Meantime Communications is committed to encouraging equality, diversity, and inclusion across its workforce and to eliminating unlawful discrimination in all aspects of employment and service delivery.

The company aims for its workforce to be representative of wider society and its clients, and for every employee to feel respected, supported, and able to perform at their best.

Meantime Communications is committed to preventing unlawful discrimination against customers, partners, suppliers, and members of the public in the provision of its services.

The purpose of this policy is to provide equality, fairness, and respect for all employees, whether temporary, part time, or full time.

Meantime Communications does not unlawfully discriminate under the Equality Act 2010 on the basis of protected characteristics, including age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.

Meantime Communications opposes and seeks to prevent all forms of unlawful discrimination, including discrimination relating to pay and benefits, terms and conditions of employment, grievance handling, disciplinary processes, dismissal, redundancy, parental leave, flexible working requests, recruitment, promotion, training, and development opportunities.

Meantime Communications promotes equality, diversity, and inclusion as good practice and sound business practice.

Meantime Communications maintains a working environment free from bullying, harassment, victimisation, and unlawful discrimination, and promotes dignity and respect for all.

Meantime Communications recognises and values individual differences and the contributions of all employees.

Meantime Communications provides appropriate training to managers and employees on their rights and responsibilities under this policy.

Meantime Communications requires all staff to conduct themselves in a way that supports equal opportunities and prevents bullying, harassment, victimisation, and unlawful discrimination.

Employees and Meantime Communications may be held liable for acts of bullying, harassment, victimisation, and unlawful discrimination carried out in the course of employment.

Meantime Communications takes all complaints of bullying, harassment, victimisation, and unlawful discrimination seriously, whether involving employees, clients, suppliers, visitors, contractors, or members of the public.

Such conduct is addressed under the organisation’s grievance and disciplinary procedures, and serious cases may be treated as gross misconduct and may result in dismissal without notice.

Sexual harassment may constitute an employment rights matter and may constitute a criminal offence, including sexual assault.

Meantime Communications takes reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of its workers and employees, in line with the preventative duty effective 26 October 2024.

Harassment under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 may constitute a criminal offence, even where it does not relate to a protected characteristic.

Meantime Communications provides training, development, and progression opportunities to all employees and supports individuals to develop their full potential.

Employment related decisions are based on merit, subject only to lawful and limited exceptions permitted under the Equality Act 2010.

Meantime Communications reviews employment practices and procedures to ensure fairness and legal compliance and updates them where required to reflect changes in legislation.

Meantime Communications may monitor workforce information, where lawful and appropriate, to assess how this policy operates in practice and to support equality, diversity, and inclusion objectives.

Any monitoring data is handled lawfully, proportionately, and confidentially, in line with UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

This policy and any supporting action plans are reviewed annually, and action is taken where issues are identified.

Meantime Communications is a Disability Confident Committed employer and supports inclusive recruitment, retention, and progression for disabled people.

Meantime Communications seeks to remove barriers to employment, provide reasonable adjustments, and create an inclusive working environment where disabled colleagues can thrive.

This policy is fully supported by senior management and approved by Emma Murray, Chief Executive Officer, Meantime Communications.

Details of grievance and disciplinary procedures are set out in the Meantime Communications Employee Handbook, including guidance on raising concerns, which should usually be directed to a line manager.

Use of internal procedures does not affect an employee’s statutory right to notify ACAS for Early Conciliation and to present a claim to an employment tribunal within the relevant time limit, which is three months minus one day for most discrimination claims.