An Equal Opportunities Policy should consist of a statement of what your organisation is trying to achieve, supported by written procedures of how it will be implemented and maintained.
Your introductory statement can be general and needs to describe the aims of the organisation with regards to equality or you could list the types of people relevant to your organisation that are vulnerable to discrimination. This would continue in the vein of how your organisation is opposed to discrimination and the specific procedures you have to ensure it doesn't happen.
After the initial statement is written, take a look at current legal legislation, incorporating it into a dedicated section within your policy.
It's important when developing your Equal Opportunities Policy to involve your staff and collect their views before starting. This enables you to write a policy that has drawn upon the skills and experience of all the people who you hope to be involved and affected; therefore making it more effective when implemented.
As with any other policy, you should have someone ultimately responsible for it. Your named Equal Opportunities Co-ordinator should have a clearly defined role with a list of responsibilities. Having a section on 'Responsibility' can also state how other members of staff hold responsibility, making sure that the policy works on a day-to-day basis.
Policy Content
Your Equals Opportunity Policy is best laid out when categorised by different business activities, typical content would include:
Policy Statement.
Legal Obligations.
Responsibilities.
Recruitment.
Performance Development.
Training.
Promotion.
Working Conditions.
Grievance Procedures.
Your policy needn't be exhaustive but do ensure you include your organisation's stance on any discriminatory behaviour and how you will respond to it. There should also be a complaints procedure written, so a member of staff who is dissatisfied has a means to express themselves.
Think of everyday occurrences that may happen and can be improved on. For example, think about an everyday activity like meetings. Do you prepare information for people who speak in different languages? Is information available in large type or Braille for the visually impaired? Is it easy for people with mobility problems to participate? Do you consider refreshments for people with different cultural or religious backgrounds? Other typical occurrences in the workplace to address include pregnancy, antenatal care, flexible hours and disabled access.
Some issues may not affect your organisation right now but could do in the future. Planning ahead for these potential issues will prepare your organisation for any challenges that might arise.
To help you plan the layout of your Equal Opportunities Policy, take a look at the collection of examples listed below:
Maintaining the policy
An action plan should be part of your Equal Opportunities Policy. The plan should consist of:
Steps to implement policy goals.
Associated timescales.
Steps for monitoring progress.
Actions you take may range from setting equality targets, installing a wheelchair ramp outside your offices, to a revision of your recruiting procedures. You should then update your policy with the actions carried out.
Once your policy is finished, ensure it is signed and dated. Also add a date to review the policy, typically no more than 1-year on.
Involving your staff in creating internal policy is a wise move and will support your training activities. You may even want to consider creating a survey for staff to take in order to rate your levels of equality as it stands. Subsequent surveys will make a good comparison to conclude if new procedures are working and can be improved upon.
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