Equal Opportunities Policy Template

Our equal opportunities policy template has been written by our HR experts to help businesses understand and outline their responsibilities. 

Equal opportunities in the workplace

Promoting equality and diversity in the workplace means offering the same level of opportunities to your workforce, regardless of different characteristics. 

Formed in 2007, The Equality and Human Rights Commission is comprised of three original statutory bodies: The Equal Opportunities Commission, The Disability Rights Commission and The Commission for Racial Equality. Following this merge, workers are protected by The Equality Act 2010. This makes it an offence for an employer to discriminate against employees and agency workers on the grounds of:

•  Gender
•  Race, ethnicity and nationality
•  Disability
•  Age
•  Sexual orientation
•  Marital status
•  Religious or philosophical belief
•  Gender reassignment
•  Pregnancy and maternity

What are my responsibilities as an employer? 

As an employer, any liability for discrimination stops with you – including liability for the discriminatory acts of employees, unless they have taken all reasonably practicable steps to prevent it. Implementation of a business-wide equal opportunities policy is the first step in that process of prevention. The policy should contain every step that your business will take to stay compliant with legislation and communicate to your employees the levels of expectation.  

What is contained within an Equal Opportunities Policy template? 

When creating your equal opportunities policy, it’s important to include as much detail as possible. This means you’re covered from a legal standpoint and that your business remains compliant with the criteria set out in The Equality Act 2010. Defining the protected characteristics such as age, ethnicity, religion and disability are great starting point and should be included as a priority. 

Consider incorporating the following steps in your equal opportunities policy template: 

• An equal pay structure for all employees that aligns with the qualifications and everyday job requirements. 
• A fair application process that considers availability for all external candidates and provides the same opportunity for all internal employees. 
• Accessibility to all training, resources and support for every employee, regardless of sex, age, gender or disability. 
• Accommodate any employees who experience physical difficulties with reasonable adjustments to working practices. 

Choose HS Direct for your template needs!

If you need assistance in creating an equal opportunities policy that is inclusive for everybody, that’s where our template can help. Our comprehensive equal opportunities policy template provides detailed guidance on what constitutes discrimination, how the company seeks to prevent it in all aspects of employment; from recruitment through training and development to dismissal, and how persons with disabilities will be accommodated in line with the duty to make reasonable adjustments. 

Need some more document templates to help you manage your business? Why not check out our grievance policy templates or staff handbook templates?