Equal Opportunities Policy for Staff
Issue Date: April 2015
Author: Head of Human Resources
Approval Body: Senior Leadership Team
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Equal Opportunities Policy
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Further Information
For further information about the issues discussed within this document please contact:
Department of Human Resources
Belfast Metropolitan College
Millfield Campus
125-153 Millfield
Belfast
BT1 1HS
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Equal Opportunities Policy
Contents
1.
POLICY STATEMENT .............................................................................................. 4
2.
INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................... 4
3.
SCOPE OF POLICY .................................................................................................. 5
4.
IMPLEMENTATION................................................................................................ 5
5.
VAULES AND CULTURE ......................................................................................... 6
6.
RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION ........................................................................... 6
Selection Criteria ...................................................................................................................... 7
Advertising................................................................................................................................ 7
Selection of Candidates ............................................................................................................ 7
7.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR PROMOTION AND TRAINING ............................................. 8
8.
OTHER ASPECTS OF EMPLOYMENT ...................................................................... 8
Salary & Benefits ...................................................................................................................... 8
Redundancy .............................................................................................................................. 8
Disciplinary Action .................................................................................................................... 8
Family Friendly Policies ............................................................................................................ 8
Appraisal ................................................................................................................................... 8
9.
FLAGS AND EMBLEMS & OTHER SYMBOLS .......................................................... 9
10.
COMPLAINTS ........................................................................................................ 9
11.
MONITORING...................................................................................................... 10
12.
TRAINING ............................................................................................................ 11
13.
NOTES ................................................................................................................ 11
14.
RELATED POLICIES ............................................................................................. 11
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Equal Opportunities Policy
15.
REVIEW OF POLICY ............................................................................................. 11
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Equal Opportunities Policy
1.
POLICY STATEMENT
Belfast Metropolitan College welcomes diversity amongst its staff and seeks to ensure that
employment and advancement in the organisation is based on merit. The College is committed
to equality of opportunity for its workforce and in all of its employment practices.
The purpose of this policy is to emphasise and communicate the commitment of the College to
the promotion of equality of opportunity in Belfast Metropolitan College. Both management
and Trade Unions will rigorously pursue the objectives and principles of the policy and be
committed to promoting equality of opportunity and fair participation among all staff within
the College.
The College believes that the effective implementation of this policy will assist us in achieving
our corporate aims and objectives.
It is the policy of Belfast Metropolitan College that all eligible persons will have equal
opportunity for employment and advancement in the College irrespective age, gender, gender
reassignment, pregnancy, maternity, race (which includes colour, nationality and ethnic or
national origins or racial group), sexual orientation, religious belief, political opinion, marital
status, whether or not they have a disability or whether or not they have dependants. Selection
for employment and advancement will be on the basis of ability, qualifications and aptitude to
carry out the duties of the post.
The College promotes an environment free from discrimination, harassment and victimisation
and works diligently to ensure everyone is offered equality of opportunity to achieve their full
potential. All decisions relating to recruitment and selection, training and development or
opportunities for promotion, or employment are objective, free from bias and based solely
upon fair criteria and individual merit.
Not only are we responsive to the needs of our, employees and job applicants; we also take
pride in the role we play in the wider community. We value diversity very highly and it's
important to us that we recognise and make full use of the wealth of talent we have within our
College.
For the avoidance of any doubt this policy is not applicable to students.
2.
INTRODUCTION
It is unlawful to discriminate directly or indirectly in recruitment or employment because of
age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, pregnancy, maternity, race (which includes colour,
nationality and ethnic or national origins or racial group), sexual orientation, religious belief,
political opinion or because someone is married or in a civil partnership.
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Equal Opportunities Policy
Equally the college also has a responsibility to promote equality of opportunity for the following
categories of difference:- age, gender, religious belief, political opinion, marital status, sexual
orientation, ethnicity, with or without dependents or with or without a disability. In addition we
also have a legal duty to promote good relations between people of a different religious belief,
ethnicity and political opinion. The college has developed an Equality Scheme stating how it will
fulfil this legal obligation.
Additionally, the College has also developed a Disability Action Plan to help meet our legal
obligation to promote positive attitudes to people with a disability and to encourage their
participation in public life.
As well as equality of opportunity, Belfast Metropolitan College embraces diversity and values
the individual differences present in a diverse workforce. People come from a wide variety of
backgrounds and cultures which makes them different from one another in numerous ways.
Diversity goes beyond the differences which are highlighted in current equality legislation, and
includes personality, personal interests and lifestyle choices. Belfast Metropolitan College
promotes dignity and respect at work for all employees regardless of individual differences.
3.
SCOPE OF POLICY
Belfast Metropolitan College places strong emphasis on promoting equality of opportunity and
not merely preventing discrimination. The College will avoid unlawful discrimination in all
aspects of employment including recruitment and selection, promotion (including temporary
promotion), opportunities for training, pay and benefits, discipline, selection for redundancy,
and retirement. The policy will apply to all employees of the College.
4.
IMPLEMENTATION
The College acknowledges that the effectiveness of the equal opportunities policy will depend
not only upon its content but also upon the range and strength of the measures which are
adopted to put it into practice. The following responsibilities have been identified:

The Executive Team and Senior Managers will provide leadership in all matters relating to
Equality and Diversity and alongside the Department of Human Resources, will be
responsible for ensuring that the policy is implemented and reviewed on a regular basis
to ensure its effectiveness and relevance in light of societal, legislative and cultural
changes. The HR Department will monitor the implementation of the policy and report
progress to the College Executive Team, the Senior Leadership Team and the recognised
Trade Unions.
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Equal Opportunities Policy

All line managers in the College will be responsible for ensuring on a day–to-day basis,
that all employees for whom they have responsibility are aware of the policy on equal
opportunity and that there is no unlawful discrimination of any kind.

All staff employed in the College have a responsibility to accept personal involvement in
the implementation of the equal opportunities policy by familiarising themselves with this
policy, conducting themselves in an appropriate manner at all times and co-operating
with measures introduced to ensure equality of opportunity and prevent discrimination
Therefore all staff have a duty to treat colleagues with respect at all times and not
discriminate against, harass or victimise other staff, students or visitors.

This policy will be communicated to all staff through a variety of means such as induction
training, management training, team briefings, the staff intranet, MetaCompliance, and
display on notice boards. A summary of the policy will be provided to all potential
applicants for employment. Its aims and objectives will be reflected as appropriate in
training courses, circulars and guidance to recruitment and selection panels and will be
included in job advertisements.
5.
VAULES AND CULTURE
Belfast Metropolitan College is committed, in its pursuit of excellence, to equality of
opportunity and to a proactive and inclusive approach to equality, which supports and
encourages all under-represented groups, promotes an inclusive culture, and values diversity.
The College’s core values are set out in our Corporate Plan.
6.
RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION
The college is committed to a policy and practice that ensures that entry into employment with
the college will be determined solely by personal merit and by the application of criteria which
are directly related to the duties and effective performance of a post. In all cases, ability to
perform the job will be the primary consideration. Subject to statutory provisions, no applicant
nor employee will be treated less favourably than another because of his or her age, disability,
sex, gender reassignment, pregnancy, maternity, race (which includes colour, nationality ,ethnic
or national origins or racial group), sexual orientation, religious belief, political opinion or
marital status.
The policy is designed to:


Ensure that selection criteria used for recruitment and selection or training of staff
will be strictly related to the person specification for the post;
Develop professional awareness in all employees who are involved in the recruitment,
and selection process, by providing training and information where appropriate;
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Equal Opportunities Policy

Ensure that vacancies are advertised in a way that attracts the widest and best qualified
pool of applicants.
Selection Criteria
Selection criteria will be clearly defined and reflected in the information sent to candidates. Job
qualifications or requirements which would have the effect of inhibiting applications from
members of particular groups will not be demanded or imposed except where they are
justifiable in terms of the job to be done, and where possible, this will be made clear in the
advertisement and or candidates information pack.
Advertising
Job advertisements will be widely publicised so as to encourage applications from a broad
range of suitable candidates from all backgrounds.
Selection of Candidates
The ability of each candidate to perform the job will be compared objectively against the
selection criteria for that job, and all applicants for a post will be processed in the same way.
Information sought from candidates and passed to those responsible for the appointments will
relate only to the qualifications for, or requirements of the job. The College recognises its
statutory obligation to make such adjustments to the workplace and to working arrangements
as are reasonable to accommodate suitably qualified applicants with a disability and will
endeavour to implement the same.
Wherever suitably qualified persons are available, there will be at least one member of each
gender from both of the main communities in Northern Ireland on the selection panel. All
members of the selection panel will be aware of this Policy and training and advice will be
available in furtherance of its principles.
Interview questions and written assessments will relate to the competencies for the effective
performance of the post. Where it is necessary to obtain information on personal
circumstances (for example, in relation to a selection criterion such as flexibility to work
irregular hours), questions about this will be asked equally of all candidates and, like other
questions, will relate only to the job requirements.
In the case of applicants who have advised us of a disability at application stage and which
requires reasonable adjustments, appropriate interview arrangements (such as accessible
interview rooms or the assistance of a sign interpreter) will be offered to enable such
candidates to compete on an equal basis.
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Equal Opportunities Policy
7.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR PROMOTION AND TRAINING
In accordance with the College’s commitment to Investors in People, the College will seek to
develop the potential of all staff and foster a culture which encourages every member of staff
to develop his or her own potential. We aim to ensure that employees are afforded equitable
access to development opportunities, appropriate to their role and aligned to the needs of the
business and within the prevailing budgetary provisions. Appointments to promoted posts will
be on the basis of merit and the ability to perform the duties of the position. Implementation
of this policy will be reviewed regularly to ensure that no unfair or unlawful practice/procedure
is used in the promotion and training processes.
8.
OTHER ASPECTS OF EMPLOYMENT
Salary & Benefits
The payment of salary and benefits and the entitlement to same, will be determined in a fair,
consistent and transparent manner and will be free from discrimination at all levels. The
College is committed to the principle of equal pay for all and to maintaining pay systems which
are transparent, based on objective criteria, and free from bias. All those employed by the
College are entitled to equal pay if they are undertaking work which is substantially similar or is
of equal value to the College.
Redundancy
In selection for redundancy, no criterion will be applied which results in discrimination of any
member of staff.
Disciplinary Action
The College’s Disciplinary Policy will only be invoked where a full and comprehensive
investigation has firstly been carried out and where it is deemed that the reason for taking
disciplinary action is non-discriminatory.
Family Friendly Policies
The College has a range of policies such as those relating to flexible working, childcare
vouchers and maternity and paternity leave.
Appraisal
The College has appraisal schemes for teaching and non-teaching staff which relate to
opportunities for employee development and which are available to all College staff.
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Equal Opportunities Policy
9.
FLAGS AND EMBLEMS & OTHER SYMBOLS
All employees of the College are required to comply with the policy of not permitting the
display of flags, emblems, posters or other similar material, the circulation of literature or the
articulation of songs, slogans or banter which may give offence or cause apprehension among
particular groups of employees
There are some individual emblems and symbols that, through their history and associations,
and whether intended or not, have come to have a significance that has the potential to make
those of a different identity feel uncomfortable or unwelcome.
In this category are likely to fall a variety of symbols and emblems with the potential to cause
disharmony, and especially those that have been directly linked to community conflict in
Northern Ireland and/or to local politics. These include:
•
•
•
Glasgow Rangers and Glasgow Celtic Football shirts and symbolism
Badges and insignia linked to paramilitary or political organisations, e.g. buttonholes,
tattoos
Posters, displays, tracts, emblems, screensavers, ringtones etc. linked to the above
10. COMPLAINTS
Employees who believe they have been unlawfully discriminated against in appointment,
promotion and training etc., should in the first instance raise the matter with the College’s HR
Information Officer and or Trade Union Representative who will advise on the appropriate
internal procedures which should be used.
If a case of unlawful discrimination is upheld appropriate action will be initiated in accordance
with the relevant disciplinary procedure.
The College has a separate policy in dealing with dignity at work. The Harassment Policy is a
regional policy which deals with issues concerning bullying and harassment on any ground and
how complaints of this type will be addressed.
If an employee considers that they may have been unlawfully discriminated on a matter not
related to bullying or harassment then the relevant College Grievance Procedure may be
invoked to make a complaint.
The College will take any complaint seriously and will seek to resolve any grievance that it
upholds. An employee will not be penalised for raising such a grievance, even if the grievance is
not upheld, unless the complaint is found to be untrue and made in bad faith.
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Equal Opportunities Policy
It should be noted that complaints can also be brought against individuals as well as against the
College. Any complaints against the College should be taken in accordance with agreed
procedures.
11. MONITORING
This policy will be monitored regularly by the College to assess its effectiveness and will be
updated in accordance with changes in the law. In particular the College will collect
information from



all job applicants and appointees;
The composition and profile of all staff;
The employment practices and procedures of the College.
Information provided by job applicants and employees for monitoring purposes will be used
only for these purposes and will be dealt with in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998
Record Keeping
The College will request details of the age, gender, religious belief, ethnicity, marital or civil
partnership status, caring responsibilities, sexual orientation, political opinion and any
disabilities of its staff and of all candidates shortlisted and appointed. Recruitment monitoring
is done anonymously and details of candidates are not provided to any member of the selection
panel. The gender and religious composition of selection panels will also be monitored.
The College will meet all statutory obligations under relevant legislation and, where
appropriate, anticipate future legal requirements. This will be informed by:









Sex Discrimination (Northern Ireland) Order 1976, as amended
Disability Discrimination Act 1995, as amended
Race Relations (Northern Ireland) Order 1997, as amended
Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003
Fair Employment and Treatment (Northern Ireland) Order 1998, as amended
Employment Equality (Age) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006
Equal Pay Act (Northern Ireland) 1970, as amended.
Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998
The Human Rights Act 1998.
In addition, this will be informed by the Codes of Practice or Guidance issued by the Equality
Commission and other relevant bodies.
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Equal Opportunities Policy
12. TRAINING
This College will provide training in equal opportunities to managers and others likely to be
involved in recruitment and selection or other decision making where equal opportunities
issues are likely to arise. All staff are required to participate in training programmes to develop
or refresh their awareness of equal opportunities issues.
13.
NOTES
The internal procedures referred to in this policy document do not replace or detract from the
statutory rights of an individual to pursue complaints under any current legislation. It is the
policy of the College that an employee who makes a complaint in respect of unlawful
discrimination will not be subject to any victimisation.
Breaches of this policy and practice by College employees will be regarded as misconduct
which, if proven, may lead to disciplinary proceedings. Breaches of the policy and practice by
agency workers and/or third parties will be referred by the College to the relevant employer to
deal with to the satisfaction of the College.
14.
RELATED POLICIES
This policy should be read in conjunction with the following:
Appointment Policy and Procedure
Harassment Policy for Employees in Institutions of Further Education
Individual Grievance Procedure for Teachers in Institutions of Further Education
Grievance Procedure for Non-Teaching Staff.
15.REVIEW OF POLICY
This policy will be reviewed by the College as necessary in light of legislative changes and good
practice.
Approved by Executive Team:
14 April 2015
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