Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Policy
At PREM Group, we believe in doing the right thing always. This ethos operates on both a commercial and a human level. We have a practical, entrepreneurial spirit. We evolve and adapt, making smart commercial decisions that are performance-driven, yet we work with a higher purpose.
We aspire to set industry standards. We want PREM Group to be synonymous with quality and innovation.
The PREM Group principle of doing the right thing trickles down through our organisations. It means doing the right thing for stakeholders, for our people, for our clients, for the industry we love and ultimately for our guests.
Policy overview
This policy sets out how PREM Group aims to do the right thing and promote diversity and inclusion as an employer, and for our clients, our industry, our guests and the communities we operate in. Diversity and inclusion underpin all areas of our work and services. We recognise that our customers and team members come from diverse backgrounds, with varying experiences and needs. We are committed to ensuring diversity and inclusion is embedded into our day-to-day working practices. PREM Group actively promotes fairness, respect, equality, diversity inclusion and engagement and is committed to continuous improvement.
Through our policies and in our day-to-day work and fulfilment of our legal responsibilities, PREM Group is committed to promoting equality and fairness and combating discrimination. This applies to everyone, particularly all groups referenced within equality legislation set out in each of the jurisdictions where we operate our business.
Objectives
In order to effectively implement its commitment to being an equal and diverse organisation, PREM Group has identified the following objectives:
Provide the organisation's leaders with the skills and knowledge to fully embed fairness, respect, equality, diversity, inclusion and engagement into the organisation's culture, strategy, and processes.
Provide Dignity at Work training to all team members which includes content on their responsibilities and relevant legislation.
Incorporate the Diversity and inclusion policy into company Induction.
Ensure that no customer or potential customer receives less favourable treatment than any other, adjusting services where necessary in order to facilitate this.
Ensure opportunities are accessible to all, introducing reasonable accommodations to facilitate this where required.
Through the use of employee surveys we gather data to enable the monitoring of employee satisfaction to identify and address any negative trends in relation to diversity and inclusion including discrimination.
Create an environment where employees and customers are treated fairly and with dignity and respect.
Enforce a zero-tolerance approach in relation to discrimination, bullying, harassment, and inappropriate behaviour, thoroughly investigating any reported incidents and taking appropriate actions.
Ensure fair treatment for job applicants, which is free from bias.
Make the best possible use of our existing and potential workforce through effective talent management strategies.
Provide a safe, supportive, and welcoming environment where everyone can contribute to their fullest potential.
Challenge discrimination and promote diversity
Provide training to team members on PREM Group’s approach to diversity and inclusion, its commitment to zero tolerance in relation to discrimination, bullying, harassment and inappropriate behaviour and the contents of both our ‘Dignity at Work Policy’ and this policy.
Act as role models to partner organisations and other external stakeholders.
Undertake Equality Impact Assessments on all policies, processes, and procedures in order to ensure that no direct or indirect discrimination exists within these.
Scope
This policy applies to the organisation, its leadership team, team members, partners and to any external stakeholders which are supported by or engage with the organisation.
Diversity and inclusion creates rights and responsibilities for every member of our team. All employees and the leadership team will be informed that a diversity and inclusion policy is in operation and that they are bound to comply with its requirements.
The policy ensures that our statutory equality duties as laid out in legislation within every jurisdiction in which we operate are met.
Key Equality & Diversity Concepts
Diversity can be defined as the visible and non-visible differences between individuals. These differences can be related to race, ethnicity, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, and gender, as well as the many differences in values, attitudes, beliefs, cultural views, skills, knowledge, education, background, employment, parenthood, marital status, and life experiences of every individual.
Equal Opportunities can be defined as ensuring all those involved with or wishing to be involved with the organisation, regardless of their diversity, are provided with opportunity based on their ability or potential to perform the required activity.
Discrimination is unequal treatment of an individual because of their membership of a particular class or group, such as sex, race, or trade union. It may be direct, for example, refusing to send someone on a training course because they are married or have children. It may be indirect, for example, declaring a post as being suitable only for a full-time team member without proper justification (i.e., establishing the need for a full-time team member rather than for part-timers or job sharing).
Discrimination may be subtle and unconscious and may not be easy to identify. For example, discrimination sometimes results from general assumptions about the capabilities, characteristics and interests of particular groups or individuals, which are allowed to influence the treatment of employees or job applicants or clients and guests. This includes unconscious bias.
Harassment or bullying has the effect of causing undue stress on individuals and of de-motivating them. Harassment or bullying of any kind will not be tolerated and serves to undermine the safe, supportive, and welcoming environment which PREM Group wishes to encourage.
Management and Delivery of this policy
Fairness, Respect, Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Engagement are the responsibility of everyone within PREM Group.
Our Leadership team is committed to embedding diversity and inclusion within the business, ensuring that everything we do and the way it is done, makes reference to and considers the impact upon our equality objectives.
We use procurement process to ensure that our partners and external stakeholders operate their businesses with similar policy commitments and delivers its services with the same ethos.
It is the responsibility of our leadership team to implement, monitor and evaluate the diversity and inclusion policy in terms of employment practices (selection, recruitment, and retention) and service delivery.
This policy will be communicated to all employees, visitors, clients and guests and other stakeholders using a variety of methods such as the Employee Handbook and communications Platform Eureka, website, displayed in canteens, employee areas and where appropriate offices.
Our team members will receive appropriate training to ensure they understand their responsibility not to discriminate and to treat everyone with respect and dignity. Team members are expected to be aware of personal prejudices, unconscious bias and stereotypes and avoid labels at all times.
All team members will be made aware of and follow the requirements in our Dignity at Work Policy.
Existing processes will be used to review and investigate any complaints in relation to discrimination, harassment or bullying as follows:
Employees - Disciplinary , Grievance and Dignity at Work procedures.
Clients and Guests - (those using our services) - Complaints procedure.
It is expected that when employees or leadership team members represent PREM Group at any time, including through attendance at committees, meetings with external stakeholders and contact with customers, they will ensure that the diversity and inclusion principles and practices outlined in this policy are adhered to.
When representing PREM Group on the committees of other agencies, each employee or Leadership team member will endeavour to ensure that diversity and inclusion principles and practices are adopted by those agencies.
We will use an Equality Impact Assessments framework to regularly review our policies, to minimise the possibility of directly or indirectly discriminating against any group or individual as a result of our working methodologies.
Selection, Recruitment and Retention
At PREM Group, we aim to promote diversity and inclusion as an employer - ensuring that no job applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment or is disadvantaged by conditions or requirements that cannot be shown to be justifiable within the context of the policy.
Selection, recruitment, training, promotion, and employment practices generally will be subject to regular review to ensure they comply with this policy. In particular, selection and recruitment procedures will be reviewed annually in order to constantly improve diversity and inclusion practices and respond to changes in legislation. PREM Group will monitor data on all applicants as well as those that are successful in order to identify any practices that unintentionally discriminate against specific groups.
We will take whatever positive action is required where it can be shown that under-representation of any particular group has occurred in recruitment. Where appropriate and legally permissible employees from under-represented groups will be given training and encouragement in order to promote diversity and inclusion within PREM Group.
Employees involved in the selection and recruitment process, and in the management of staff, will receive appropriate training to ensure they recognise when they are making stereotypical assumptions or judgements about people, and avoid any discriminatory practices in the way in which they shortlist, recruit or manage employees. This will include unconscious bias training.
We regard discrimination, harassment, abuse, victimisation or bullying of employees, customers or of others in the course of work as disciplinary offences that could be regarded as gross misconduct. Condoning such behaviour could also be treated as a disciplinary offence. As well as disciplining the perpetrator(s), we will give appropriate support to people who complain of harassment of themselves or others. PREM Group has considered the working practices it has in place to address inequality, and discrimination and how it promotes fairness for all. Examples of these against each of the protected characteristics are given below but is not a definitive list of all that we do.
We recognise that employees have different needs at different stages during their career, for example to balance work and caring responsibilities. We will attempt to accommodate employee requests to work flexibly, whether part-time or some other working arrangement, for whatever reason, so long as agreement is consistent with the needs of the organisation. We will also encourage initiatives designed to help employee who wish to return to work after a career break.
Our terms and conditions of employment allow for all parent and family related leave in accordance with current legislation in each jurisdiction where we operate. Allowance is also made for compassionate and dependant’s leave to deal with domestic emergencies through our family friendly policies.
We recognise all statutory obligations to make reasonable accommodations to support disabled people and enable them to do their job without unnecessary difficulty. We will make accommodations which are reasonable, whether or not we are obliged to do so by law, and whether or not a disabled applicant or employee is covered by the definition of ‘disabled’.
We are committed to ensuring employees do not experience discrimination (or less favourable opportunities/treatment) based on their race, religion or belief by: -
Allowing time and, if possible, a place for prayers during the working day and at the workplace as appropriate.
Considering employees' dietary requirements in catering for staff, and when providing facilities for employees to eat and store food.
Allowing employees of particular faiths to take their holidays for religious festivals and other religious observance.
Trying to arrange job interviews or other important work meetings at times when they do not clash with important religious festivals.
Not imposing a dress code with which people of a particular religion cannot comply.
We will not discriminate on grounds of age in recruitment, promotion, training, or the availability of other benefits.
We will not discriminate on the grounds of gender, where an individual is in the process of gender reassignment or where an individual has completed this reassignment.
We will not discriminate on the grounds of marriage or civil partnership and will support individual needs as required.
We will not discriminate on the grounds of an individual’s sex or on the grounds of the sexual orientation providing everyone, whether a team member or a potential candidate with the same opportunity to achieve their goals.
As part of our talent management strategy, we operate an employee appraisal system of ‘Check-ins’. Training or education development to enhance potential within the existing job, arising out of needs identified through check in, appraisal or from other circumstances, will, where appropriate or possible, be provided. We may, in certain circumstances, allow for paid or unpaid leave for training or educational purposes.
Our retention, reward and progression processes are fair and take account of the social, domestic, cultural, and physical obstacles to people progressing. We seek to identify where these exist for individuals and take actions to limit these where necessary.
We undertake review of pay and continually work towards eliminating any unfair pay gaps where these are identified.
All training opportunities will be published widely through internal communication channels and General Managers to all appropriate employees, and not in such a way as to exclude or disproportionately reduce the numbers of applicants from a particular group. In all training opportunities we will pay due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination on the grounds set out in this policy.
Service Delivery
We will use a variety of methods to regularly consult with our clients and guests. We will gather their views on existing and planned services, including changes to provision.
We will make public our commitment to combating discriminatory attitudes where these are encountered by publishing this policy widely amongst staff, partners, and external stakeholders and in a variety of formats.
Procurement
We are committed to working with a wide range of suppliers and contractors, from local businesses through to large multi-nationals across a wide range of different types of contracts and purchases.
Diversity and inclusion will be considered during the procurement process and on the award of contracts there will be an expectation that contractors comply with the relevant legislation and principles of this policy.
Each contractor that engages in PREM Group’s procurement process will be required to hold the appropriate certification and qualifications for the works and services they are submitting a bid to carry out.
Monitoring and Evaluation
PREM Group will systematically evaluate its services and the effectiveness of its diversity and inclusion policy by a variety of means.
Information gathered through the complaints, grievances, disciplinary or other appropriate processes will be analysed through the lens of all statutory grounds, as specified by the current legislation in each jurisdiction in which we operate. Where any negative trends are identified, these will be investigated fully, and recommendations made to the leadership team. We will report annually to the leadership team on the outcomes of monitoring and evaluation activities, including any trends in relation to specified statutory grounds of each jurisdiction.
Review Cycle
Responsibility for review of this policy sits with PREM Group and HR and Leadership team.
A formal review will be completed 2 yearly.
Additionally, an interim review would be conducted in the following circumstances:
A change is made to relevant legislation.
The investigation into a negative trend indicates a review of this policy is appropriate.
An external review of our services identifies the need for a policy review.