Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

CAREERS SERVICE About For Employers Events Student and Graduate Stories Contact Us MyCareer Logo Explore your options Gain skills and experience Find jobs Work for yourself Making applications Support and resources Search... Search... Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Know your rights when job seeking, and find out about equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Newcastle University Careers Service Support and resources Tailored information Equality, Diversity and Inclusion On this page Equality and diversity in the workplace Finding a diversity friendly employer Age Care experienced Carers Criminal record Disability, neurodiversity, and mental health Estranged Gender LGBTQ+ Race and ethnicity Religion and belief Social mobility Equality and diversity in the workplace The Equality Act 2010 is the UK legislation that covers equality and diversity in the workplace. It consolidates previous separate legislation into one act. This is to make the law easier to understand and encourage employers to comply. The Equality Act lists nine 'protected characteristics'. This means employment discrimination is usually against the law. Employers must therefore treat applicants and employees equally. The protected characteristics are: age disability gender reassignment marriage or civil partnership pregnancy and maternity race (including colour, nationality, ethnic and national origin) religion or belief sex sexual orientation Many employers are going beyond legal requirements and promote a diverse workplace. The following resources offer inspiration, information, and advice in relation to equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI). They help you know your rights about job seeking and equality in the workplace. They also tell you what to do if you have experienced discrimination. Useful resources about equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplace Finding a diversity friendly employer If you are looking for an opportunity, here are our tips on finding diversity friendly employers: research an employer's diversity and inclusion policies. Many employers have published these on their websites. They can give you a good insight into the employer's commitment to diversity and equality employer events and fairs can be a way of finding out if they recruit from diverse backgrounds. Ask about their diversity and inclusion policies talk to people who work for the employer. They can give you an insider's perspective on the company culture and how employees are treated use LinkedIn or Glassdoor to gauge the diversity and work culture of a workplace trust your instincts. If you have a gut feeling that an employer is not diversity friendly, question why. There are many great employers out there. Don't settle for one that doesn't make you feel comfortable Examples of diversity friendly employers Diversity and inclusion schemes Equality, diversity and inclusion at Newcastle University Get advice Age The Equality Act 2010 made age discrimination, harassment, or victimisation unlawful. Usually, unless they can prove that there is a legitimate reason, employers cannot set an age limit for jobs. They can say that a graduate scheme is only suitable for those who graduated within the last few years. This means they can set a date range for eligibility. They can't discriminate against mature students. If you've graduated within the number of years they've stated, you are still eligible to apply. You do not have to put your age or date of birth on your CV and most employers no longer ask for it on application forms. Employers should treat you equally, regardless of age, during the application process. This also applies to you as an employee. If you are entering the employment market as a mature graduate you have legal protection. In fact, your experience can be an asset during the recruitment process. More information Care experienced A care leaver is usually defined in the education context as a young person who was looked after on or after their 16th birthday and who is aged under 26. However, some employers recognise that any time spent in local authority care or, with kinship carers, under a special guardianship order, or being privately fostered can have an impact on educational opportunities and will provide support to reflect this. Care leavers can face challenges and disadvantages in education, employment and training. Some employers and organisations recognise this and have tailored policies and support available. Find out more below. More information Carers A definition of a carer is someone who, unpaid, looks after a friend or family member who needs extra support. This could be due to illness, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction. These caring responsibilities can be short or long term but can be very challenging. Many employers recognise there are business and welfare benefits to supporting carer employees. Employers who support carers reduce recruitment costs. They also attract staff, reduce sickness rates and increase staff morale. Some employers offer a carer passport. A carer passport is a record that identifies a carer in some way. It sets out an offer of support, services or other benefits in response. A carer passport helps carers to self-identify in the workplace. They can then be supported as part of the day-to-day life of an organisation or community. Examples of support that can offered by employers to carers includes: Flexible working practices Enhanced or paid emergency leave Additional leave arrangements, such as carers leave or compassionate leave Extra flexible benefits, such as insurance or care vouchers Support and understanding – this can make a huge difference Look out on employer websites for carer support groups and peer networks. This is usually a good sign that they are a more supportive employer. More information Criminal record 12.3 million people in the UK have a criminal record. Many only offend once, often when young, but may face certain challenges when finding work. A criminal conviction doesn’t have to stop your career. But people often feel nervous about sharing their past because they’re afraid of being judged or treated unfairly. Because of this several organisations support people with criminal records, offering resources such as: job search support and advice on disclosing a criminal record guidance for employers on fair hiring and legal compliance suggestions of inclusive employers See details of these below in the more information section below. Telling an employer about a criminal record More information Disability, neurodiversity, and mental health The Equality Act 2010 protects disabled applicants against discrimination during the recruitment process. It also makes disability discrimination unlawful in employment. The Equality Act covers physical disabilities and mental health conditions. It also includes long term health conditions, specific learning difficulties and neurodiverse conditions. This entitles you to reasonable adjustments in the recruitment process. Reasonable adjustments reduce or remove obstacles for disabled in the recruitment process. They also apply to the workplace. You do not have to have a formal diagnosis to ask for a reasonable adjustment. You also don't have to share details of your disability if you prefer not to. Reasonable adjustments Sharing information about a disability, neurodivergence or mental health condition Support and advice from the Careers Service EmployAbility Disability and neurodiversity friendly recruiters More information Get free expert advice on reasonable adjustments from EmployAbility. See more about EmployAbility and what they offer above. You can also discuss asking for reasonable adjustments with a careers consultant. Book appointment Estranged Estranged students are defined as those who are studying without the support or approval of their parents or carers, due to a breakdown in their relationship. To be considered an estranged student, this situation is a permanent one. Estranged students can face equality gaps. They may have additional support needs in university and when entering their career. There are resources available to support estranged students in education, and in their careers. Find out more below. More information Gender Discrimination, harassment, or victimisation because of a person’s sex is unlawful. The Equality Act 2010 covers this and applies to both females and males. Gender reassignment or sexual orientation are in a separate section of the act, under LGBTQ+. There are a few exceptions where the sex of the candidate is an occupational requirement. This would be in the job specification. Gender and positive action recruitment initiatives More information LGBTQ+ Employers cannot lawfully discriminate against anyone who identifies as LGBTQ+. It’s your decision if you want to share your sexual orientation to an employer. The Equality Act 2010 means if you do want to share your sexual orientation, you are legally protected. An employer can't discriminate if you have the protected characteristic of gender reassignment. A wide range of people identify as trans. The Equality Act protects you if you have proposed, started, or completed a process to change your sex. This applies during the application process as well as when you are in the workplace. LGBTQ+ friendly employers More information Race and ethnicity The Equality Act 2010 made it illegal for an employer to discriminate because of race or ethnicity. The Act protects you from direct or indirect discrimination and from harassment or victimisation based on your race. More information Equality & Diversity and your future job hunt Race - What the Equality Act means for you Race for Opportunity - campaign to improve employment opportunities across the UK Race and ethnic diversity committed employers Race and ethnicity and positive action recruitment initiatives Religion and belief It is not lawful for an employer to discriminate against you because of your religion or belief. This is due to the Equality Act 2010. The law protects not only those who have a recognised religion. It also covers beliefs like agnosticism, atheism, pacifism, veganism, and humanism. Employers committed to religious diversity More information Social mobility Social mobility is the link between a person's income and occupation and that of their parents. Socio-economic inclusion helps people to get on through their own talents and skills. It’s about making sure that people can use their talents and efforts to succeed. It ensures they aren’t held back by invisible barriers. The same career opportunities should be open to you if you come from a lower income household. It applies if you were the first in your family to attend university and/or in receipt of a means tested grant. Social mobility is becoming high on the agenda for graduate recruiters. Many employers are now choosing to record the social background of applicants. They want a more diverse workforce and the benefits that brings. Employers committed to social mobility Social mobility at Newcastle University More information One-to-one support Tailored information