January 2022
This is the Equal Opportunities and Diversity Policy of TGIG Ltd (trading as Venchr) (“Venchr”, “we” or “us”) and it was last updated in February 2022.
1. Our commitment to equality
Venchr is a company that embraces diversity and equality in a serious way – these are more than just words to us, they’re hard and fast principles guiding how we grow and scale. We are a supportive and inclusive community of like-minded individuals, all fully committed to equal treatment of everyone. We strive to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people, irrespective of their protected characteristics, and to create a community that ensures everyone feels empowered to bring their true authentic selves to work. We promote a culture of respect and dignity, and we fully expect anyone we have dealings with to share this vision with us.
We’re fully committed to achieving a working environment where everyone is given the same opportunities, treated equality and are not subjected to any forms of unlawful discrimination, whether it be on the grounds of race, sex, pregnancy and maternity, marital or civil partnership status, gender reassignment, disability, religion or beliefs, age or sexual orientation. These are referred to in the Equality Act 2010 as “protected characteristics”. This policy aims to remove unfair and discriminatory practices within our company and to encourage full contribution from our diverse community of employees, contractors, and consultants. We are fully committed to actively opposing all forms of discrimination.
Venchr also aims to provide a service that doesn’t discriminate against its clients and customers in the means by which they can access the services and goods supplied by us. We truly believe that all employees and clients are entitled to be treated with respect and dignity at all times.
We take our data protection obligations seriously and so any personal data used in connection with this policy will be collected, held, and processed in accordance with our Data Protection Policy.
2. Our objectives
To prevent, reduce and stop all forms of unlawful discrimination in line with the Equality Act 2010.
To ensure that recruitment, promotion, training, development, assessment, benefits, pay, terms and conditions of employment, redundancy and dismissals are determined on the basis of capability, qualifications, experience, skills, and productivity.
3. Designated Officer
| Name: | Ben Charlton |
| Position: | CEO, Co-Founder |
| Telephone Number | +44 20 3608 8840 |
4. What is discrimination?
Discrimination is unequal or differential treatment which leads to one person being treated more or less favourably than others are, or would be, treated in the same or similar circumstances on the grounds of any protected characteristic. Discrimination can be direct or indirect and includes discrimination by perception and association.
5. What are the types of discrimination?
5.1 Direct discrimination
This occurs when a person or a policy intentionally treats a person less favourably than another on the grounds of any protected characteristic.
5.2 Indirect Discrimination
This is the application of a policy, criterion, or practice which the employer applies to all employees but which is such that:
- It is it detrimental to a considerably larger proportion of people from the group that the person the employer is applying it to represents;
- The employer can’t justify the need for the application of the policy on a neutral basis; and
- The person to whom the employer is applying it suffers detriment from the application of the policy.
An example of this is including in a job description a requirement that candidates must have worked in the retail industry for at least 10 years. This would indirectly indiscriminate candidates based on age, as younger applications with the right skills and qualifications wouldn’t be eligible.
5.3 Harassment
This occurs when a person is subjected to unwanted conduct that has the purpose or effect of violating their dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment.
5.4 Victimisation
This occurs when a person is treated less favourably because they have bought or intend to bring proceedings or they have given or intend to give evidence.
6. Unlawful reasons for discrimination
6.1 Sex
It isn’t permissible to treat a person less favourably on the grounds of sex, marital status, civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, gender reassignment or transgender status. This applies to men, women and those undergoing or intending to undergo gender reassignment. Sexual harassment of men and women can be found to constitute sex discrimination.
For example, asking a woman during an interview if she is planning to have any (more) children is discrimination on the ground of gender.
6.2 Age
It isn’t permissible to treat a person less favourably because of their age. This applies to people of all ages although it doesn’t currently apply to the calculation of redundancy payments.
6.3 Disability
It isn’t permissible to treat a disabled person less favourably than a non-disabled person. Reasonable adjustments must be made to give the disabled person as much access to any services and ability to be employed, trained, or promoted as a non-disabled person.
6.4 Race
It isn’t permissible to treat a person less favourably because of their race, the colour of their skin, their nationality, or their ethnic origin.
6.5 Sexual Orientation
It isn’t permissible to treat a person less favourably because of their sexual orientation. For example, an employer cannot refuse to employ a person because s/he is homosexual, heterosexual or bisexual.
6.6 Religion or Belief
It isn’t permissible to treat a person less favourably because of their religious beliefs or their religion or their lack of any religion or belief.
7. Positive action in recruitment
Under the Equality Act 2010, positive action in recruitment and promotion applies as of 6 April 2011. ‘Positive action’ means the steps that we can take to encourage people from groups with different needs or with a past record of disadvantage or low participation, to apply for positions within Venchr.
If we choose to utilise positive action in recruitment, this won’t be used to treat people with a protected characteristic more favourably, it will be used only in tie-break situations, when there are two candidates of equal merit applying for the same position.
8. Reasonable adjustments
We have a duty to make reasonable adjustments to facilitate the employment of a disabled person. These may include:
- Making adjustments to premises;
- Re-allocating some or all of a disabled employee’s duties;
- Transferring a disabled employee to a role better suited to their disability;
- Relocating a disabled employee to a more suitable office;
- Giving a disabled employee time off work for medical treatment or rehabilitation;
- Providing training or mentoring for a disabled employee;
- Supplying or modifying equipment, instruction, and training manuals for disabled employees; or
- Any other adjustments that we consider reasonable and necessary provided such adjustments are within our financial means.
If an employee has a disability and feels that any such adjustments could be made by us, they should contact the Designated Officer.
9. Responsibility for the Implementation of this Policy
All of our employees, subcontractors and agents are required to act in a way that doesn’t subject any other employees or clients to direct or indirect discrimination, harassment, or victimisation on the grounds of their protected characteristic.
The co-operation of all employees is essential for the success of this policy. Senior employees are expected to follow this policy and to try to ensure that all employees, subcontractors, and agents do the same.
We could hold employees independently and individually liable for their discriminatory acts and in some circumstances an Employment Tribunal could order them to pay compensation to the person who has suffered as a result of discriminatory acts.
We take responsibility for achieving the objectives of this policy, and endeavour to ensure compliance with all relevant equality legislation, codes of practice and with common decency and respect.
10. Acting on discriminatory behaviour
If an employee is ever the subject or perpetrator of, or witness to, discriminatory behaviour prohibited by this policy, you should refer to our disciplinary and grievance for further information on what steps will be taken to address it.
11. Advice and support on discrimination
Employees may contact their employee or trade union representative if they have access to such an individual.
Other contacts include:
Equality and Human Rights Commission
Manchester
Arndale House
The Arndale Centre
Manchester
M4 3AQ
London
Fleetbank House
2-6 Salisbury Square
London
EC4Y 8JX
Cardiff
Block 1, Spur D, Government Buildings
St Agnes Road
Gabalfa
Cardiff
CF14 4YJ
Glasgow
151 West George Street
Glasgow
G2 2JJ
Helpline Telephone Number:
Phone: 0808 800 0082
Textphone: 0808 800 0084
Website: www.equalityhumanrights.com
Citizens Advice Bureau
3rd Floor North
200 Aldersgate Street
London
EC1A 4HD
Website: www.citizensadvice.org.uk
Community Legal Services Direct
Telephone: 0845 345 4 345
Website: www.clsdirect.uk
12. The Extent of the Policy
We seek to apply this policy in the recruitment, selection, training, appraisal, development, and promotion of all employees. We also offer goods and services in a fashion that complies with the spirit of this policy.
This policy doesn’t form a part of any employment contract with any employee and its contents aren’t to be regarded by any person as implied, collateral, or express terms to any contract made with Venchr.
We reserve the right to amend and update this policy at any time.
This policy has been approved and authorised by:
| Name: | Ben Charlton |
| Position: | CEO, Co-Founder |
| Date: | 09.2.2022 |
| Signature: | BCharlton |