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Ethics & Diversity
At Gerald Eve we understand that people are happier, more motivated and perform better when they can express their own identities. As a firm, operating in a highly competitive skills-driven market, it is in our interest to attract and retain highly talented individuals. Ensuring that we can all be ourselves, while working as a team, simply makes good commercial sense.
Equal opportunities is more than just a statement
Different experiences, outlooks and personalities serve to enrich our business and particularly the service we offer to our clients. We work hard to actively ensure that diversity is more than a statement of intent - rather it is a value that permeates everything we do.
Our policies, procedures, rules and frameworks relating to ethics and diversity are contained in our Staff Handbook and form part of each staff members’ terms of employment. We have included some excerpts from the Handbook below.
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Our formal Equal Opportunities Policy
Within the firm a community of people of different ages, sex, sexual orientation, ethnic and national origins, political outlook, religion and abilities (physical and intellectual) come together for the purpose of achieving the firm’s objectives. Gerald Eve is committed to providing equality of opportunity, based purely upon ability and aptitude, in recruiting and developing its staff.
In recruiting and developing its staff, the firm seeks to ensure that no candidate for recruitment or for promotion is discriminated against or receives less opportunity for advancement or less favourable treatment on the grounds of age, sex, ethnic origin etc.
The responsibility for maintaining and developing the firm's Equal Opportunities policies and procedures lies with the Executive Board supported by the other Partners and the Human Resources department.
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Harassment Policy
As a responsible employer, Gerald Eve has the responsibility for trying to ensure that all staff can enjoy a harassment-free working environment, where they will not be subject to unwanted physical contact, verbal or written attack, innuendo, gossip, coercion, or offensive jokes, no matter how unintentional. Staff may feel harassed for any one of a variety of reasons including nationality, skin colour, sex, sexual orientation, religious or political convictions, disabilities or learning difficulties, age and/or illness.
Many victims of harassment feel vulnerable and are unwilling to complain because they are afraid for their jobs. All staff should feel able to raise any matter in this area on an informal basis with their Head of Department who should take any allegation seriously, or with the Human Resources department. All Partners and staff should be aware of their responsibility in this area and should report any incidents, even if only suspected, either to the Operations Partner or the Human Resources Manager, for action.
Harassment, whether physical, sexual, religious or ethnic, or on any other basis, is a disciplinary offence. An allegation, if upheld after investigation, may be treated as a matter of serious misconduct under the terms of the firm's disciplinary Rules and Procedure.
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Review of Policies and Procedures
All employment policies are subject to regular review to ensure that equal opportunity criteria laid down in statute, or as published in codes of practice and guidance issued by relevant bodies eg. the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, the Equal Opportunities Commission, the Commission for Racial Equality, Disability Rights Commission etc. are met.
Further details about these policies and the relevant procedures are available from the Human Resources Department and are contained in the firm's Staff Handbook. Any breaches of the firm's policy in these areas are drawn immediately to the attention of the Human Resources Manager or the Operations Partner.
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Communication
The communication of the firm's Equal Opportunities policy is essential to make the policy effective. All staff joining Gerald Eve are given a copy of the Firm's Statement on Equal Opportunities on joining the practice. As part of the Firm's Induction Programme, the Human Resources Department takes new staff through the policy, its implications and its administration in detail, citing the relevant sections of the firm's Staff Handbook and drawing attention to the disciplinary provisions which exist to redress harassment or other improper conduct.
The communication of Equal Opportunity principles and practice forms part of the Firm's training and development programme, with a particular emphasis upon management responsibilities.
Any queries in relation to Gerald Eve's policy on equal opportunities or perceived discrimination should be addressed to Mike Foulds, Human Resources Manager.
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Any breaches of the firm’s policies or incidents of harrassment should be reported to the Operations Partner or the Human Resources Manager.
Operations Partner
Questions in relation to Gerald Eve's policy on equal opportunities or perceived discrimination should be addressed to the Human Resources Manager.
Human Resources Manager
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