DE&I Policy

• Carousel Consultancy is an equal opportunity employer. Equal opportunity is about good employment practices and efficient use of our most valuable asset, our employees. Every manager and employee has personal responsibility for the implementation of the policy. Any instance of doubt about the application of the policy, or other questions, should be addressed to the CEO, as should any requests for special training.

• Carousel Consultancy will not discriminate on grounds of sex, trans-gender status, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marital status, civil partnership status, race, ethnic origin, colour, nationality, national origins, disability, age or perceived age.

• Carousel Consultancy does not discriminate unlawfully when deciding which candidates are submitted for a vacancy / assignment, ensuring each candidate is assessed only in accordance with their merits, qualifications and abilities to perform the relevant duties required by the particular vacancy.

• Carousel Consultancy will not accept instructions from clients that indicate an intention to discriminate unlawfully.

• The policy applies to the process of recruitment and selection both internal and for clients, plus the promotion, training, conditions of work, pay and benefits and to every other aspect of employment at Carousel Consultancy, including general treatment at work and the processes involved in the termination of employment.

• The policy applies to job applicants (both internal and external) and all Carousel employees whether full time, part time, casual, temporary, seasonal or contract. The policy also applies equally to the treatment of Carousel’s clients and suppliers.

• Employees should note that the imposition of any provision, criterion or practice which has a disproportionate adverse impact on someone on grounds of their sex, race, marital status, civil partnership status, religion or belief, sexual orientation or age will be unlawful unless it can be justified on grounds of business need. (By way of example a requirement to speak or write English to a standard of fluency would discriminate indirectly against many people of overseas nationality.) In the event of any query or doubt, the CEO should be consulted.

• When establishing criteria for recruitment and promotion into vacant posts, Carousel Consultancy will consider if relevant experience is necessary for effective performance of the job. Such restrictions will not be imposed unless there is a proper job-based reason why they are necessary.

• All Carousel employees and external job applicants may be asked to complete a form denoting their sex, race, ethnic origin, age and any disabilities that they have, although they are not obliged to provide this information. Carousel Consultancy guarantees that the information provided on this form will be used solely for the purpose of monitoring the effectiveness of DE&I policies.

• Where increased pay and/or enhanced benefits are offered to Carousel employees on the basis of length of service, these are intended to reward loyalty, maintain motivation and reflect higher levels of relevant experience.

• Carousel Consultancy operates a retirement age of 66 for all employees. Employees have the right, however, to submit written requests to continue working beyond this age and all such requests will be treated open-mindedly and fairly. Where it is operationally feasible to agree to the employee staying on, their request will normally be granted.

• Carousel Consultancy will, whenever it is operationally possible to do so, agree to any request from an employee who is within two years of retirement (ie at any time after their 63rd birthday) to reduce their hours of work with a view to a phased retirement. The precise reduction to the number of days or hours worked will be discussed individually in each case.

• Carousel employees who are disabled or become disabled in the course of their employment should inform the organisation about their disability. The CEO will then arrange to discuss with the employee what reasonable adjustments to their job or working conditions or environment might assist them in the performance of their duties. The employee will also be encouraged to suggest any adjustments that they believe would be helpful. Careful consideration will be given to any proposals and, where reasonable and reasonably practicable such adjustments will be made. There may, however, be circumstances where it will not be reasonable or reasonably practicable for Carousel to accommodate proposals put forward by the employee.

• Any member of staff may use the grievance procedure to complain about discriminatory conduct. If the matter relates to sexual or racial harassment or harassment on the basis of disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief or age, then the complaint may be raised directly with the CEO. Carousel is concerned to ensure that staff feel comfortable about raising such complaints. No individual will be penalised for raising such a complaint unless the substance of the complaint is untrue or the complaint is made in bad faith, for example out of malice.

• Where a Carousel employee is falsely accused of discriminatory conduct, then they may implement the organisation’s grievance procedure. In this instance, the person who made the false accusation will be subjected to disciplinary action. In serious cases, such behaviour may be deemed to constitute gross misconduct and may result in summary dismissal in the absence of mitigating circumstances.

• The composition of the workforce and of job applicants will be monitored on a regular basis. Should inequalities become apparent, positive action may, if appropriate, be taken to redress the imbalance.

This policy will be monitored on a regular basis by the CEO. Where there are issues with the way the policy is working, these will be looked at closely with a view to identifying measures to improve the effectiveness of the policy.