Equal Opportunities and APR's Commitment

Equal Opportunities

We’re an equal opportunities employer, committed to building and sustaining an inclusive and equitable working environment for all employees and contractors.  We champion a variety of voices, identities, backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. This commitment is closely aligned with our values, in particular We Excel, We Simplify and We Care.

APR's Commitment

APR is committed to fostering, cultivating and preserving a culture of diversity, equality and inclusion. Our commitments below demonstrate the practices and policies APR will encourage and enforce.  We will:

1. Encourage equality, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace as they are good practice and make business sense.
2. Create a working environment free of bullying, harassment, victimisation, and discrimination, where there is dignity and respect for all, and where individual differences and the contributions of all staff are recognised and valued.
3. Provide training to managers and all other employees about their rights and responsibilities under the equality, diversity, and inclusion policy. Responsibilities include staff conducting themselves in a way that promotes equal opportunities, and prevents bullying, harassment, victimisation, and discrimination.
4. Ensure that all staff understand that they, as well as their employer, can be held liable for acts of bullying, harassment, victimisation, and discrimination, in the course of their employment, whether against fellow employees, clients, suppliers or the public.
5. Take seriously complaints of bullying, harassment, victimisation and discrimination by fellow employees, clients, suppliers, visitors, the public and any others in the course of APR’s activities.
6. Deal with any such acts in line with APR’s grievance or disciplinary procedures, and take appropriate action. Particularly serious complaints could amount to gross misconduct and lead to dismissal without notice.
7. Understand that sexual harassment may amount to both an employment rights matter and a criminal matter, for example where there are sexual assault allegations. In addition, harassment under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 – which is not limited to circumstances where harassment relates to a protected characteristic – is a criminal offence.
8. Make opportunities for training, development and career progression available to all staff, who will be helped and encouraged to develop their full potential, so their talents and resources can be fully utilised to the benefit of both individuals and the organisation.
9. Make decisions concerning staff based on merit (apart from in any necessary and limited exemptions and exceptions allowed under legislation).
10. Review employment practices and procedures when necessary to ensure fairness, and to update our policies to take account of changes in the law.
11. Monitor the make-up of the workforce in relation to indicators such as age, gender, ethnic background, sexual orientation, religion or belief, and disability, in order to promote equality, diversity, and inclusion, and to meet the aims and commitments set out in the equality, diversity, and inclusion policy.
12. Regularly assess how the equality, diversity and inclusion policy, and any supporting action plan, are working in practice, reviewing these annually and considering and taking action to make improvements and to address any issues.