Policy Statement
Counterculture recognises that providing equality of opportunity, valuing diversity, celebrating differences and promoting a culture of inclusion are vital to providing the best possible service to our clients.
We want our staff and partners to reflect the diversity of our clients and the wider society.
By creating an environment in which individuals can utilise their skills and talents to the full without fear of prejudice or harassment, we aim to foster a culture where everyone can flourish and reach their full potential.
Scope
This policy covers discrimination on the basis of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion and/or belief, sex or sexual orientation as set out in the Equality Act (2010). We also wish to cover discrimination on the basis of socio-economic background, social class and status.
Commitment
We wish to place equality at the heart of all that we do. Our aim is to make full use of people’s talents and skills by creating an open and inclusive workplace and culture where people from all backgrounds can work together with dignity and respect.
We will take active steps to fulfil our responsibilities and promote good practice by:
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- Complying with our legal obligations and regulatory commitments.
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- Promoting awareness of this policy amongst our colleagues.
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- Assessing the impact of this policy to identify, remove or mitigate any disadvantage to underrepresented groups.
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- Taking action to redress any gender, racial or other imbalance including monitoring the recruitment and progress of our colleagues, collecting and collating equalities information and acting on any inequality revealed by the data.
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- Fostering good relations between persons who share a protected characteristic and persons who do not.
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- Promoting awareness and understanding of EDI matters among our colleagues through training, consultation, policies, guidance and advice.
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- Ensuring that our colleagues are treated fairly and judged solely on merit and by reference to their skills and abilities.
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- Ensuring that Counterculture offices, as far as reasonably possible, are welcoming and accessible to all, making reasonable adjustments, as appropriate, to enable disabled staff to overcome barriers in the working environment.
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- Dealing with potential and actual acts of discrimination, harassment and bullying appropriately under relevant Counterculture policies and processes and taking appropriate action where necessary.
Responsibilities
Counterculture’s HR Partner will ensure this policy is consistently applied and will monitor the operation of the policy for both prospective and current colleagues.
Counterculture’s Senior Partners have ultimate responsibility for implementing this policy fully.
Implementation, Monitoring and Review
We will set yearly goals, and the Senior Partners will monitor progress on a regular basis.
This policy will be reviewed every two years or when the need arises to ensure that it reflects best practice and current legislation.
Training
All Counterculture colleagues will take part in appropriate EDI training appropriate and new recruits will take part in EDI training as part of their induction.
Complaints Procedures related to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Counterculture expects its clients and colleagues to treat others equitably, with dignity and respect. Anyone who believes they have been discriminated against, harassed or bullied has the right to make a complaint free from victimisation or fear of retaliation.
Any colleague who feels they have not been treated in accordance with this policy is entitled to raise the matter through the Grievance Policy and Procedure or the Harassment and Bullying Policy. We encourage informal resolution and we aim to support and protect anyone who makes a complaint, or who acts as a witness. All complaints will be taken seriously and will be dealt with promptly and confidentially.
If an employee is found to have breached this policy, they may be subject to disciplinary action, which could result in dismissal. Partners may be subject to expulsion.
Clients may raise a complaint under our Clients Complaints Procedure.
All complaints will be dealt with fairly and respectfully, regardless of the protected characteristic of the individual making the complaint. Assistance will be given to people who wish to make a complaint but require support or a different format to do so.
Diversity Data
Our regulator, the SRA, requires all regulated firms to collect and publish data about the diversity of their workforces. The results of our 2023 survey can be downloaded by clicking on the button below.