there
are some very clear rules that every employer
needs to follow, whatever the size of your
business. In a nutshell, all equality and
diversity legislation has the same aim –to make
the work environment fair and comfortable
for all. Making sure you and your staff know
and follow the rules is important, but why stop
there? Why not go beyond the rules to create a
truly inclusive work environment?
Where to start?
Obviously the first thing to do is get the basics
right. Make sure that you have researched what
is expected from an organisation in terms of
protecting staff from harassment and bullying.
A good place to start is the ACAS website,
which lists your responsibilities for all of the
protected diversity strands and also outlines
the different types of discrimination, so that
you know how to spot the warning signs in
your work environment.
There are also some pretty obvious basics when
it comes to hiring staff as well. Avoid biases
such as not hiring women because you want to
avoid having to grant maternity leave or not
hiring a member of a different culture because
you are worried they ‘won’t fit in.’ The law
states that you hire the person you feel is best
suited for the job. Their gender, age, sexuality,
skin colour, culture, religion, disabilities or
mental health conditions should not affect that
decision.
Get a policy
The next move is a change
of mind-set. Rather than just
meeting your legal requirements,
try to make promoting an
inclusive work culture as your
aim. A good way to start would
be to draw up a comprehensive
equality policy and action plan.
While neither of these are a legal
requirement, they become a clear
point of call for management
and staff as well as a reference for
any disciplinary issues that might
arise.
Your policy will have a good
statement of the company’s
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