Call or email our helpful team on 01392 271739 or hello@quickprint.co.uk

Contact My Account Basket
Contact
My Account
Basket

quickprint information

Equality

and Diversity Policy

quickprint information

Equality

& Diversity Policy

Equality and Diversity Policy

QuickPrint is committed to supporting, developing and promoting equality and diversity in all of its practices and activities and aims to establish an inclusive culture free from discrimination based upon the values of dignity, courtesy and respect. We will support and develop the staff providing them with access to facilities, personal and career development opportunities, employment and study on the basis of equality. We are committed to eliminating discrimination and advancing equality on the grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion and belief, including lack of belief, sex and sexual orientation and to fostering good relations between different groups.

This commitment supports the organisational principles of QuickPrint and upholds the ethos of establishing a culture based on dignity, courtesy and respect.

This policy builds upon the foundation of equality legislation and anti-discrimination guidance and strives, not only to comply with legal requirements, but to use these to ensure that we exemplify best practice.

This is an overarching policy designed to outline the fundamental principles of our commitment to equality and diversity and will be supported by specific equality policies and action plans.

The policy applies to all staff employed on a full or part time basis, temporary, permanent and agency staff.

Legislative Background

Under Equality legislation it is unlawful to:

  • Discriminate directly against anyone and treat him/her less favourably than others on the grounds of the protected characteristics of age, unless this can be justified as a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, race, religion and belief, including lack of belief, sex and sexual orientation. This also includes discrimination based on perception of the person eg a belief that someone is gay or a belief that someone is disabled even if this is not actually true
  • Discriminate against someone for reasons relating to their association with a person on the grounds of the protected characteristics of race, sexual orientation, religion or belief, age, disability, gender reassignment, and sex e.g., discriminating against an employee/student because they have a disabled dependant
  • Discriminate indirectly against anyone by applying a criterion, provision or practice which disadvantages people with a protected characteristic, age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, race, religion and belief, including lack of belief, sex and sexual orientation unless the person applying the provision can justify it as a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim
  • Subject someone to harassment for reasons relating to age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion and belief, including lack of belief, sex and sexual orientation. This includes behaviour that an individual finds offensive on these grounds even if the behaviour is not directed at the individual. It also includes failure of an employer to take reasonable steps to protect an employee from persistent third-party harassment
  • Victimise someone because s/he has made, or intends to make, a complaint or allegation or has given or intends to give evidence in relation to a complaint of discrimination in line with the equality act

Objectives

The aim of this policy is to ensure that in carrying out its activities QuickPrint will have due regard to:

  • Eliminating unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation
  • Advancing equality of opportunity, across all the activities between different groups
  • Fostering good relations between people of a diverse background

In the implementation of this policy QuickPrint will aim:

  • To develop and promote a culture of equality and diversity throughout the business
  • To develop and promote a culture of dignity, courtesy and respect
  • To support all staff, including provision of relevant support relating to age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion and belief (including lack of belief), sex and sexual orientation
  • To work to prevent all forms of unlawful discrimination
  • To deal with all forms of discrimination consistently and effectively
  • To ensure that the Equality and Diversity policy influences and informs the culture of the business

Definitions

Equal opportunities refers to the elimination of unlawful and unfair direct and indirect discrimination of particular groups and promoting equal access, treatment and outcomes that take into account specific needs of individuals.

Diversity

Diversity encompasses visible and non-visible individual differences that includes, but is not limited to, differences protected by anti-discrimination legislation. Appreciating diversity is about valuing differences and recognising that everyone through their unique mixture of skills and experience has their own valuable contribution to make.

It is the aim of QuickPrint that individuals and groups within the business are not only treated on the basis of equality, but that their diverse contributions to social and cultural life of the business are recognised and developed.

Roles and Responsibilities

It is incumbent upon all members of QuickPrint to behave with dignity, courtesy and respect and to act in a manner that does not unlawfully discriminate at all times:

  • Actively to encourage non-discriminatory practices and to report any incidences of behaviour that fail to comply with this policy
  • To support the aims of the QuickPrint Equality and Diversity policy
  • To undertake appropriate equality and diversity training
  • Role of Directors and Managers
  • To ensure that all members of staff receive the appropriate equality and diversity training
  • To investigate all matters of alleged discrimination, harassment and inappropriate behaviour promptly and thoroughly
  • To ensure that selection and appointment procedures, performance management processes, staff development opportunities and disciplinary and grievance processes are fairly and consistently applied to all staff
  • To treat all applications for flexible practices on a fair and equitable basis and to provide reasonable and objective reasons when such requests must be refused
  • To ensure that selection procedures, assessment processes, career development opportunities and disciplinary and complaints procedures are fairly and consistently applied to all staff
  • To ensure that equality and diversity issues are considered as part of the business planning processes

Recruitment & Selection

  • Recruitment advertising will encourage applications from all sectors of the community reflecting QuickPrint’s commitment to equality and diversity
  • Recruitment advertising will appear in publications appropriate to the audience capable of producing the best candidates, subject to budget considerations
  • Job descriptions, person specifications and recruitment advertisements will be written on the basis of the essential and justifiable requirements of the position
  • Short listing, appointment and rejection decisions will be transparent and justifiable and will be supported by written comments

Staff Development

All staff will have equal access to induction, personal and career development opportunities and facilities.

Performance Management

Probation and appraisal procedures will be clear and transparent and will be applied fairly across all staff.

Discipline and Grievance

  • Disciplinary and grievance procedures will be applied fairly and transparently for all staff
  • Allegations of discrimination, harassment or inappropriate behaviour will be dealt with under the appropriate disciplinary procedures for staff

Training

Equality and diversity awareness raising and training will be mandatory for all staff in order to raise awareness of equality and diversity and the contents of this policy.

Communication

This policy will normally be available on QuickPrint’s website at www.quickprint.co.uk
It will also be available in printed form on request and, if requested, will be made available in different formats, eg large print, audio.

Contact

Richard Frayne, Managing Director, QuickPrint, Sweetbrier Lane, Heavitree, Exeter EX1 3AS Tel 01392 271739.

Monitoring

Statistics will be gathered to monitor equality across all aspects of QuickPrint’s processes and will be used to inform future practice.

Confidentiality

Any information disclosed to QuickPrint in relation to equality and diversity issues will be kept strictly confidential in accordance with legislative requirements.

Breach of Policy

Contravention of the Equality and Diversity policy will be treated as a disciplinary matter and offenders will be dealt with.