Equal Opportunities Policy

Purpose and scope

The  purpose  of  this  Equal  Opportunities  Policy  is to communicate  our  commitment  to  equality  of opportunity in employment, with the aims of ensuring that all employees and job applicants are treated fairly and equally and supporting the Company’s objective of providing a working environment that is free from all forms of discrimination.

The  policy  applies  to all  staff  within  Tahoun Express, LLC , including  employees  and  other workers, such as agency workers, temporary workers and contractors. All staff are expected to put this policy into practice.

A copy of  this  policy will be distributed  to  all  employees and can also be found on the  staff  notice-board and will be made available to other workers on their engagement.

Job seekers and applicants can access the policy via the Company’s website and will be sent a copy of the policy on request.

In addition, all employees will receive briefing on  this  policy  and  the  induction  process  for   new employees includes a briefing on this policy.

Any questions about the policy should be directed to your line manager.

This  policy does not  form  part of employees’ contracts  of  employment  and  the  Company  may amend  it at any time.

The policy is regularly reviewed and may be amended at any time.

Policy statement

Tahoun Express, LLC is fully  committed  to  providing  equality in the  workplace  and  all opportunities for, and during employment, will be afforded to individuals  fairly and irrespective of age, disability, gender, gender  reassignment,  marital  or  civil  partnership  status, pregnancy  or  maternity , race including colour, ethnic or national origins and nationality, religion or belief or sexual orientation (“the protected characteristics”). We aim to create a working environment that is free from discrimination and harassment in any  form, in which all staff, customers  and  suppliers  are treated with dignity  and  respect.

The  Company will not unlawfully  discriminate  in  the arrangements  we  make  for  recruitment and selection or in the opportunities   afforded for employment, training or any other benefit. All decisions will be made fairly and objectively. We aim, as far as reasonably practicable, to ensure that all our working practices are  applied  fairly  and  consistently  and , where  necessary, we  will  take reasonable  steps to avoid or overcome any particular disadvantage these may cause and to promote equality.

The  Company  respects an individual’s right to choose whether or not to belong to a trade union and membership status will have no bearing on an applicant’s suitability for employment or result in any detrimental treatment when working for the Company.

Specific Responsibilities

Tahoun Express, LLC has  overall  responsibility  for the  effective  operation  of  this  policy and  for ensuring compliance with the Equality  For Texas Workers’ Compensation Act (81st Legislature, 2009).

The HR  Department  is  responsible  for  monitoring  and  reviewing the policy and for  ensuring that  all  employment-related  policies, procedures and  practices  adhere to this policy.

All  staff  have  a responsibility  not  to  discriminate  or  harass  other  staff, clients, customers  and suppliers and to report any such behavior of which they become aware to their Manager/Supervisor/the HR Manager.

Managers/supervisors are responsible for implementing  the  Equal  Opportunities  Policy  and  must apply the policy as part of their day-to-day management of the Company. All Managers/supervisors will receive specific training in this policy.

Forms of discrimination

The following are forms of discrimination that this policy aims to avoid:

Direct Discrimination occurs when a person is treated less favorably because of a protected characteristic that they either have or are thought to have. Direct discrimination can also occur by way of association, which is when a person is treated less favorably because, for example, their spouse or partner or other relative has the protected characteristic.

Indirect  Discrimination  occurs  when  a provision, criterion  or practice  is  applied  equally  to everyone, but has a disproportionately adverse effect on people who share a particular protected characteristic.

A person with the protected characteristic who is disadvantaged in that way has the right to complain.

To be justified  the provision, criterion, or practice must be necessary for legitimate business reasons in circumstances where less discriminatory alternatives are not reasonably available.

Victimization occurs where someone is treated unfavorably because he/she has raised a complaint under this policy or taken legal action, in relation to any alleged act of unlawful discrimination, against the Company or because he/she has supported someone else in doing this.

Harassment  is unwanted  conduct  that  violates  an  individual’s  dignity  or creates  an  intimidating, hostile, degrading,  humiliating  or  offensive  environment. Harassment  can  take  many  different  forms  and may involve inappropriate actions, behavior, comments, emails  or  physical  contact that causes offence or are objectionable.

Harassment  may  involve a single  incident  or  persistent  behavior  that extends  over  a period of time and can occur even if someone did not mean to cause offence. It also means that a person can be subjected to harassment by behavior that is not aimed at them directly but which they nonetheless find unpleasant.

Harassment is always unacceptable and where it relates to a protected characteristic it will amount to an unlawful act of discrimination.

Discrimination  arising  from Disability – In addition to the above, it is unlawful to treat a person unfavorably because of something that is the result, effect or outcome of their disability, unless the treatment is necessary and can be objectively justified. Furthermore, employers have a duty to make reasonable adjustments to ensure that disabled applicants, employees or other workers are not substantially disadvantaged.

Creating equal opportunities in the workplace

There are a number of ways in which the Company aims to ensure equal opportunities in the workplace, including:

Recruitment and selection

Recruitment and selection procedures will be free from bias or discrimination. Recruitment procedures will be conducted objectively and will be based upon specific and reasonable job-related criteria.

Decisions regarding an individual’s suitability for a particular role will be based on aptitude and ability.

We will consider making appropriate reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process to ensure that disabled applicants are not substantially disadvantaged.

Wherever possible, vacancies  will  be advertised as being  suitable  for  flexible working, to encourage applications from individuals seeking work on a part time or job share basis.

The  Company  will  consider  taking  appropriate  positive  action to  enable  or  encourage  applications from persons with a protected characteristic that is under represented in the organization.

Career development and training

All staff will be given an appropriate induction to enable them to fulfil the responsibilities of their role.

All  employees  will  be encouraged  to  develop their  full  potential  and  we  will  not  unreasonably  deny  an employee access to training or other career development opportunities. These will be determined objectively, taking into account the needs of the business and available resources.

Selection  for  promotion  will be based on objective criteria and decisions will be made on the basis of merit.