Organisational Management and Development 2 Equal Opportunities

Aim To enable students to manage diversity and promote positive working relationships.

Learning Outcomes At the end of the session students will be able to: Describe the purpose, principals and application of the organisation’s strategy and policy for fairness and equality Describe the legal, moral and economic obligations placed upon employees and employers in relation to fairness and equality.

Principal legislation Equal Pay Act 1970 Sex Discrimination Act 1975 Race Relations Act 1976 Disability Discrimination Act 1995.

Responsibilities of management To train personnel Ensure the law and brigade policy is upheld Investigate any complaint Watch officers are the first line of management to operational firefighters.

Responsibilities of the employee To comply with the law To comply with brigade policy Not to discriminate Not to harass, bully or intimidate Not to victimise To report any suspected acts or practices To take action.

Key words Harassment Victimisation Discrimination Prejudice.

Problems caused by harrassment Detrimental effects on; Individual Organisation Community Overall.

Moral questions Would you say or do this in front of your partner or a colleague of the same sex Would you like your behaviour reported in your local newspaper Does it need to be done or said at all If in doubt use common sense - don’t do or say it at all.

Common sense Get to know the person Look at their behaviour Gauge what is / is not acceptable Be prepared to say sorry.

Display and use of offensive materials HFB recognises that all persons have their own moral values and must be treated with dignity Display of any material which may be construed as offensive is not acceptable This is regardless of access limitations.

Equal opportunities Is not about treating everyone the same Does not seek to make everyone equal And is not a waste of resources.

Statement of policy Materials such as posters, photos, cartoons etc which could cause offence (porno, sexist, racist etc) must not be displayed or held in personal storage areas No films, computer images etc to be displayed Do not use brigade computers to view such images.

Statement of policy All the above will apply singly or to groups whether or not they are working in isolation Written guidance is not practical and individual issues to be determined informally by line manager.

Actions to be taken Informal Tell the other person that you find their behaviour offensive Maybe get someone else to do this if it is awkward for you Report the problem to your watch officers for them to resolve.

Actions to be taken Formal Normally to be used if/when informal action is unsuccessful or inappropriate Complain in writing A formal investigation will be ordered by ACO(T), who has overall responsibility Assisted by personnel from the Quality and Equal Opportunities Section, based at BHQ.

Actions to be taken Formal Disciplinary action can be taken.

Case studies Gillian Maxwell 1997 Warren Mann 1997 Tania Clayton 1993.

Confirmation Assessments will be based on this lesson and the corresponding study note Learning Outcomes Describe the purpose, principals and application of the organisation’s strategy and policy for fairness and equality Describe the legal, moral and economic obligations placed upon employees and employers in relation to fairness and equality.

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