ANSS Equal Opportunities Policy

We take every care to treat each individual as a person in their own right. We recognise that everyone has a personal responsibility for the positive application of equal opportunities and that equality of opportunity is fundamentally about fairness and respect. It is achieved by ensuring that discriminatory behaviour, in any form, is not tolerated.

We are totally committed to the principle of equal opportunities and to creating a working environment in which everyone is treated with dignity and respect, and which is free from unlawful discrimination, victimisation or harassment on the ground of:

• colour, race, nationality or ethnic origin
  
• sex, marital status or gender reassignment
  
• disability of any kind
  
• sexual orientation
  
• age

Our commitment to all aspects of our organisation includes:

• recruitment and advertisement of jobs/volunteering opportunities
  
• terms and conditions of employment
  
• training, personal development and progression
  
• grievance and disciplinary procedures
  
• relationships between members of staff and volunteers
  

Such values require a commitment from staff, trustees, members and volunteers to accept a code of conduct which:

• encourages respect for every individual
  
• encourages collective action to challenge prejudice and the structures that perpetuate it
  
• challenges stereotyped images internally and externally and, in their place, promotes positive images
  
• declares as unacceptable any language, action or belief which is prejudiced or which encourages prejudice in others
• does not tolerate any from of behaviour which is derogatory, demeaning or insulting to other persons or groups on
  
• the ground of race, gender, reassignment, disability, religion, culture, political beliefs, sex, sexual orientation or age
• creates an environment in which individual differences and the contributions of all our trustees, members and volunteers are recognised and valued

In addition:

• Everyone is entitled to an environment that provides dignity and respect to all. No form of intimidation, bullying harassment will be tolerated
• All will be recruited, selected and trained on the basis of the objective criteria
  

We take this policy very seriously, and therefore a breach of this policy is considered to be gross misconduct and disciplinary action, including dismissal for serious offences, will be taken against those who do not comply with it.

If you have any queries regarding this policy, please contact the equal opportunities officer below.

Equal opportunities officer: Chairman