Absolute Services Wales is an equal opportunities employer and recognises and welcomes the:

· Equal Pay Act, 1970;

· National Minimum Wage Act 2000;

· The Sex Discrimination Act 1975 (amended 1986 and extended 1999);

· The Race Relations Act, 1976 (amended by the Race Relations Amendment Act 2000)

· The Disability Discrimination Act 1996

· The Human Rights Act 1998

· The Asylum and Immigration Act 1996 Section 8

· The Commission for Racial Equality Code of Practice for Employment 1983

· Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003

· Employment Equality (Sexual Orientations) Regulations 2003

· Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006

 Introduction

This document sets out as Absolute Services Wales Equal Opportunities Policy which is in accordance with and maintained to comply with current legislations and documentation as published by the Commission for Racial Equality.

The policy is applicable to all personnel who work for the Company and all personnel who apply to join the Company.

As a condition of the Company’s employment terms, all personnel are issued with a current copy of this document upon commencement of their contract of employment.

The aim of our Policy is to ensure that all employees and potential employees are dealt with equitably, in accordance with current legislation and are not discriminated against directly or indirectly.

The following is a list of areas germane to this policy but should not be read as complete and final:

• Marital Status Political Belief • Religion Trade Union Affiliation • Race Sex • Colour Sexual Orientation • Nationality Age • Ethnic Origin Domestic Circumstances.

Definitions

Direct Discrimination

Absolute Services Wales defines direct discrimination as the unfair and inequitable treatment between personnel in the same or similar circumstances.

Indirect Discrimination

 Absolute Services Wales defines indirect discrimination as the application of criteria that is applied to personnel, which may unreasonably disadvantage a person or persons to whom the criteria was addressed.

Statement of Intent

The Company’s aims are to ensure that people are recruited, selected, employed, trained and promoted on the basis of their abilities for the job. The Company seeks to create an employment culture through its members, managers and other employees, in which people can feel confident of being treated with fairness, dignity and tolerance, irrespective of their individual differences.

Objectives

The Company will uphold its special obligations under laws and national collective agreements not to discriminate against employees or applicants for employment on the ground of their gender, marital status, sexual orientation, age, disability, race, colour, nationality, national or ethnic origin, physical characteristics or appearance, religion or creed. It further seeks to ensure fair treatment, tolerance and opportunity to all on employment matters whether or not their personal circumstances and differences are covered by these formal categories.

Responsibilities

Mr Carl Hendy, in his capacity as Director of Absolute Services Wales, has overall responsibility for the implementation of this policy.

All Managers and Supervisors have personal responsibilities for:-

· Supporting the implementation of the Equal Opportunities Policy;

· Ensuring that corporate employment policies are consistent with the Equal Opportunities Policy;

· Providing advice to Departments on equal opportunities matters, including best personnel and management practices;

· Ensuring that corporate recruitment initiatives and documentation are consistent with non-discriminator objectives;

· Collating and analysing of Department monitoring results, initiating corporate responses to the findings, where necessary.

· Ensuring that this Policy Statement is brought to the attention of all their Department’s employees and ensuring its implementation into personnel and management practices;

· Ensuring that complaints are investigated and dealt with effectively;

· Compliance with the Policy at a practical level through their actions in recruitment and selection, training and development and general management;

· Encouraging good practice by people they manage and dealing appropriately with breaches of this policy;

· Co-ordinating the Company’s monitoring of the operation of its Equal Opportunities Employment Policy.

All Employees and Sub-Contractors have a responsibility:-

· To act within the law on equal opportunities in the areas summarised in this Policy statement;

· And a contractual duty to comply with the policy statement as a whole and thereby ensure its consistent application on a day to day basis.

Absolute Services Wales Recruitment Procedure

It is the policy of Absolute Services Wales that wherever possible personnel will be promoted from within. However, this policy does not discriminate against application received from outside the Company which will be dealt with on the basis of their individual merits.

The Company reserves the right to recruit staff externally and will do so by:

· Advertising through the appropriate medium to ensure that the advertisement is readily accessible to all potential applicants who have the appropriate skills and qualifications.

All advertisement states that Absolute Services Wales is an Equal Opportunities Employer.

· Contacting Recruitment Agencies or Career Offices who are provided with a copy of this Policy.

· All Managers’ and Supervisors’ have responsibility for ensuring that corporate recruitment initiatives and documentation are consistent with non-discriminatory objectives and that their actions in recruitment and selection comply with this policy at a practical level.

· The criterion for employing staff is based on the individual’s ability to fulfil the requirements of the job specification.

· Employees are monitored annually by way of a staff appraisal meeting to ensure they are fully aware of their obligation relating to equal opportunities, discrimination and fair and reasonable behaviour towards their colleagues and third parties.

Training

Absolute Services Wales Training Policy is open to all employees and is reviewed on the basis of need to enable individual members of staff to undertake the duties as set out in their job descriptions.

All employees have an annual review with their immediate line manager at which individual training requirements are discussed and implemented.

 In addition, all employees are encouraged to embark upon training towards enhancement of their career with Absolute Services Wales.

Grievance Procedure

 

Employees of the Company who feel they have been unfairly discriminated against in respect of their employment on matters relevant to this Equal Opportunities Policy should raise it in the first instance with their Line Manager or the Manager responsible for Personnel. Such complaints will be handled in a positive and sensitive manner and the procedures allow for ultimate appeal to the Managing Director where the matter is not satisfactorily resolved at Manager level.

 It is the responsibility of the Manager or Director to follow the guidelines laid down in the Grievance Procedure to resolve the matter to the satisfaction of all parties by means of a fair and reasonable interpretation and application of the current legislation and codes of practice taking account of the facts of each case on its individual merits.

Members of the public who may be concerned that their application for employment has not

been dealt with in accordance with this Policy Statement should raise it with the Director.

Policy Review Responsibility

 

This policy is the responsibility of all staff employed within the Company. However, the review and updating to ensure current legislation is complied within the responsibility of the Board of Directors and specifically Mr Carl Hendy who is a Director of the Company.

Every six months, the effectiveness of the Equal Opportunity Policy is reviewed by collating and analysing Department monitoring results making a comparison between those employed by the Company and the requirements of the policy. Where any divergence is identified, corporate responses to the findings are initiated to rectify the shortcoming.

This review is minute in a Board Meeting or as and when the legislation changes.

Further information can be obtained from Mr Carl Hendy.

Carl Hendy
Director
Absolute Services Wales