Penns Personnel Ltd is committed to encouraging equality, diversity, and inclusion among our workforce and eliminating unlawful discrimination. The aim is for our workforce to be truly representative of all sections of society and our customers, and for each employee to feel respected and able to give their best. Penns Personnel Ltd, in providing goods, services, and facilities, is also committed against unlawful discrimination of customers or the public.

Our Policy’s Purpose

This policy’s purpose is to:

Provide equality, fairness, and respect for all in our employment, whether temporary, part-time, or full-time.

Not unlawfully discriminate because of the Equality Act 2010 protected characteristics of:

Age
Disability
Gender reassignment
Marriage and civil partnership
Pregnancy and maternity
Race (including color, nationality, and ethnic or national origin)
Religion or belief
Sex
Sexual orientation
Oppose and avoid all forms of unlawful discrimination. This includes in:

Pay and benefits
Terms and conditions of employment
Dealing with grievances and discipline
Dismissal
Redundancy
Leave for parents
Requests for flexible working
Selection for employment, promotion, training, or other developmental opportunities
Our Commitments

Penns Personnel Ltd commits to:

Encourage equality, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace as they are good practice and make business sense.

Create a working environment free of bullying, harassment, victimization, and unlawful discrimination, promoting dignity and respect for all, and where individual differences and the contributions of all staff are recognized and valued.

This commitment includes training managers and all other employees about their rights and responsibilities under the equality, diversity, and inclusion policy. Responsibilities include staff conducting themselves to help the organization provide equal opportunities in employment and prevent bullying, harassment, victimization, and unlawful discrimination.

All staff should understand they, as well as their employer, can be held liable for acts of bullying, harassment, victimization, and unlawful discrimination, in the course of their employment, against fellow employees, customers, suppliers, and the public.

Take seriously complaints of bullying, harassment, victimization, and unlawful discrimination by fellow employees, customers, suppliers, visitors, the public, and any others in the course of the organization’s work activities.

Such acts will be dealt with as misconduct under the organization’s grievance and/or disciplinary procedures, and appropriate action will be taken. Particularly serious complaints could amount to gross misconduct and lead to dismissal without notice.

Further, sexual harassment may amount to both an employment rights matter and a criminal matter, such as in sexual assault allegations. In addition, harassment under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 – which is not limited to circumstances where harassment relates to a protected characteristic – is a criminal offense.

Make opportunities for training, development, and progress available to all staff, who will be helped and encouraged to develop their full potential, so their talents and resources can be fully utilized to maximize the efficiency of the organization.

Make decisions concerning staff being based on merit (apart from in any necessary and limited exemptions and exceptions allowed under the Equality Act).

Review employment practices and procedures when necessary to ensure fairness and also update them and the policy to take account of changes in the law.

Monitor the make-up of the workforce regarding information such as age, sex, ethnic background, sexual orientation, religion or belief, and disability in encouraging equality, diversity, and inclusion, and in meeting the aims and commitments set out in the equality, diversity, and inclusion policy.

Monitoring will also include assessing how the equality, diversity, and inclusion policy, and any supporting action plan, are working in practice, reviewing them annually, and considering and taking action to address any issues.

Agreement to Follow This Policy

Our Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures

Details of the organization’s grievance and disciplinary policies and procedures can be found at [insert details as appropriate]. This includes with whom an employee should raise a grievance – usually their line manager.

Use of the organization’s grievance or disciplinary procedures does not affect an employee’s right to make a claim to an employment tribunal within three months of the alleged discrimination.