This policy applies to everyone who works for Made Tech, or who acts on Made Tech’s behalf. All team members have a role in promoting equality, diversity and inclusion at work. We all have a personal responsibility to comply with the policy and to ensure, as far as possible, that others do the same.
Made Tech is responsible for this policy, and for ensuring that all our staff understand their rights and obligations as detailed within it, and for any necessary training on equal opportunities.
This policy does not form part of your contract of employment, and we may amend it at any time.
It is illegal to discriminate against a person on the basis of the following Protected Characteristics:
- Age
- Disability
- Gender reassignment
- Marital or civil partner status
- Pregnancy or maternity
- Race (including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin)
- Religion, religious belief or similar philosophical belief
- Sex
- Sexual orientation (ie homosexuality, bisexuality or heterosexuality)
This list doesn't cover everything that might disadvantage someone. We're interested in fairness for everyone, not just meeting our legal obligations.
This is a broader concept that builds upon the progress made through equal opportunities. Everyone is different and diversity means recognising, respecting and valuing the differences we each bring to work.
Equal opportunities and diversity work together by identifying and addressing any inequalities and barriers faced by people and by valuing, learning and benefiting from the diverse cultures in society and our staff.
This means treating someone less favourably than you would treat others because of a Protected Characteristic. For example, rejecting a job applicant because of their religion, or not promoting someone because of their sexual orientation. This includes any less favourable treatment because you perceive a person to have a Protected Characteristic (even though they do not in fact have it), or because they associate with a person or group who has a Protected Characteristic.
This means placing someone at a disadvantage through a policy, practice or criterion that applies to everyone but adversely affects people with a particular Protected Characteristic. For example, if a company insisted that all employees work on a Sunday, this would adversely affect Christians. If such a practice or criterion cannot be justified as a reasonable means to an end, then it could be considered unlawful.
Harassment related to any of the Protected Characteristics will be unlawful if it consists of unwanted conduct that has the purpose or effect of violating a person’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, offensive, degrading or humiliating environment for that person. If you feel that you have been the subject of harassment please talk to your manager, HR person or a trusted colleague in the first instance if you feel more comfortable doing this.
This is the unfavourable treatment of a person because they have taken action to assert their own legal rights under discrimination law, or assisted someone else to do so. For example, if a disabled employee asserts in a grievance that their employer is not complying with its duty to make reasonable adjustments, and is then systematically excluded from meetings.
We commit to avoiding unlawful discrimination in all aspects of employment including recruitment, promotion, opportunities for training, pay and benefits, discipline, and selection for redundancy.
Person and job specifications will be limited to those requirements that are necessary for the effective performance of the job. Candidates for employment or promotion will be assessed objectively against the requirements for the position, and on the basis of merit. Similarly, other selection exercises such as redundancy selection will be conducted against objective criteria. A person’s personal or home commitments will not form the basis of employment decisions except where justified and necessary.
We will generally advertise vacancies to a diverse section of the labour market. Our advertisements should avoid any kind of stereotyping or wording that may discourage particular groups from applying.
Job applicants should never be asked questions which might suggest an intention to discriminate on grounds of a Protected Characteristic. For example, you may not ask an applicant if they plan to have children.
We will consider any possible indirectly discriminatory effect of our standard working practices, including the number of hours to be worked, the times at which these are to be worked, and the place at which the work is to be carried out. When considering requests for variations to these working practices we will only refuse these if we have good reasons for doing so.
We will treat part-time and fixed-term employees the same as comparable full-time or permanent employees, and will ensure that they enjoy no less favourable terms and conditions (albeit on a pro-rata basis where appropriate), unless different treatment is justified.
We will not ask job applicants about their health or any disability before offering them a position, unless it is to check that they can perform an intrinsic part of the job, or to see if we need to make any particular arrangements to accommodate them at interview. Where necessary, job offers can be made conditional to a satisfactory medical check.
If you are disabled or become disabled, we would ask you to tell us about your condition, so that we can support you as much as possible, and discuss with you any adjustments that may help you.
As part of your onboarding at Made Tech and at regular intervals thereafter you will be asked to complete an equality, diversity and inclusion monitoring questionnaire. The data we collect from these will be used to help us make decisions that help fulfil our equality, diversity and inclusion aims.
All staff members have a right to equality of opportunity, and an obligation to uphold this policy. Managers must take responsibility for implementing the policy and for taking positive steps to promote equality at work.
If you believe that you have suffered discrimination you can raise the matter through our grievance procedure, or you can talk to your manager, the people team, or a trusted colleague in the first instance if you feel more comfortable doing this. Complaints will be treated in confidence and investigated as appropriate.
We consider any violation of our equality, diversity and inclusion policy to be a serious matter, and, where appropriate, we may invoke the disciplinary procedure when dealing with a breach. Serious cases of deliberate discrimination may amount to gross misconduct resulting in summary dismissal. Unlawful discrimination may also result in legal proceedings against you personally and against Made Tech, and may leave you and Made Tech liable to pay compensation.
You must not be victimised or retaliated against for complaining about discrimination. However, making a false allegation deliberately and in bad faith will be treated as misconduct.