Jewels is a volunteer run and staffed organisation and, as such, is not an employer. However, it is committed to a policy of treating all its volunteers equally. Jewels will avoid unlawful discrimination in all aspects of its work.

It is the policy of Jewels to take all reasonable steps to engage with volunteers on the basis of their abilities and qualifications without regard to age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race (including colour, nationality and ethnic or national origins), sex and/or sexual orientation. In this policy, these are known as the ‘protected characteristics’. As a ministry of a Christian Church, we do reserve the right to ask of volunteers that they agree to our statement of faith. Jewels will appoint, train, develop and promote on the basis of merit and ability alone.

Volunteers have a duty to co-operate with Jewels to ensure that this policy is effective to ensure equal opportunities and to prevent discrimination. Action under Jewels’ disciplinary procedure will be taken against any volunteer who is found to have committed an act of improper or unlawful discrimination. Serious breaches of the equal opportunities policy will be treated as potential gross misconduct and could render the volunteer liable to summary dismissal. Volunteers should also bear in mind that they can be held personally liable for any act of unlawful discrimination.

Volunteers must not harass, bully or intimidate other volunteers for reasons related to one or more of the protected characteristics. Such behaviour will be treated as potential gross misconduct under Jewels’ disciplinary procedure. Volunteers who commit serious acts of harassment may also be guilty of a criminal offence.

Volunteers should draw the attention of the manager to suspected discriminatory acts or practices. Volunteers must not victimise or retaliate against a volunteer who has made allegations or complaints of discrimination or who has provided information about such discrimination. Such behaviour will be treated as potential gross misconduct under Jewels’ disciplinary procedure. Volunteers should support colleagues who suffer such treatment and are making a complaint.

Direct discrimination

Direct discrimination occurs when, because of one of the protected characteristics, a volunteer is treated less favourably than other volunteers are treated or would be treated.

The treatment will still amount to direct discrimination even if it is based on the protected characteristic of a third party with whom the volunteer is associated and not on the volunteer’s own protected characteristic. In addition, it can include cases where it is perceived that a volunteer has a particular protected characteristic when in fact they do not.

Jewels will take all reasonable steps to eliminate direct discrimination in all aspects of employment.

Indirect discrimination

Indirect discrimination is treatment that may be equal in the sense that it applies to all volunteers but which is discriminatory in its effect on, for example, one particular sex or racial group.

Indirect discrimination occurs when there is applied to the volunteer a provision, criterion or practice (PCP) which is discriminatory in relation to a protected characteristic of the volunteer’s. A PCP is discriminatory in relation to a protected characteristic of the volunteer’s if:

• It is applied, or would be applied, to persons with whom the volunteer does not share the protected characteristic,
• The PCP puts, or would put, persons with whom the volunteer shares the protected characteristic at a particular disadvantage when compared with persons with whom the volunteer does not share it,
• It puts, or would put, the volunteer at that disadvantage, and
• It cannot be shown by Jewels to be a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim.

Jewels will take all reasonable steps to eliminate indirect discrimination in all aspects of its business.

Victimisation

Victimisation occurs when a volunteer is subjected to a detriment, such as being denied a training opportunity or a promotion, because they have raised or supported a grievance or complaint of unlawful discrimination, or because they have issued employment tribunal proceedings for unlawful discrimination or they have given evidence in connection with unlawful discrimination proceedings brought by another volunteer. However, a volunteer is not protected if they give false evidence or information, or make a false allegation, and they do so in bad faith. Post-employment victimisation is also unlawful, for example refusing to give a reference or providing an unfavourable reference because the former volunteer has done one of the protected acts set out above.

Jewels will take all reasonable steps to eliminate victimisation in all aspects of employment.

Advertisements

Advertisements will aim to positively encourage applications from all suitably qualified people. When advertising volunteer vacancies, in order to attract applications from all sections of the community, Jewels will, as far as reasonably practicable:

• Ensure advertisements are not confined to those areas or publications which would exclude or disproportionately reduce the numbers of applicants with a particular protected characteristic;
• Avoid setting any unnecessary provisions or criteria which would exclude a higher proportion of people with a particular protected characteristic.

However, where, having regard to the nature and context of the work, having a particular protected characteristic is an occupational requirement and that occupational requirement is a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim, Jewels will apply that requirement to the job role and this may therefore be specified in the advertisement.

Grievances and complaints

All allegations of discrimination will be dealt with seriously, confidentially and speedily. Jewels will not ignore or treat lightly grievances or complaints about unlawful discrimination from volunteers. Such complaints should be raised promptly under the terms of Jewels’ grievance procedure.

Volunteers will not be penalised for raising a grievance, even if it is not upheld, unless the complaint was both untrue and made in bad faith.

Monitoring equal opportunity

Jewels will regularly monitor the effects of selection decisions and personnel practices and procedures in order to assess whether equal opportunity is being achieved. This will also involve considering any possible indirectly discriminatory effects of its standard working practices. If changes are required, Jewels will implement them. Jewels will also make reasonable adjustments to its standard working practices to overcome substantial disadvantages caused by disability.