Ten Percent Legal Recruitment is an ethical company with a range of policies affecting the way we work.
- Equal Opportunities Policy, Diversity Policy and Disability Access Policy
- Ethical Policy
- Environmental Policy
- Privacy Policy & Data Protection Policy
- Privacy Promise to Candidates
- 10% Charitable Donation
We know that generally these policies can be a load of hot air – with government institutions resorting to the “we are learning from our mistakes and improving our services” response whenever anything goes wrong. However we really do try to adhere to these principles. We have worked with all types of candidate and law firm from all walks of life and backgrounds and we try to deal with everyone in a way we would like to be treated ourselves.
Equal Opportunities Policy, Diversity Policy and Disability Access Policy
1. GENERAL
1.1 Ten-Percent.co.uk Limited embraces diversity and will seek to promote the benefits of diversity in all of our business activities. We will seek to develop a business culture that reflects that belief. We will seek to widen the media in which we recruit to ensure as diverse an employee and candidate base as possible. We will strive to make sure that our clients meet their own diversity targets.
1.2 Ten-Percent.co.uk Limited is committed to diversity and will promote diversity for all employees, workers and applicants and shall adhere to such a policy at all times. We will review on an on-going basis all aspects of recruitment to avoid unlawful or undesirable discrimination. Ten-Percent.co.uk Limited will treat everyone equally irrespective of sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, age, disability, colour, race, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, political beliefs or membership or non-membership of a Trade Union or spent convictions, and places an obligation upon all staff to respect and act in accordance with the policy. Ten-Percent.co.uk Limited is committed to providing training for its entire staff in equal opportunities practice.
1.3 Ten-Percent.co.uk Limited shall not discriminate unlawfully when deciding which candidate/temporary worker is submitted for a vacancy or assignment, or in any terms of employment or terms of engagement for temporary workers. Ten-Percent.co.uk Limited will ensure that each candidate is assessed only in accordance with the candidate’s merits, qualifications and abilities to perform the relevant duties required by the particular vacancy.
1.4 Ten-Percent.co.uk Limited will not accept instructions from clients that indicate an intention to discriminate unlawfully.
2. DISCRIMINATION
Unlawful discrimination occurs in the following circumstances:
2.1. Direct discrimination
Direct discrimination occurs where one individual treats or would treat another individual less favourably on grounds of sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, age, disability, colour, race, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, political beliefs (“the protected categories”).
It is unlawful for a recruitment consultancy to discriminate against a person on the grounds that they are members of a protected category. –
• in the terms on which the recruitment consultancy offers to provide any of its services;
• by refusing or deliberately omitting to provide any of its services;
• in the way it provides any of its services.
Direct discrimination would also occur if a recruitment consultancy accepted and acted upon a job registration from an employer which states that certain persons are unacceptable because they are members of a protected category, unless one of the exceptions applies, for instance, the job demands a genuine occupational requirement or, in the case of age, the discrimination can be lawfully justified.
2.2. Indirect Discrimination
Indirect discrimination occurs where an agency or employer applies a provision, criterion or practice generally, but which is such that a proportion of persons in a protected category who can comply with it are considerably smaller than the proportion of persons who are not in that protected category.
Indirect discrimination would also occur if a recruitment consultant accepted and acted upon an indirectly discriminatory instruction from an employer.
If the vacancy requires characteristics which amount to a genuine occupational requirement or the instruction is lawfully discriminatory due to a statutory exception or objective justification, Ten-Percent.co.uk Limited will not deal further with the vacancy unless the client provides written confirmation of such genuine occupational requirement, exception or justification.
2.3 DISABLED PERSONS
2.3.1 Direct Discrimination
Direct discrimination against a person occurs where, if for a reason which relates to the disabled person’s disability, an individual:
• treats him less favourably than he treats, or would treat others to whom that reason does not or would not apply, and,
• the employer cannot show that the treatment in question is justified.
Or
• If on the ground of a disabled person’s disability, he treats the disabled person less favourably than he treats or would treat a person not having that particular disability, whose relevant circumstances, including his abilities, are the same as, or not materially different from, those of the disabled person. This type of direct discrimination can never be justified.
2.3.2 Duty to make reasonable adjustments and to provide auxiliary aids and services
This is a similar protection to indirect discrimination in the other protected categories.
Where a provision, criterion or practice applied by or on behalf of an employer, or any physical feature of the employer’s premises, places a disabled person at a substantial disadvantage in comparison with persons who are not disabled, it will be the duty of an employer to take such steps as are reasonable, in all the circumstances of the case, to remove the provision, criterion, practice or physical feature.
Agencies must take reasonable steps to provide auxiliary aids or services if this would make it easier for the disabled person to use their services. For instance, an appropriate auxiliary aid or service can include the provision of information on audiotape or provision of a sign language interpreter.
Ten-Percent.co.uk Limited will not discriminate against a disabled person on the grounds of disability –
• in the arrangements i.e. application form, interview or arrangements for selection for determining to whom a job should be offered; or
• in the terms on which employment or engagement of temporary workers is offered; or
• by refusing to offer, or deliberately not offering the disabled person a job for reasons connected with their disability; or
• in the opportunities afforded to the person for receiving any benefit, or by refusing to afford, or deliberately not affording him or her any such opportunity; or
• by subjecting him or her to any other detriment (detriment will include refusal of training or transfer, demotion, reduction of wage, or harassment).
Ten-Percent.co.uk Limited will accordingly make career opportunities available to all people with disabilities and every practical effort will be made to provide for the needs of staff, candidates and clients.
Wherever possible Ten-Percent.co.uk Limited will make reasonable adjustments to hallways, passages and doors in order to provide and improve means of access for disabled employees and workers. However, this may not always be feasible, due to circumstances creating such difficulties as to render such adjustments as being beyond what is reasonable in all the circumstances.
3. AGE DISCRIMINATION
Ten-Percent.co.uk Limited will not discriminate directly or indirectly, harass or victimise any person on the grounds of their age. We will encourage clients not to include any age criteria in job specifications and every attempt will be made to persuade clients to recruit on the basis of competence and skills and not age.
Ten-Percent.co.uk Limited is committed to recruiting and retaining employees whose skills, experience, and attitude are suitable for the requirements of the various positions regardless of age.
No age requirements will be stated in any job advertisements on behalf of the company.
Ten-Percent.co.uk Limited will request age as part of its recruitment process but such information will not be used as selection, training or promotion criteria or in any detrimental way and is only for compilation of personal data, which the company holds on all employees and workers and as part of its equal opportunities monitoring process.
4. PART-TIME WORKERS
This Diversity Policy also covers the treatment of those employees and workers who work on a part-time basis Ten-Percent.co.uk Limited recognises that it is an essential part of this policy that part time employees are treated on the same terms, with no detriment, as full time employees (albeit on a pro rata basis) in matters such as rates of pay, holiday entitlement, maternity leave, parental and domestic incident leave and access to our pension scheme. Ten-Percent.co.uk Limited also recognises that part time employees must be treated the same as full time employees in relation to training and redundancy situations.
5. HARASSMENT POLICY
5.1 Ten-Percent.co.uk Limited is committed to providing a work environment free from unlawful harassment on grounds of sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, age, disability, colour, race, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, political beliefs or any other basis protected by legislation is unlawful and will not be tolerated by Ten-Percent.co.uk Limited.
5.2 This policy prohibits unlawful harassment by any employee or worker of Ten-Percent.co.uk Limited.
5.3 Examples of prohibited harassment are: –
5.3.1 Verbal or written conduct containing derogatory jokes or comments,
5.3.2 Slurs or unwanted sexual advances
5.3.3 Visual conduct such as derogatory or sexually orientated posters,
5.3.4 Photographs, cartoons, drawings or gestures which some may find offensive,
5.3.5 Physical conduct such as assault, unwanted touching, or any interference because of sex, race or any other protected category basis,
Threats and demands to submit to sexual requests as a condition of continued employment or to avoid some other loss, and offers of employment benefits in return for sexual favours
5.3.7 Retaliation for having reported or threatened to report harassment.
5.4 If you believe that you have been unlawfully harassed, you should make an immediate report to the Managing Director, Jonathan Fagan, followed by a written complaint as soon as possible after the incident. Your complaint should include:
• Details of the incident
• Name(s) of the individual(s) involved
• Name(s) of any witness(es)
5.5 Ten-Percent.co.uk Limited will undertake a thorough investigation of the allegations. If it is concluded that unlawful harassment has occurred, remedial action will be taken..
5.6 Any employee(s) who Ten-Percent.co.uk Limited finds to be responsible for unlawful harassment will be subject to the disciplinary procedure and any sanction may include termination.
6. GENDER REASSIGNMENT POLICY
6.1 Ten-Percent.co.uk Limited recognises that any employee or worker may wish to change their gender during the course of their employment with the Company.
6.2 Ten-Percent.co.uk Limited will support any employee or worker through the reassignment provided that full medical counselling has been undertaken and we have access to any relevant medical reports.
6.3 Ten-Percent.co.uk Limited will make every effort to try to protect an employee or worker who has undergone, is undergoing or intends to undergo gender reaasignment, from discrimination or harassment within the workplace.
6.4 All employees and workers will be expected to comply with Ten-Percent.co.uk Limited’s policy on harassment in the workplace. Any breach of such a policy will lead to the appropriate disciplinary sanction.
6.5 Where an employee is engaged in work where the gender change imposes genuine problems, Ten-Percent.co.uk Limited will make every effort to reassign the employee or worker to an alternative role in the Company, if so desired by the employee.
6.6 Any employee or worker suffering discrimination on the grounds of gender reassignment should make recourse to the Company’s grievance procedure.
7. COMPLAINTS AND MONITORING PROCEDURES
7.1 Ten-Percent.co.uk Limited has in place procedures for monitoring compliance with this policy and for dealing with complaints of discrimination. These are available from Jonathan Fagan and will be made available immediately upon request.
7.2 Any discrimination complaint will be investigated fully.
Ethical Policy
- To every extent possible work performed must be on the basis of recognised employment relationship established through national law and practice.
- We do not advertise vacancies that have remuneration levels less than the real Living Wage, as defined by the Living Wage Foundation at www.livingwage.org.uk, unless there are specific circumstances for doing so. For example, if a vacancy is clearly providing access to a particular workplace for an individual who would not otherwise have it, or there is considerable scope to generate income through an achievable bonus scheme.
- Where we outsource work overseas we satisfy ourselves that contractors conform to local laws and regulation.
- Workers, without distinction, have the right to join or form trade unions of their own and to bargain collectively. Ten-Percent.co.uk Limited adopts an open attitude towards the activities of trade unions and their activities.
- Workers’ representatives should not be discriminated against and have access to carry out their representative functions in the workplace.
- A safe and hygienic working environment shall be provided, bearing in mind the prevailing knowledge of the industry and of any specific hazards. Adequate steps shall be taken to prevent accidents and injury to health arising out of, associated with, or occurring in the course of work, by minimising, so far as is reasonably practicable, the causes of hazards inherent in the working environment.
- Workers shall receive regular and recorded health and safety training and such training shall be repeated for new or reassigned workers.
- Working hours on advertised vacancies should always comply with national laws and benchmark industry standards, whichever afford the greater protection.
- There is no discrimination on hiring, compensation, access to training, promotion, termination of employment or retirement based on race, national origin, religion, age, disability, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, union membership or political affiliation.
- Physical abuse or discipline, the threat of physical abuse, sexual or other harassment and verbal abuse or other forms of intimidation shall be prohibited.
- All workers shall be provided with written and understandable information about their employment conditions in respect to wages before they enter employment and about the pay period concerned each time that they are paid.
- Deductions from wages as a disciplinary measure shall not be permitted, nor shall any deductions from wages not provided for by national law be permitted without the express permission of the worker concerned.
- We will not work in countries where there is the possibility we are aiding and abetting the recruitment of staff who will be working in companies where discrimination on any ground is present.
- We will not work in countries and with organisations where there is strong evidence of poor adherence to workers’ rights and human rights. This includes private and public businesses.
Environmental Policy
Ten-Percent.co.uk Limited is committed to minimising the impact of its activities on the environment. The energy for our offices comes from 100% renewable energy sources (or so our providers tell us!), we switch off any equipment we can where possible and we supply our staff when necessary with electric company cars.
The key points of its strategy to achieve this are:
- Minimise waste by evaluating operations and ensuring they are as efficient as possible.
- Minimise toxic emissions through the selection and use of the source of power requirement.
- Actively promote recycling both internally and amongst customers and suppliers.
- Source and promote a product range to minimise the environmental impact of both production and distribution.
- Meet or exceed all the environmental legislation that relates to the Company
If you have any comments on our policies above please email Jonathan Fagan at cv@ten-percent.co.uk. We are always open to suggestions on improving our standards.
Our Privacy Promise
You can always trust Ten-Percent.co.uk Limited. Your personal information is just that – personal, so we always treat it with the highest standards of security and confidentiality, and rest assured, we never pass on, sell or swap your information with any other company for their own marketing purposes.
For over 15 years, we have been committed to looking after your data and we will always put you first.
What information do we hold about you?
When you register with us for job vacancies or send us a CV we obviously collect information about you. If you browse our website, we may collect information about your website visits using ‘cookies’, although the only thing we use this for is website analytics.
How do we use your information?
Your information allows us to advise you of any vacancies cropping up that may be of interest.
We would also love to keep you up to date with our monthly newsletters by email and communications via social media.
If you already receive our marketing communications, we’ll continue to send you these unless we think you are no longer interested in hearing from us or you ask us to stop. We hope you enjoy hearing from us just as much as we enjoy putting our updates together, and we promise never to bombard you with too many communications (although during the summer months our conveyancing locums may well disagree with this statement!).
All third party service providers (eg backup hosting companies such as Microsoft) are carefully vetted and trusted by us, and your data is protected by our stringent security and confidentiality measures as well as applicable data protection laws. We only provide our service providers with the data that they require in order to perform the services that we have employed them to do – they will never use your data for any other purposes.
Unless otherwise stated, our processing of your personal data, as summarised in this notice, is in pursuit of our legitimate business interests as a trusted legal recruiter, committed to providing you with the very best recruitment experience.
We will not retain your data for longer than necessary for the purposes set out in this notice.
Your rights regarding your personal data
If you receive our email based marketing communications, you can choose to opt out at any time, and without any fuss or delay – simply give us a ring on 0207 127 4343, chat with us online, email or write to us. Please note that you may continue to receive our communications for a short period after changing your preferences while our systems are fully updated.
You also have the right to:
- Ask that we correct or update any personal information that is incomplete, inaccurate or out of date.
- Ask that we erase your personal data from our systems.
- Ask that we stop processing your data or restrict processing where we haven’t compelling legitimate grounds which override your interests, rights and freedoms.
- Request access to the personal information we hold about you.
- Object to us profiling your data, where we haven’t compelling legitimate grounds which override your interests, rights and freedoms.
- Request that any data provided by you in the context of actively consenting to some form of processing, be returned to you or transferred to another company in electronic form.
- Lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) in the UK – please see below for more information.
If you would like to exercise any of these rights, please get in touch with us using the link below. Please note that we may ask for proof of identity before providing or updating any personal information we hold about you and if we have a legitimate reason as to why we are unable to fulfil any requests, we will always explain the reasons why.
How to contact us
Our Data Protection Officer is always happy to help and answer any questions you have about our Privacy Promise. If you have any reason for concern, please contact us in the first instance and we will do our utmost to resolve the matter to your complete satisfaction. Alternatively, you can report a concern to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).