Farla Medical Healthcare

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy

Underlying Principle

Everyone is different and has something unique to offer. Farla Medical wants to respect and understand these differences and to make the most of everyone’s talents.

Our aim is that our workforce will be truly representative of all sections of society and each employee feels respected and able to give of their best.

Definitions

Equality is ensuring individuals or groups of individuals are not treated differently or less favourably, based on their specific protected characteristic, including areas of on age, ancestry, colour, marital status, medical condition, disability (both mental and physical), national origin, race, religion, political affiliation, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity.

Promoting equality should remove discrimination in all, for all the protected characteristics listed above. Bullying, harassment or victimization are also considered as equality and diversity issues.

Diversity is understanding, recognising, respecting and valuing differences between individuals.

Inclusion is positively striving to meet the needs of different people and taking deliberate action to create environments where everyone feels respected and able to achieve their full potential.

We recognise that sometimes this will mean treating people differently to ensure that all our colleagues and customers feel included and welcome. This commitment is relevant to all we do, how we manage ourselves and how we deliver our services to our customers.

We will promote equality, diversity and inclusion across all areas of our business.

Summary Statement

We will not tolerate harassment or discriminatory practices based on age, ancestry, colour, marital status, medical condition, disability (both mental and physical), national origin, race, religion, political affiliation, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity, or any other factor as established by law in the countries in which we operate. Employment-related decisions unduly based on any of these factors are not acceptable. We will ensure that everyone in Farla Medical is respected and can give of their best, irrespective of who they are or what job they do.

Every person working for the Company has a personal responsibility for implementing and promoting these principles in their day-to-day dealings with everyone — including members of the public, our colleagues and employers and partners.

Leadership and Management

Senior Management takes overall responsibility for the development of equality, diversity and inclusion leads by example and ensures that progress is reviewed and further actions instigated as necessary.

Farla Medical will comply with specific legislation in each jurisdiction in which we operate. However, the overriding principle remains that we do not tolerate discrimination of any kind and we will promote diversity and inclusion in all our businesses.

Farla Medical leaders and managers, at all levels, will demonstrate their commitment to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion. All employees have personal responsibilities to treat everyone with respect, consideration and without prejudice and to promote the same levels of behaviour in colleagues.

All our colleagues are expected to:

Challenge unacceptable behaviours and create a climate where complaints can be raised without the fear of reprisal.
Take firm action where unfairness or inconsistency exists.
Encourage and support diversity within their teams.
Demonstrate and promote considerate and fair behaviour.
Treat employees with dignity and respect and recognise and value individual skills and contributions.
Demonstrate through words and actions that diversity is an integral part of meeting the business priorities.
Create an environment in which colleagues can identify and share good practice, celebrate success and encourage positive attitudes towards diversity; and
Comply fully with all legislation relating to equality and diversity.

Reward and Diversity

Our approach to employee reward is unbiased and gender neutral by design. We ensure that our remuneration structures reward all our colleagues fairly and any differences are based on individual performance, experience and skill sets. Our reward and grading structures are underpinned by the concept of equal pay, ensuring that colleagues receive the same pay as someone doing work of equal value to themselves. We comply fully with UK Gender Pay Legislation for our business.

Accessibility of our services to customers and colleagues

We will continue to review our customer service provision to ensure where appropriate accessibility for all, and that inadvertent discrimination against any community does not arise. This will include consideration of the language we use and how we communicate information, along with the accessibility of our building.

We are committed to reach the position where, with everything we do, equality and diversity considerations are built in from the beginning to ensure we are being inclusive. To do this we need to understand the different and diverse requirements of our customers and colleagues and to involve them in the planning stages of new initiatives.

Communication

We will ensure that this policy is accessible and understood by everyone in Farla Medical by ensuring all colleagues:

Are aware of policies on equality, diversity and inclusion
Understand the benefit of valuing diversity and how this impacts on our work;
Have a greater awareness of the value of more inclusive communication;
Understand their own role in promoting equality, diversity and inclusion; and
Are aware of their legal responsibilities under current legislation.

Our customers and colleagues will be able to access the policy on our website [www.farlamedical.co.uk]

When things go wrong

Employees who feel they have been unfairly treated contrary to this policy should raise their concerns with their manager to get them addressed. If matters are not addressed the individual can raise a grievance using the normal company grievance procedure. All complaints will be investigated thoroughly and without delay. Employees can also use Speak Up, the Business confidential reporting service (See Whistleblowing and Response Policy).

Contravention of this policy by way or harassment of or discrimination against a colleague, or any other individual, will be considered a disciplinary offence and dealt with under local business’s disciplinary procedure. Additional guidance is available from individual business HR teams.

Employees should feel confident that raising a grievance will not have an adverse effect on them, and that the Company will protect them from victimisation.

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