Equal opportunity Policy

HABITER

Property Solutions

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

abiter Property Solutions (HPS) Equal Opportunities Policy makes a firm commitment to the prevention and removal of discrimination on the basis of sex, marital status, race, religion, creed, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, sexual orientation or disability.

The Equal Opportunity Implementation Programme states at point 4.3:

"Direct racial sexual or other discrimination and instances of harassment and or abuse will be treated as disciplinary offences"

1. Sexual and racial harassment are forms of unlawful discrimination. They are also

forms of improper and inappropriate behaviour which lower morale and by creating a stressful atmosphere interfere with work effectiveness.

2. It is against the policies of FFC for any employee to sexually or racially harass

another employee. Such conduct will not be tolerated and all employees are expected to comply with this policy. Appropriate disciplinary action, including dismissal for serious offences, will be taken against any employee violating this policy.

3. FFC formally defines sexual/racial harassment as: Behaviour of a sexual or

racist nature which is unwanted and offensive to the recipient. Sexual/racial harassment does not refer to behaviour of a socially acceptable nature but to conduct that is solicited, personally offensive and fails to respect the rights of others.

EXAMPLES

1. Sexual/racial harassment can be persistent or it can take the form of an isolated

incident towards one or more individuals. The following are examples of inappropriate behaviour covered by the policy: -

2. Physical conduct: from unwanted contact such as unnecessary touching, patting

and pinching to assault and coercing sexual intercourse.

3. Verbal conduct: unwelcome advances, propositions, flirtations, suggestive

remarks, comments about dress abuse or insults relating to gender or race.

4. Non-verbal conduct: display of pornographic or sexually suggestive pictures,

leering, whistling, or making sexually suggestive gestures; display of any material that may be racially provocative.

CLIENTS/VISITORS/CONTRACTORS

• If staff feel that they have been harassed by any of the above they should on no

account do or say anything but instead report the incident to their supervisor or manager immediately. The matter will then be dealt with at a senior level.

MANAGERS AND SUPERVISORS

1. All supervisory personnel have a responsibility to prevent and eliminate any

forms of sexual/racial harassment. Managers and supervisors must deal sympathetically with any complaints of harassment brought to them in accordance with the procedure.

COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

1. Wherever possible, an employee who believes that he or she has been the

subject of sexual or racial harassment should in the first instance ask the person responsible to stop it

2. If an employee feels unable to approach the person responsible or where such a

request does not work, the first step should be to raise a complaint with their own immediate manager.

3. A member of staff who cannot approach his/her immediate manager should raise

the complaint with their manager’s manager or seek help from another staff representative.

4. All complaints will be handled urgently, seriously and confidentially. All

employees will be guaranteed a fair and impartial hearing.

5. If investigations reveals that a complaint is valid prompt action will be taken to

stop the harassment immediately and prevent reoccurrence. This may be ensured through formal disciplinary action, up to dismissal for persistent or gross misconduct.

6. Employees shall be protected from intimidation, victimisation, or discrimination

for filing a complaint or assisting in an investigation. Such retaliation is a disciplinary offence. Making false allegations of harassment maliciously will also be subject to disciplinary action if substantiated.

7. Staff always have the right to seek redress for grievances through the FFC

formal Complaints/Grievance Procedure and this should be exercised if the member of staff feels that the problem has not been satisfactorily resolved through this complaints procedure.