The terms 'equality, inclusion and diversity' are at the heart of this policy. ‘Equality’ means ensuring everyone has the same opportunities to fulfil their potential free from discrimination. ‘Inclusion’ means ensuring everyone feels comfortable to be themselves at work and feels the worth of their contribution. ‘Diversity’ means the celebration of individual differences amongst the workforce. We actively support diversity and inclusion and ensure that all our employees are valued and treated with dignity and respect, encouraging everyone at JPL to reach their potential.

We recognise that discrimination is unacceptable and although equality of opportunity has been a long-standing feature of our employment practices and procedures, we have made the decision to adopt a formal policy. Breaches of the policy will lead to disciplinary proceedings and, if appropriate, disciplinary action up to and including dismissal.

We ensure no job applicant, employee or client of ours is discriminated against either directly or indirectly on the grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

This policy is circulated to any agencies responsible for our recruitment and a copy of the policy is available for all employees and can be made available to all applicants for employment.

This policy will be communicated to all private contractors reminding them of their responsibilities towards the equality of opportunity.

This policy will be implemented in accordance with the appropriate statutory requirements and full account will be taken of all available guidance and in particular any relevant Codes of Practice.

We will maintain a neutral working environment in which no employee or worker feels under threat or intimidated.

RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION

We will endeavour through appropriate training to ensure that employees making selection and recruitment decisions that will not discriminate, whether consciously or unconsciously, in making these decisions.

Promotion and advancement will be made on merit and all decisions relating to this will be made within the overall framework and principles of this policy.

Job descriptions, where used, will be revised to ensure that they are in line with this policy. Job requirements will be reflected accurately in any personnel specifications.

We will adopt a consistent, non-discriminatory approach to the advertising of vacancies.

We will not confine our recruitment to areas or media sources which provide only, or mainly, applicants of a particular group.

All applicants who apply for jobs with us will receive fair treatment and will be considered based solely on their ability to do the job.

All employees involved in the recruitment process will periodically review their selection criteria to ensure that they are related to the job requirements and do not unlawfully discriminate.

Shortlisting and interviewing will be carried out by more than one person where possible.

Interview questions will be related to the requirements of the job and will not be of a discriminatory nature.

We will not disqualify any applicant because they are unable to complete an application form unassisted unless personal completion of the form is a valid test of the standard of English required for the safe and effective performance of the job.

Selection decisions will not be influenced by any perceived prejudices of other staff.

TRAINING AND PROMOTION

Senior staff will receive training in the application of this policy to ensure that they are aware of its contents and provisions.  All promotions will be in line with this policy.

MONITORING

We will maintain and review the employment records of all employees in order to monitor the progress of this policy.

Monitoring may involve:

• the collection and classification of information regarding the race in terms of ethnic/national origin and sex of all applicants and current employees;
• the examination by ethnic/national origin and sex of the distribution of employees and the success rate of the applicants; and
• recording recruitment, training and promotional records of all employees, the decisions reached and the reason for those decisions.

The results of any monitoring procedure will be reviewed at regular intervals to assess the effectiveness of the implementation of this policy. Consideration will be given, if necessary, to adjusting this policy to afford greater equality of opportunities to all applicants and staff

This policy will be reviewed annually or if we think it might no longer be valid, e.g. if circumstances change.