Contents

Purpose
Scope 2
Principles
Actions
Responsibilities
Managers' responsibility
Employees' responsibility
The working environment
Employment policies
Recruitment/work experience
Training and diversity awareness
Career development, training and redeployment
Flexible working
Involvement
Harassment
Monitoring performance
Breach of this policy
Related policies and documents
Further information
Policy owner
Policy review date

Purpose

We value the diversity of our employees and customers and aim to become more competitive by delivering culturally aware services and products to our customers." We aim to make our products and services as accessible and responsive as possible to all existing and potential customers and to provide products and services to them which recognise and respect their differences. We recognise that our ability to meet their needs is improved by having a diverse workforce which generally reflects our customer base. We also wish to provide the best opportunities to all our employees, based on their abilities and potential.

We seek to provide equality of opportunity for all applicants and employees via our recruitment and selection and training and development policies. Our aim is to ensure everyone receives treatment that is fair, equitable and consistent with their skills and abilities.

This policy is not contractual but indicates the way we wish to address diversity in the workplace.

Scope

This policy applies to all employees. It covers all aspects of employment including job adverts, recruitment, induction, pay and benefits, terms and conditions of service, training and development, promotion, change management and also to grievance and disciplinary issues.

It also applies to the way we manage relationships with our customers and suppliers as well as to potential employees.

Principles

Whilst we fully accept our responsibilities under current legislation, we aim to go beyond this and to:

» recognise that everyone has a right to their distinctive and diverse identity
» have a workforce which generally reflects the customers we serve
» understand how diversity can improve our ability to deliver better services
» provide services that are responsive to our customer’s needs
» provide all employees with the necessary training and development they need to contribute with their performance to the company goals
» provide a supportive, open environment where employees may use their talents fully and where they are treated fairly and with dignity and respect, in an environment free from abuse or offensive behaviour, bullying or harassment, intimidation or prejudice regardless of a protected characteristic (age, disability, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race (including nationality, ethnic or national origin), religion or philosophical belief, sex or sexual orientation) or additionally, any impairment, responsibility for dependants, social background or any other individual characteristic which may unfairly affect their opportunities in life.

Furthermore, we recognise the benefits of helping our employees to balance the responsibilities of their work and private lives.

Learning to work with people's differences, visible or not, enables us to work together effectively and helps us to anticipate and meet the needs of all of our customers’; to recruit, retain and develop the best people; to fulfil our legal commitments; and to act responsibly in the communities of which we are a part.

Actions

The actions we will take to make this policy work include:

» providing training and communications to raise awareness and understanding of diversity and equal opportunities issues, to show their impact on the business and individuals

» ensuring that decisions on recruitment, access to training and promotion are based on ability only

» regularly reviewing our employment policies to ensure that people are treated fairly, equitably and consistently with their skills and abilities

» developing patterns of work which are consistent with the ability to maintain an appropriate work-life balance
» reviewing working arrangements to ensure that they do not restrict the opportunity for employment or career progression of members of disadvantaged groups
» monitoring the composition of our workforce to provide us with robust data to evaluate the effect of our policies
» routinely monitoring all actions under the grievance and disciplinary procedures by gender, race, disability, age and any other criteria we deem to be appropriate
» providing employees who believe they have been treated in any way contrary to this policy with the opportunity to raise and resolve issues.

Responsibilities

Managers' responsibility

The Directors and Managers have overall responsibility for ensuring the implementation of this policy.

As employers, we are liable for the actions of our employees and workers and therefore all our managers, supervisors and team leaders are responsible for the successful implementation of this policy within their own departments and should take steps to ensure that people working for them understand and follow this policy.

Employees' responsibility

All our employees are required to comply with this policy, together with our associated policies (see below).

Any employee who witnesses behaviour or decisions that seem to be contrary to this policy should challenge these or raise the issue with a Director or can use the Whislte Blowing process.

The working environment

We will take all reasonable steps to ensure that our working environment does not prevent people from taking up positions for which they are suitably qualified. This may include physical adaptions or more flexible ways of working, including home working (where appropriate and practical and where it does not hinder performance or communication).

Employment policies

Our employment policies and procedures will be continually reviewed to ensure compliance with this policy, to reflect current best practice and to remove barriers experienced by members of disadvantaged social groups in seeking employment with us, and working for us.

Recruitment/work experience

We will provide full and fair consideration for all job applicants, based on merit and ability. All managers involved in recruitment will be trained appropriately.

We will review and develop our recruitment procedures to encourage applications from, and the employment of, people from a range of backgrounds reflecting our current team dynamics. Procedures for testing or assessment will be reviewed so as not to disadvantage any applicant.

We aim to ensure that our recruitment practices are free from unlawful discriminatory criteria. Questions relating to a protected characteristic (age, disability, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race (including nationality, ethnic or national origin), religion or philosophical belief, sex or sexual orientation), but also current or future family responsibilities will not form part of our selection process (unless a Genuine Occupational or Security Requirement applies to the vacant role, or such questions are directly relevant to assessing a candidate's experience of the duties of the particular vacancy).

We will ensure that other opportunities such as work experience and sandwich placements, where available, are open to people from a wide range of backgrounds and we will work to create good education/industrial links to encourage a broad range of applicants.

Training and diversity awareness

Induction training will be tailored to individual needs, but will in all cases include awareness of our diversity policy and how it applies to individuals. We will then continue to take specific steps to raise awareness of diversity throughout the business, initially particularly targeting employees involved in the recruitment and selection process.

Publicity will be developed and disseminated in ways which bring diversity issues to the attention of all employees and those who have dealings with our business. A wide range of cultures will be displayed and celebrated in our publicity material as it is today.

Career development, training and redeployment

We recognise that our ability to meet our customer diverse needs is improved by having a workforce which has the range of skills and understanding to achieve our objectives. We will take all appropriate steps to ensure that all employees receive fair consideration of their training and development needs and promotion opportunities to enable them to develop their full potential within our business.

Standard training and reference manuals and training materials will be updated where necessary.

Any employees whose circumstances change whilst employed by us (for example, who become disabled, who take maternity, adoption, paternity or shared parental leave, or who face new caring responsibilities) will be given as much support as the company can realistically afford to maintain or return to a job appropriate to their experience and abilities.

Flexible working

We will consider any requests for flexible working in a way which aims to balance the needs of the individual and our business. conditional always on it not impacting productivity or communication

Involvement

We encourage the participation of all employees to ensure that, wherever possible, our employment practices recognise and meet their needs and will involve our staff in determining what can be done to make sure they develop and use their abilities at work.

Harassment

Harassment includes behaviour that is offensive, frightening or distressing. We have a separate policy on bullying and harassment which makes it clear that such behaviour is totally unacceptable.

Monitoring performance

We will monitor our progress towards diversity by: monitoring the ethnic, gender, age and disability profile of our employees to enable us to understand the composition of our workforce to identify any areas of inequality
monitoring applicants for jobs, training and development, grievances, disciplinary hearings, dismissals and other reasons for leaving
monitoring employee opinions and comments though an annual employee survey, employee forums and feedback via the appraisal system

Breach of this policy

Any employee who feels he/she has been treated in a manner contrary to this policy should raise this either formally through the grievance procedure.

Any breaches of this policy by employees will be fully investigated and may lead to disciplinary action.

Related policies and documents

Please refer to our ISO system

Further information

Any queries or comments about this policy should be addressed to Laurent Reymond.

Policy owner

This policy is owned and maintained by Laurent Reymond

Policy review date

Date last reviewed: 12th December 2025