Equal Opportunities Policy

Purpose and Scope

To ensure that equality and diversity issues are positively and fully incorporated in all aspects of FCLs work. To ensure that all employees demonstrate respect and fairness to their colleagues, the public with whom they come into contact..To ensure that the organisation is able to recruit and retain the best staff and celebrate the benefits of diversity on an individual and group level.

Guiding Principles

The FCL Group expects all employees to positively promote the letter and spirit of this policy in all aspects of their work and their dealings with people, both internally and externally. It is expected that these principles will be integral to all FCLs work from inception to implementation.

Policy Statement

FCL is committed to ensuring that all employees demonstrate respect and fairness to their colleagues, and the public with whom they come into contact. It also needs to be able to recruit and retain the best staff and celebrate the benefits of diversity on an individual and group level.

It is committed to the elimination of institutional racism and other forms of institutional discrimination.

The FCL group will continually strive to challenge direct and indirect discrimination in its organisation, personnel practices and provision of services.

The FCL Group aims to:

• Ensure fair and equal recruitment to its jobs
• Ensure fair and equal treatment of its employees and customers
• Develop a culture and working environment free from discrimination and harassment
• Act promptly on any complaints of discrimination and harassment
• Provide a safe, secure and accessible working environment which values and respects individual’s identities and cultures
• Develop a culture which allows the growth of networks for different groups of staff
• Encourage and help all staff to reach their full potential
• Monitor and review all policies and procedures from an equalities perspective

These principles will guide and inform the development of all other employment policies, and the provision of the FCL Group’s services across its various business units.

Implementation

It is important that a commitment to Equal Opportunities underlies the structure of The FCL Group and the provision of its services. The Management Team will play a key role in ensuring that the policy is implemented within the organisation and in its links with outside agencies and contractors.

The Management Team members will review and monitor practices within their spheres of responsibility. It is however the responsibility of all staff to carry out their duties in accordance with the Equal Opportunities Policy at all times. The Management Team will work together to develop plans for ongoing implementation, monitoring and review of the policy.

Human Resources will specifically ensure that the operation of policies and procedures in practice are monitored and reviewed in the light of any concerns about potential discriminatory impact.