Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Our Commitment
The Company is committed to a policy of treating all employees, job applicants, clients and customers equally.
This commitment applies to all aspects of employment outlined below:
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Recruitment and selection, including advertisements, job descriptions, interview and selection procedures
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Training
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Promotion and career development opportunities
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Terms and conditions of employment
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Grievance handling and the application of disciplinary procedures
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Selection for redundancy
We are determined to ensure that no actual or potential employee or customer receives less favourable treatment on discriminatory grounds including race, colour, nationality, ethnic origin, religion or belief, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, disability or marriage and civil partnership.
Equal Opportunities practice is developing constantly as social attitudes and legislation change. Wilson Vale is committed to keeping its policies under review and will implement changes where these could improve equality of opportunity. This commitment applies to all of Wilson Vale’s employment policies and procedures, not just those specifically connected with Equal Opportunity.
All our managers and senior executives are committed to ensuring that no conditions of employment or qualifying conditions will be required when recruiting or promoting that cannot be justified on operational grounds and to train, develop and promote on the basis solely of merit and ability.
Employee Obligation
We expect you to support this policy actively and to respect the dignity of all your colleagues, clients and customers. If you are witness to or are subject to any form of offence from others, please bring this to the attention of your manager.
All employees have a right to equality of opportunity and dignity at work and are under a duty to implement this policy. Breach of the equal opportunity and diversity policy is potentially a serious disciplinary matter.
Please follow the link to view our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Policy.
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Definitions
Direct discrimination
Means less favourable treatment because of a protected characteristic.
Indirect discrimination
Means the application of a provision, criterion or practice which adversely affects people with the protected characteristic (e.g.
gender, or those of a particular ethnic or national origin or those of a particular religion or belief etc.).
Reasonable adjustments
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Where any feature of the company’s premises or any arrangements the Company makes in relation to an employee’s working conditions places an employee at a disadvantage because of a disability that that person has, the Company is under an obligation to make such adjustments to the premises or working conditions as are reasonable to mitigate or eliminate that disadvantage.
Victimisation
Means treating a person in an unfavourable way because they have made an allegation of discrimination or helped someone who is alleging that there has been a contravention of any of the discrimination legislation.
Anti-harassment and Bullying
Wilson Vale wishes to provide a supportive working environment which will enable its employees to fulfill their personal potential. Such an environment cannot exist where any employee is subjected to bullying, harassment, intimidation, aggression or coercion, as such, Wilson Vale will not tolerate any form of bullying or harassment.
Wilson Vale is fully committed to the principles of equality and diversity in the workplace and regards harassment as a form of discrimination.
We will treat all complaints of bullying and harassment seriously and will investigate them promptly and in confidence.
Bullying and Harassment
Bullying at work is defined as behaviour that is:
• threatening, aggressive or intimidating;
• abusive, insulting or offensive;
• cruel or vindictive; or
• humiliating, degrading or demeaning
Legitimate, reasonable and constructive criticism of an employee's performance or behaviour, or reasonable instructions given to an employee in the course of their employment will not, on their own, amount to bullying.
Harassment is unwanted conduct (sexual or otherwise) which violates a person’s dignity or creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for that person. Certain forms of harassment at work will amount to unlawful discrimination. Harassment will amount to discrimination if it relates to a "relevant protected characteristic", such as sex, marital status, race, disability, religion or beliefs, sexual orientation, age or gender reassignment. This list should be considered non-exhaustive, and harassment or bullying on any grounds will not be tolerated by Wilson Vale.
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Please follow the link to view our Prevention of Sexual Harassment Policy.
Complaints Procedure
If an employee believes that they are the subject of discrimination, intimidation or harassment, that employee should in the first instance request that the person responsible stop the offending behaviour.
If the offending behaviour continues, is particularly serious or affects an employee’s employment, or the employee feels unable to approach the person they believe to be discriminating, intimidating or harassing them, the employee should follow the company’s grievance procedure.
Please follow the link to view our Grievance Policy.
In a similar way, if any employee believes that they have been subjected to bullying for any reason, they should follow the company’s grievance procedure.