We are committed to promoting best employment equality practice to eliminate discrimination and create working environments where all are treated fairly and with respect.
We recognise that our own employment and service delivery policies and practices can have a significant influence on the community and therefore aims to lead by example.
We are committed to developing programmes of action and ensuring that our equal opportunities policies are implemented and monitored. Everyone who works for us will be expected to carry out their duties with due regard to this equal opportunities policy and strategy.
To achieve the goal of ‘equality for all’ the council will ensure:
- no discrimination on the grounds of age, disability or impairment, gender, HIV status, marital status, nationality, national origin, race, religious belief, responsibility for dependants, sexual orientation, gender re-assignment, trade union membership or any conditions that cannot be show to be justifiable;
- that records of gender, ethnic origin, age, disability, sexuality, religion/faith/belief of all those seeking employment with the council will be collected, maintained and monitored; the records maintained will not be made public and will only be used for monitoring purposes within the council.
As one of the largest employers in the borough, we will:
- demonstrate our commitment to equality in all aspects of employment, including recruitment, retention, career development, training, promotion and welfare;
- take positive action with a view to ensuring that our workforce at all levels reflects the communities it serves;
- inform all employees of this policy and of their rights to protection from discrimination, harassment or victimisation;
- continue to review our recruitment, selection, promotion and other personnel practices to make sure that they positively respond to the demands of the equal opportunities policy;
- create a supportive working environment where all employees can work free from discrimination and harassment;
- treat failure to comply with this policy as a disciplinary offence
We take action to ensure that anyone who works for us, or who applies for a job with us, is not treated less favourably than anyone else because of their colour, race, ethnic or national origin, religion, gender, responsibility for dependants, disability, age (below 65), marital status, sexuality or trade union activity.
To ensure that our employment equality policies are having an effect, we need to monitor candidates and employees, particularly in relation to ethnic origin, gender, age, disability, sexuality and religion/faith/belief. All candidates must therefore give the information requested on the application form.
This information is used only to monitor our progress on equality matters, is treated confidentially and is not revealed outside the council. Unsuccessful candidates' application forms are destroyed after twelve months.
