Open Door Recruitment Ltd are committed to diversity and will seek to promote the benefits of diversity in all of our business activities and develop a business culture that reflects that belief. In addition, we are committed to helping our clients meet their diversity objectives. We will review on an on-going basis all aspects of recruitment to avoid unlawful or undesirable discrimination. Open Door Recruitment Ltd will treat everyone equally irrespective of race, religion, colour, sex, age, national origin, disability or sexual orientation, and we place an obligation upon all staff to respect and act in accordance with the policy. Open Door Recruitment Ltd shall not discriminate unlawfully when deciding which candidates are submitted for a vacancy or in any terms of employment or terms of engagement. Open Door Recruitment Ltd will ensure that each candidate is assessed only in accordance with the candidate’s merits, qualifications and abilities to perform the relevant duties required by the particular vacancy. Open Door Recruitment Ltd will not accept instructions from clients that indicate an intention to discriminate unlawfully.

All candidates will be processed in the same way. The staff responsible for short-listing, interviewing and selecting candidates will be clearly informed of the selection criteria, and of the need for their consistent application. All questions that are put to the candidates will relate solely to the requirements of the job.
If it is necessary to assess whether personal circumstances will affect the performance of the job, this will be discussed objectively, without detailed questions based on assumptions about race, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, marital status, children and domestic obligations.

 

What is Discrimination
You must not unlawfully discriminate against or harass other people including current and former employees, job applicants, clients, candidates, suppliers and visitors. This applies in the workplace, outside the workplace (when dealing with clients, candidates, suppliers or other work-related contacts), and on work-related trips or events including social events.

The following forms of discrimination are prohibited under this policy and are unlawful:

• Direct discrimination: treating someone less favourably because of a protected characteristic. For example, rejecting a job applicant because of their race, gender, age, religion, colour, national origin, disability or sexual orientation because they would not ‘fit in’ would be direct discrimination.
• Indirect discrimination: a provision, criterion or practice that applies to everyone but adversely affects people with a particular protected characteristic more than others, and is not justified.
• Harassment: this includes sexual harassment and other unwanted conduct related to a protected characteristic, which has the purpose or effect of violating someone’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for them. Harassment is dealt with further in our Anti-harassment and Bullying Policy.
• Victimisation: retaliation against someone who has complained or has supported someone else’s complaint about discrimination or harassment.
• Disability discrimination: this includes direct and indirect discrimination, any unjustified less favourable treatment because of the effects of a disability, and failure to make reasonable adjustments to alleviate disadvantages caused by a disability. Direct discrimination can also be committed where the treatment is “because of” a protected characteristic the individual is perceived to have or because of the characteristic of another person, such as someone with whom the claimant associates (e.g. discrimination against a colleague because he/she has a disabled child or because you perceive that individual has a particular sexual orientation or gender preference).

 

How will this policy be implemented?

• Advertising – Job advertisements should avoid stereotyping or using wording that may discourage particular groups from applying.
• Recruitment and selection – we aim to recruit the best person for the job. Candidates will be sourced and the interviewing processes will be conducted fairly, objectively and without bias.
• Questions about health and disability – Applicants should not be asked about health or disability before a job offer is made. There are limited exceptions, for example where questions are necessary to establish if an applicant can perform an intrinsic part of the job (subject to reasonable adjustments) or to establish if an applicant is fit to attend an assessment or needs adjustments to be made during the interview process. If in doubt seek advice before relying on an exception.
• Terms and conditions of employment – our conditions of service, benefits and facilities are reviewed regularly to ensure that they are available to all employees who should have access to them and that there are no unlawful obstacles to accessing them.
• Promotion and career development – we seek to give all employees the opportunity for planned training and development. Career progression decisions will be made on the basis of merit and capability.
• Grievance and disciplinary policies – we aim to apply these policies consistently to all employees, any individual differences that could lead to misunderstanding in considering incidents under these policies will be recognised.
• Disability – the requirements of candidates and employees who are disabled or develop a disability (as defined under the relevant legislation) will be reviewed to ensure that whenever possible reasonable adjustments are made to enable them to enter into or remain in employment. Promotion opportunities, benefits and facilities for disabled employees will not be unreasonably limited and every reasonable effort will be made to ensure that disabled employees participate fully in the workplace. Where there are circumstances which mean that it will not be reasonable for us to accommodate suggested adjustments we will explain our reasons and try and find an alternative solution where possible.
• Part-time workers – we will monitor the conditions of service of part-time employees and their progression within the Company to ensure that they are being offered appropriate access to benefits, training and promotion opportunities.
• Requests to alter working hours will be given serious consideration by the Company.
• Training – training and resources will be provided to enable managers, supervisors and other employees to implement and uphold the provisions of this policy.