Equality Commission Northern Ireland

EQUALITY TRAINING FOR LINE MANAGERS

This webinar will focus on good practice regarding employment equality issues for those with line management responsibilities.

Session overview:

• Overview of the legal context and types of discrimination
• The role of the line manager in relation to creating a harmonious working environment
• Flexible working – the right to request and the duty to consider
• Managing poor performance
• Disability and the reasonable adjustment duty
• Summary and overview of management responsibilities

MANAGING HARASSMENT AND BULLYING AT WORK - PROMOTING AN INCLUSIVE WORKPLACE
- Delivered by the Equality Commission NI and Labour Relations Agency

Harassment and bullying at work continue to be an unpleasant fact of life for many employees. Employers can work to change this by putting in place policies and procedures to create and help sustain inclusive workplaces. The Equality Commission and Labour Relations Agency have produced guidance (pdf) that outlines some steps that you can take to help build an inclusive workplace.

This webinar will examine the types of behaviour that can constitute harassment and bullying and the impact of these behaviours in the workplace. It will highlight the legal position in relation to harassment and bullying as well as issues liability, and what actions employers can take to promote diverse and inclusive workplaces.

Webinar overview:

• Types of harassment
• Bullying and harassment behaviours
• Differences between bullying and harassment
• Legal context
• Nature and consequences of workplace bullying and harassment
• Developing effective policies and procedures
• Building an inclusive workplace
• Equality Commission workplace research

PROMOTING EQUALITY IN EMPLOYMENT FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

This webinar will examine how employers can promote equality and employment for disabled people with an emphasis on the reasonable adjustment duty.

Webinar overview:
 

• Barriers to recruitment and retention of those with disabilities
• Effective strategies to reduce and minimise these barriers
• Types of discrimination
• The reasonable adjustment duty
• Reasonable adjustment examples
• Positive action
   

REASONABLE STEPS DEFENCE

This webinar is designed to give participants an understanding of the statutory defence that they have taken all reasonable steps to prevent acts of unlawful discrimination in their workplace.

Session overview:

• Overview of the reasonable steps defence in practice
• Discussion of the key tools which may be used to promote equality of opportunity and a good and harmonious working environment
• An examination of the concept vicarious liability
• Examples of good practice

MONITORING WORKSHOPS

These sessions will advise employers on how to comply with their legislative duty to collate and retain monitoring information for inclusion in the annual monitoring return.

Session overview:
 

• Discuss completion of the annual monitoring return
• Address employer queries

Workshops are limited to 16 places, book now to avoid disappointment.
 

ARTICLE 55 REVIEW - KEY ASPECTS

To provide support around completion of the three yearly, Article 55 Review, we are offering an overview of some key aspects of the review and the opportunity for you to ask questions relating to the review process.
 

It is intended that we will cover the analysis and evaluation of:

Session overview:

• Fair Participation as an underpinning theme running throughout the review process
• Identification of geographical catchment areas for your organisation and related comparator ranges. These are key to the assessment of fair participation and as benchmarking tools, help the analysis and evaluation of the following points
• Workforce Composition
• Workforce Flows
   

These aspects of the review are interlinked.
 
Our expectation is that you may be working towards completing an Article 55 Review for your organisation. That being the case, we hope you will be in a position to identify questions arising from your initial work on your review. Please have these questions to hand and we will address them during the meeting or shortly after.

Please note, the time allocated for this webinar is approximate. Workshops are limited to 16 places, book now to avoid disappointment.

PUBLIC SECTOR: AN INTRODUCTION TO THE S75 OF THE NORTHERN IRELAND ACT 1998
 

• The two Section 75 Equality duties i.e. equality of opportunity and good relations
• Responsibilities placed on public authorities by these duties 
• Key responsibilities in relation to policy screening, policy impact assessment, consultation, data collection, training and monitoring

PUBLIC SECTOR: SECTION 75 DUTIES
- A FOCUS ON SCREENING

• Why Screen-link to equality scheme commitments?
• When, how and by whom should screening be undertaken?
• Screening and equality impact assessment
• Challenging the myths around screening
• Good Practice Screening
• Summary of our S75 advice on screening and EQIA's (pdf, 409kb)
  
   

PUBLIC SECTOR: SECTION 75 DUTIES AND EQUALITY ASSESSMENTS
 

• Why Screen-link to equality scheme commitments?
• When, how and by whom should screening be undertaken?
• Screening and equality impact assessment
• Challenging the myths around screening
• Good Practice Screening
• Summary of our S75 advice on screening and EQIA's (pdf, 409kb)

RECRUITING FAIRLY 

Systematic, fair and objective recruitment and selection procedures increase the likelihood that the most suitable persons will be appointed and significantly reduce the possibility that unlawful discrimination will occur. This session looks in detail at the various aspects of the recruitment and selection process and aims to provide employers with practical guidance and support.

Session overview:
 

• Recruitment and selection and the law
• Developing an effective policy and procedure
• Avoiding common mistakes
• Practical examination of key aspects of the recruitment and selection process (including job documentation and reasonable adjustments)
• Case law
• Good practice