Equal Opportunities Policy Statement

Eiger Regulatory Partners is committed to achieving equal opportunities, respects and values diversity, and is committed to applying equality of opportunity in all its practices and objective/service delivery with regard to ethnic origin, age, gender, religion or belief, sexual orientation, marital status and disability or any other criterion not relevant to the point at issue.

The Senior Management team have overall responsibility for the effective operation of this policy and adhering to The Equality Act 2010. However, all team members have a duty as part of their involvement with the Eiger Regulatory Partners to do everything they can to ensure that the policy works in practice.

The Senior Management Team will bring to the attention of all team members the existence of this policy and will provide such training as is necessary to ensure that the policy is effective and that everyone is aware of it.  It is the responsibility of all our team members to ensure that nobody receives less favourable treatment than another on the grounds of age, ethnic origin, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marital status or gender.

As far as it lies within our power and within the resources which can generally be made available from time to time, we will ensure that our recruitment processes are designed to ensure equal access for all.  All job vacancies will initially be advertised internally.  We will design job specifications to allow for as wide as possible a range of transferable experience and qualifications to be considered.  Application forms will make it clear that life experience as well as formal qualifications and work experience is valid.

• Job advertisements will include a general declaration to the effect that we aim to be an equal opportunities employer;
• Records will be maintained as a means of monitoring our policy and as a means of identifying possible areas of inequality;
• The operation of the policy will be regularly reviewed;
• Selection, recruitment, training and promotion practices and procedures will be reviewed to ensure that individuals are treated on the basis of their relevant merits and abilities;
• All employees in our service will be made fully aware of their responsibilities towards the promotion of this policy and provided with suitable training;
• All procedural documents (for example: grievance, discipline) will be reviewed to ensure compliance with the spirit and intention of the policy.

All employers must follow certain procedures for recruitment to ensure that all applications are treated appropriately and fairly and that, all things being equal, no candidate is rejected because of their age, gender, race, sexuality or any other protected characteristic.

This means recruitment procedures must meet the following criteria:

• The job description must be set so that all applicants are assessed against the exact same criteria and nothing else.
• The post is advertised in a variety of locations, such as job centres, online and in the press so that it is available to as wide an audience as possible
• An interview panel must be put in place so that more than one person’s opinions are weighed in when deciding on whom to award the position to.
• All questions that are not relevant to the job must be excluded from the questionnaire. Applicants should not be asked about their age, race, religion or any other protected characteristic.
• Female applicants must be treated the same as male applicants. Disabled applicants must be treated the same as applicants with no disabilities. Pregnant applicants must be treated the same as non-pregnant women.

Establishing Equal Opportunities In the Workplace

All employers must follow certain procedures in the workplace to ensure that all workers are treated appropriately and fairly and that, all things being equal, no candidate is treated unfairly because of their age, gender, race, sexuality or any other protected characteristic.

Establishing equal opportunities in the workplace may include:

• Ensuring that all similarly qualified employees have equal access and opportunity to all training and advancement facilities regardless of sex, gender, age or disability. No employee should be overlooked for training or promotion because of any protected characteristic.
• Making reasonable adjustments in the workplace to accommodate physically challenged employees.
• Ensuring that no employee is paid any more or less than any of their colleagues who are equally qualified, equally experienced and performing the same role.
• Advertising new roles externally as well as internally so that anyone who meets the qualifying criteria gets the opportunity to apply.
• Making sure that no employee is dismissed solely because of a personal characteristic.
• Ensuring that the same rules apply to employees from all religions regarding extra time off during religious holidays.

Every employer should have their own equal opportunities policy in place, which is customised to their organisation. This policy must detail the steps the organisation will take to comply with the equality legislation and promote equality in the workplace. Having a formal policy makes it easier for all employees to know what is acceptable and expected of them as individuals and as part of the organisation.

The Effect Of Equal Opportunities On Companies and Staff

When an organisation supports the principle of equal opportunities for all, employees can rest assured that they will not be discriminated against in the workplace. Employees are more committed to working hard when they know that they have equal opportunities for advancement and there are no barriers to job progression.

Also, knowing that they are evaluated solely on their on-the-job performance and measurable merits empowers employees and encourages them to do their best.