Social Responsibility Statement

Diversity and Equal Opportunities

The firm is committed to treating all staff and members including job applicants equally regardless of their race, racial group, colour, ethnic or national origins, sex, pregnancy, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief, or age.

Anti-Discrimination Legislation - The firm is committed to complying with all current and any future anti-discrimination legislation including, but not limited to:

• the Equal Pay Act 1970;
• the Sex Discrimination Act 1975;
• the Race Relations Act 1976;
• the Disability Discrimination Act 1995;
• the Employment Right Act 1996;
• the Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003;
• the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003; and
• the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006.

The firm does not permit discrimination of any kind. Types of discrimination are:

• Direct discrimination – where a person is treated less favourably on grounds of his/her race, racial group, colour, ethnic or national origins, sex, pregnancy, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief, or age.
• Indirect discrimination – where an apparently neutral provision, criterion or practice would put a substantially higher proportion of the members of one sex, or persons having a racial or ethnic origin, or a particular religion or belief, or a particular disability, particular sexual orientation or of a particular age group at a particular disadvantage compared with persons unless that provision, criterion or practice is objectively justified by a legitimate aim and the means of achieving that aim are appropriate and necessary.
• Victimisation – where someone is treated less favourably than others because he or she has taken action against the firm under one of the relevant Acts.
• Harassment – when unwanted conduct related to any of the grounds referred to above takes place with the purpose of effect of violating the dignity of a person and of creating an intimidation, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment. Harassment may involve physical acts or verbal and non-verbal communications and gestures. This will include physical, verbal or non-verbal acts.

Scope of the Policy

• Every employee and member has a personal responsibility for the implementation of this policy and for ensuring compliance with it when undertaking their job role. Failure to comply with this policy may lead to disciplinary action; in serious cases, such behaviour may reasonably be deemed to constitute gross misconduct.
• This policy applies to all employment activities including, but not limited to, arrangements for recruitment and selection, terms and conditions of employment, access to training opportunities, access to promotion and transfers, grievance and disciplinary process, demotion, selection for redundancies, dress code, references, bonus schemes and work allocation.
• The firm does not permit discrimination in relation to services required from outside contractors. All third parties will be instructed on the basis of their skills, qualifications and ability.
• The firm is free to decide whether to accept instructions from any particular client, but does not permit refusal to act for a client based upon a client’s race, racial group, colour, ethnic or national origins, sex, pregnancy, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief, or age.

Reasonable Adjustments

• If an employee is disabled or becomes disabled in the course of his/her employment he/she should inform the firm of his/her disability and of any reasonable adjustments to his/her working conditions which he/she considers to be necessary or which would assist him/her in the performance of duties. Any requests should be made to the Human Resources Manager.
• The firm will consider any request for reasonable adjustments. During the period of consideration the firm may need to discuss individual needs with the employee and/or take expert advice.

Time Off for Religious Ceremonies

• If an employee requires time off to attend religious ceremonies during working hours he/she should inform the Human Resources Manager in advance to ensure that reasonable alternative arrangements can be agreed upon. All requests will be considered in line with the reasonable needs of the department.

Complaints of Discrimination

• The firm will treat seriously, and will take action where appropriate concerning, all complaints of discrimination or harassment on any of the forbidden grounds made by employees, members, clients or third parties.
• If an employee believes he/she has been subject to discriminatory conduct, he/she should make a complaint in accordance with the firm’s grievance procedure.

Monitoring

• This policy will be reviewed from time to time and revised where necessary.

Training

• The firm requires employees to be available and take part in any equal opportunities, and anti discrimination training it may from time to time deem appropriate.