PPC 04/26 Equal Opportunities Policy

Policy Statement


The Northern Ireland Audit Office (NIAO) is an equal opportunities employer. We will aim to provide equality of opportunity in employment to all persons and we will not discriminate unlawfully against our job applicants or employees.


It is our policy to provide employment equality to all, irrespective of:

  • Sex, including pregnancy or maternity
  • Gender reassignment
  • Marital or civil partnership status
  • Having or not having dependents
  • Religious belief or similar philosophical belief
  • Political opinion
  • Disability
  • Age
  • Race, ethnic origin, colour or nationality
  • Sexual orientation
  • Trade Union membership or non-membership
     

We are opposed to all forms of unlawful and unfair discrimination. All employees and job applicants (actual or potential) will be treated fairly and selection for employment, promotion, training or any other benefit will be on the basis of merit.


We will also endeavour to ensure that our workplace and our employment policies and practices do not unreasonably exclude or disadvantage those of our job applicants and employees who have disabilities. To this end NIAO will embrace positively our legal obligation to make reasonable adjustments for persons with disabilities and will take appropriate steps to ensure we do not permit unlawful discrimination on the grounds of disability.


This policy is fully supported by Management and has been agreed with Trade Union Side.
 

Scope of Policy

This Equal Opportunities Policy applies to all those who work for or apply to work for NIAO.
 

Equality Commitments
 

We are committed to:

  • Promoting equal opportunities for all employees;
  • Preventing occurrences of direct discrimination, indirect discrimination, harassment and victimisation;
  • Promoting a good and harmonious working environment where all persons are treated with dignity and respect;
  • Fulfilling all legal obligations under the relevant Equality legislation and associated Codes of Practice;
  • Complying with this Equal Opportunities Policy and associated policies;
  • Taking lawful positive/affirmative action where necessary and appropriate;
  • Treating all breaches of this Equal Opportunities Policy as misconduct which may lead to disciplinary action.

Promoting Equality

NIAO is fully committed to the effective promotion of equality of opportunity in all its employment policies and procedures and to creating an environment where all staff are valued and encouraged to develop to their full potential.


Preventing discrimination

Employers must comply with the law which prohibits discrimination on the grounds of sex, marital status, religious belief, political opinion, disability, colour, race, nationality, ethnic or national origin, or sexual orientation. This means we must do all we can to ensure that our employees do not discriminate unlawfully against others during the course of their employment.

Employee Responsibilities
As an employee you must comply with this policy. You must treat each other with dignity and respect. You should be aware therefore that you have a duty not to break the law and not to help anyone else to do so.
This can result in:

  • disciplinary proceedings which may in serious cases lead to dismissal;
  • individual legal liability under equality legislation;
  • defending your actions before an Industrial Tribunal or Fair Employment Tribunal.

All NIAO employees should discourage discrimination and harassment by making it clear that they find such behaviour unacceptable and by supporting co-workers who suffer such treatment. Any employee who is aware of any incident of discrimination or harassment should alert a manager or HR to enable it to be dealt with.

Implementation
 

In order to implement the NIAO policy on equal opportunities we will ensure that:
 

  • it is communicated to all staff, through the electronic systems, Office Intranet and training, and made known to job applicants;
  • appropriate training and guidance will be provided to all staff. In particular, this will include ensuring that:
    • managers and those with supervisory responsibilities are aware of their responsibilities; and
    • all those involved in assessing candidates for recruitment or promotion are trained in non-discriminatory recruitment and selection techniques;
  • employment policies and procedures (recruitment, training, staff reporting etc) are kept under review;
  • where appropriate, lawful affirmative/positive action measures are developed. These measures are available to us in certain circumstances, for example where there is under-representation of a particular group; and
  • an information system is developed and maintained to assist the effective implementation of this policy.


We expect all of our staff to abide by the policy and help create the equality environment which is its objective.
 

  • You must not unlawfully discriminate against fellow workers (including contractors, consultants and temporary appointments) or outside contacts;
  • You must take care not to cause embarrassment or offence to others and treat all NIAO staff, clients and the public with equal respect and courtesy;
  • You should inform your manager or the Equal Opportunities Officer of any working practice or procedure which may lead to unfair treatment.

The existence of law cannot of itself ensure that any policy of non-discrimination will work effectively. This will be achieved only if staff at all levels examine critically their own attitudes and beliefs and guard in particular against unintentional discrimination against others.
 

Line Manager Responsibilities
Staff with managerial or supervisory responsibilities have a key role to play in meeting the objective of the equal opportunities policy. As a manager you have the same responsibility as other staff to comply with the provisions set out above but have an added responsibility to:

  • set a good example to others;
  • make every effort to ensure that discrimination and harassment do not occur, particularly in work areas for which you are responsible;
  • treat staff fairly and objectively. As part of your job you may have responsibility for decisions on recruitment and promotion, work allocation, staff appraisal, training and development and other employment related matters. You should ensure that you comply with Office procedures in these areas, and with this policy and equality law;
  • ensure that those for whom you are responsible are aware of this policy and its workings;
  • treat seriously any equal opportunities issues which appear to arise or are raised and ensure that appropriate action is taken in accordance with Office procedures.
     

Outside The Workplace

Whilst NIAO’s principal concern is to ensure that harassment does not occur in the workplace, employees are also expected to adhere to this policy when representing NIAO at events or social functions whether organised by NIAO or other organisations.
Any breach of the equal opportunities policy in these circumstances will be treated seriously by NIAO.


Flags and Emblems

NIAO aims to provide a neutral and harmonious work environment. With this in mind the display of flags, emblems, posters or similar material, the circulation of literature or the articulation of songs, slogans or banter which may cause offence or concern amongst staff, clients or other stakeholders will not be tolerated. In the event that the matter of concern involves our employees, the disciplinary process may be invoked.
 

Monitoring and Review

This policy and its implementation will be reviewed on a regular basis, in consultation with Trade Union Side.
The provision of equality of opportunity including incidents of alleged discrimination, harassment and bullying will be monitored through the collection and analysis of relevant statistical data. We will also monitor our workforce composition and undertake periodic reviews as required by Article 55 of the Fair Employment and Treatment (Northern Ireland) Order 1998. Where such monitoring or review identifies any areas for improvement, we will develop an action plan to address the issue.
 

Complaints

Staff who believe that they have suffered any form of discrimination, harassment or victimisation are entitled to raise the matter through the agreed procedures, which are available from the HR department. All complaints of discrimination will be treated seriously and dealt with as promptly and confidentially as possible.


Every effort will be made to ensure that employees making complaints of discrimination and others who give evidence or information in connection with such complaints, will not be victimised (i.e. they will not be discriminated against or harassed in retaliation for their actions). Any complaint of victimisation will be treated seriously and may result in disciplinary action being taken.


These internal procedures do not replace or detract from the right of employees to pursue complaints to an Industrial Tribunal or the Fair Employment Tribunal. Staff should be aware that time limits apply to legal proceedings. The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland also provides advice and guidance to employers and individuals on their rights and obligations under the law (website www.equalityni.org).
 

Contact

You can address any questions, queries or suggestions relating to the policy to the NIAO’s Head of People and Organisational Development in strictest confidence.