Equal Opportunities Policy

Equal Opportunities Statement

Snowmedia Consulting Limited recognises the importance of fairness within the working environment and accepts it is a vital part of a successful business and public body. Equal opportunities within the work place are fully supported by the Equality Act 2010. Snowmedia Consulting Limited fully adheres to complying with the Equality Act 2010 as it recognises the good business sense in running and developing the organisation.

The aim of the Equality Act 2010 is to improve equal job opportunities and fairness for employees and job applicants. Snowmedia Consulting Limited has policies in place to prevent these outcomes happening and recognise the importance of these policies in order to prevent discrimination.

Under the Equality Act 2010 it is unlawful to discriminate against people at work because of nine areas which are termed in legislation as protected characteristics.

Snowmedia Consulting Limited will not tolerate employees being the subject to offensive comments or behaviours in relation to any form of discrimination. Snowmedia Consulting Limited treats all forms of discrimination very seriously and will act on any employee feeling as though they are being discriminated against immediately.

Age

The Equality Act 2010 makes it unlawful to discriminate against employees, job seekers and trainees because of their age.

Snowmedia Consulting Limited has policies in place to prevent employees being discriminated against because of their age, whether this is Direct Discrimination (their actual age, their perceived age or the age of someone with whom they associate), Indirect Discrimination, Harassment or Victimisation.

Making a claim against age discrimination

If an employee feels they have been discriminated against, they may be able to make a claim in an Employment Tribunal, however in the first instance it is better to discuss this with the HR Manager; in discussing the matter informally it will minimise the negative effects on all parties involved.

If the situation cannot be resolved through discussing the issue the claimant may wish to take the claim to tribunal. If this is the case the claimant may have to pay for the Tribunal; Snowmedia Consulting Limited will not accept any unnecessary fees from a claimant taking a claim to Tribunal.

Disability

The Equality Act 2010 makes it unlawful to discriminate against employees (including workers) because of a mental or physical disability.

Snowmedia Consulting Limited has policies in place to prevent employees being discriminated against because of disability, whether this is Direct Discrimination (their actual disability, their perceived disability or the disability of someone with whom they associate), Indirect Discrimination, Harassment or Victimisation.

Discrimination arising from disability is where an employee is treated less favourably because of an aspect linking to their disability. If a disabled individual feels they have been discriminated against arising from disability they do not have to compare how they have been treated in comparison with another employee’s.

Snowmedia Consulting Limited recognises the importance of not treating employees less favourable and has policies in place to prevent discrimination. If employees require reasonable adjustments due to a disability Snowmedia Consulting Limited will accommodate them to ensure the workplace or practices do not disadvantage a disabled job applicant or employee.

Obesity is not classed as a disability, however, where obesity causes an impairment which is substantially adverse and has long term impairment this might be regarded as a disability by an Employment Tribunal. Snowmedia Consulting Limited will accommodate as much as practicable employees who have long term impairments.

Snowmedia Consulting Limited will consider each case of obesity on an individual basis as both Snowmedia Consulting Limited and the employee will need to firmly bear in mind a condition of obesity and whether the condition is likely to amount to a disability.

Gender Reassignment Discrimination

Gender reassignment is a personal, social and sometimes medical process by which a person’s gender appears to have changed. Anyone who proposes to, starts or has completed a process to change his or her gender is protected from discrimination under the Equality Act 2010. A person does not need to be undergoing medical supervision to be protected.

Snowmedia Consulting Limited will not discriminate against transgender employees or treat transgender employees less favourable for being absent from work because they want to undergo, are undergoing, or have undertaken gender reassignment than they would if they had been ill or incurred an injury.

Snowmedia Consulting Limited has policies in place to prevent employees being discriminated against because of gender reassignment, whether this is Direct Discrimination (their actual transition, their perceived gender or the transition of someone with whom they associate), Indirect Discrimination, Harassment or Victimisation.

Snowmedia Consulting Limited will support an employee who wants to undergo gender reassignment or who have undertaken transition by providing:

• Good communication: through company rules, practices and procedures. Snowmedia Consulting Limited will ensure that the employee has a clear statement of the acceptance and support for the different forms of gender identity, and will make it clear to staff that anyone who discriminates, harasses or victimises against the individual because of their gender reassignment is acting unlawfully and will be taken seriously.
• Support for individuals undergoing gender transition: it is the employee’s discretion of how they would like their colleagues to be informed of their transition.
• Confidentiality: at a time agreed by the transgender employee all details of the employee will change. Access to personal records which state the individual’s previous gender should be retained only if necessary, otherwise be deleted or destroyed.

Employee’s responsibilities

Employees should make a list of the people that need to know; they should either speak to them personally or ask the manager they informed at Snowmedia Consulting Limited to communicate with them. Any problems in informing colleagues should be directed to the HR Manager.

It is the employee’s responsibility to ensure that Snowmedia Consulting Limited is aware of what time off is required in order to undertake the transition. Snowmedia Consulting Limited recognises the importance of supporting employees and will not treat a person worse if they are absent from work for a reason relating to gender reassignment than they would if they were absent from work for some other reason.

Marriage and Civil Partnership

The Equality Act 2010 makes it unlawful to discriminate against or treat someone unfairly because they are married or in a civil partnership. Gay and lesbian couples are able to register their civil partnership which gives them many of the same rights as same sex and opposite sex married couples.

Snowmedia Consulting Limited has policies in place to prevent employees being discriminated against because of marriage and civil partnership, whether this be Direct Discrimination (their actual marriage or civil partnership, their perceived marriage or civil partnership, or the marriage or civil partnership of someone with whom they associate), Indirect Discrimination, Harassment or Victimisation.

Snowmedia Consulting Limited recognises the importance of complying with the Equality Act 2010 and provides policies in order to prevent discrimination; this provides protection from discrimination because of sexual orientation. This includes orientation towards someone of the same sex (lesbian or gay men), opposite sex (heterosexual) or both sexes (bisexual).

Pregnancy and Maternity Discrimination

The Equality Act 2010 makes it unlawful to discriminate or treat employees unfavourably because of their pregnancy, having given birth recently, breast feeding or being on maternity leave.

Snowmedia Consulting Limited has policies in place to prevent employees being discriminated against because of pregnancy and maternity, whether this be Direct Discrimination (their actual pregnancy or taking maternity leave, their perceived pregnancy or maternity leave, or the pregnancy or maternity of someone with whom they associate), Indirect Discrimination, Harassment or Victimisation.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission’s code of practice states that an employee who is treated less favourably because of their association with a pregnant woman may have a claim for sex discrimination.

There is no legal right for Snowmedia Consulting Limited to accommodate employees to take time off for breastfeeding or expressing milk and there is no legal requirement to provide a facility where employees can express milk; however, through Health and Safety, Snowmedia Consulting Limited are legally required to provide somewhere where pregnant and breastfeeding employees can rest.

Employees who are breast feeding should, prior to returning to work, write to Anthony Snow of Snowmedia Consulting Limited and state that they are breastfeeding.

If Snowmedia Consulting Limited has genuine redundancies and where there is no other suitable alternative work available to those on maternity leave, a woman can lawfully be made redundant, providing that the reason for redundancy is not being pregnant or on maternity.

During the protected period (the beginning to the end of the maternity leave) unfavourable treatment of a woman because she is pregnant or on maternity leave is unlawful.

A woman on maternity leave has the same right to return to the same job before she left or, if not possible, at the end of the 52 weeks maternity leave a suitable alternative must be found.

Selecting a woman for redundancy because of her pregnancy, maternity leave or related reason is automatically unfair dismissal as well as unlawful discrimination.

A woman made redundant whilst on maternity leave should be offered a suitable alternative vacancy if there is one suitable, although she doesn’t need to apply.

Snowmedia Consulting Limited recognises the importance of pregnancy and maternity discrimination and has policies in place to prevent discrimination.

Race

The Equality Act 2010 makes it unlawful to discriminate against employees due to their ethnic or national origin, nationality or different elements of colour.

Snowmedia Consulting Limited has policies in place to prevent employees being discriminated against because of race, whether this be Direct Discrimination (their actual race, their perceived race, or the race of someone with whom they associate), Indirect Discrimination, Harassment or Victimisation.

Snowmedia Consulting Limited has many employees and colleagues who come from different backgrounds and are aware that there may be cultural differences, particularly regarding customs and values. Employees should be respectful and sensitive towards such differences. Snowmedia Consulting Limited will regard racial stereotyping and unacceptable terminology as unacceptable behaviour that will not be tolerated.

Snowmedia Consulting Limited manage their language within the workplace by specifying a language of operation; this is purely for business reasons. Snowmedia Consulting Limited will advertise a job with a specific skill set, although it will not select based on assumptions about race, nationality or ethnic or national origin, and will not prohibit or limit the use of other languages within the work place unless it can justify this with a genuine business reason (for example, drivers).

Snowmedia Consulting Limited will check employees’ eligibility and right to work in the UK documentation, will check that the individual’s documentation is correct and up to date, and will be consistent in checking the documentation.

Snowmedia Consulting Limited are aware that some ethnic and national groups have devout religious beliefs. Snowmedia Consulting Limited will not discriminate against employees because of their religion or belief or lack of religion or belief.

Religion or Belief

It is unlawful to discriminate against workers because of their religion or belief, or lack of religion or belief.

Snowmedia Consulting Limited has policies in place to prevent employees being discriminated against because of religion or belief, whether this is Direct Discrimination (their actual religion or belief, their perceived religion or belief, or the religion or belief of someone with whom they associate), Indirect Discrimination, Harassment or Victimisation.

Snowmedia Consulting Limited does not have to provide time off or a facility for employees’ religious observance, although it will try to accommodate employees with religious beliefs wherever possible.

Snowmedia Consulting Limited will try to accommodate religion or belief wherever possible by making provisions for flexible working, religious holidays and time off to observe festivals and ceremonies, prayer rooms with appropriate hygiene facilities and dress facilities.

Sex

The Equality Act 2010 makes it unlawful for an employer to discriminate against employees because of their sex. Sex discrimination against men is just as unlawful as sex discrimination against women. It is also unlawful for a woman to discriminate against another woman because of her sex, and for a man to discriminate against another man because of his sex.

Snowmedia Consulting Limited has policies in place to prevent employees being discriminated against because of sex, whether this is Direct Discrimination (their actual sex, their perceived sex or the sex of someone with whom they associate), Indirect Discrimination, Harassment or Victimisation.

Sexual Orientation

The Equality Act 2010 makes it unlawful to discriminate against employees, job seekers and trainees because of their sexual orientation. The Act defines sexual orientation as:

• Orientation towards people of the same sex (lesbians and gay men).
• Orientation towards people of the opposite sex (heterosexual).
• Orientation towards people of the same sex and the opposite sex (bisexual).

The Equality Act applies equally to whether someone is a lesbian, gay man, heterosexual or bisexual.

Snowmedia Consulting Limited has policies in place to prevent employees being discriminated against because of sexual orientation, whether this is Direct Discrimination (their actual sexual orientation, their perceived sexual orientation or the sexual orientation of someone with whom they associate), Indirect Discrimination, Harassment or Victimisation.

When an employee tells others about their sexual orientation this is known as “coming out”. It is the individual’s responsibility if they wish to inform colleagues about their sexual orientation and if they wish for the details of their sexual orientation to be kept confidential; if another colleague reveals the wishes of the individual this could be seen as harassment or a breach of the Data Protection Act.

If Snowmedia Consulting Limited receives a complaint of harassment because of sexual orientation it will deal with this immediately, not just because it is a legality, but because this could have a knock-on effect. The employee being harassed may feel demotivated and their productivity may fall; a climate of harassment may also have an impact on the morale within the work place.

Sexual Orientation and Religion or Belief

The Equality Act 2010 has specific exemptions within employment if for the purpose of organised religion, such as a minister or other person promoting or representing the religion.

Some roles may be restricted to people of a particular sexual orientation; there may be additional requirements related to sexual orientation, such as the requirement for gay men or lesbians to be celibate. Restrictions relating to religion can also apply to the protected characteristics of sex, gender reassignment, and marriage and civil partnership.

If an employee feels they have been discriminated against

If an employee believes they have been discriminated against under one or more of the nine protected characteristics, the way in which they have been treated will determine which type of discrimination applies. Each individual case will differ.

Employees who feel they have been a victim of discrimination, or who feel they have witnessed discrimination within the workplace, should feel confident in raising the matter with the HR Manager. Snowmedia Consulting Limited takes discrimination cases very seriously as we operate in a fair, dignified and respectful environment; we value the differences in staff and recognise the importance of treating staff fairly and equally.