Equality Commission Northern Ireland

INTRODUCTION TO UNDERSTANDING EQUALITY IN THE WORKPLACE

Basic – for beginners in employment equality
This seminar is designed to give employers an awareness of the principal anti-discrimination laws and explores the concepts of direct and indirect discrimination.  It also looks at the particular requirements of Northern Ireland's fair employment legislation.

Webinar overview:
 

• The role and function of the Equality Commission
• Introduction to anti-discrimination legislation in NI
• Definitions of discrimination
• The reasonable adjustment duty
• Fair Employment Treatment Order (FETO)
• Good practice

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

MANAGING HARASSMENT AND BULLYING AT WORK - PROMOTING 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
• Harassment behaviours
• Differences between bullying and harassment
• Legal context
• Nature and consequences of workplace harassment
• Developing effective policies and procedures
• Building an inclusive workplace
• Equality Commission workplace research 2019

MAKING SURE YOUR ANTI-HARASSMENT AND BULLYING POLICY IS CURRENT

This webinar will help employers audit and review their existing Anti-Harassment and Bullying Policy against the Equality Commission’s template Policy, to ensure the employer’s policy is both current and reflects emerging good practice. Employers without an Anti-Harassment and Bullying Policy, will be advised on how to develop such a policy.

Webinar overview:

• Good practice advice for developing an anti-harassment policy
• Key elements that an anti-harassment policy should include
• How an anti-harassment policy should be implemented
• Dealing with complaints under the policy
• Monitoring and review

MAKING SURE YOUR EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES POLICY IS CURRENT

This webinar will help employers audit and review their existing Equal Opportunities Policy against the Equality Commission’s template Policy,  to ensure the employer’s policy is both current and reflects emerging good practice. Employers without an equal opportunities policy, will be advised on how to develop such a policy.

Session overview:
 

• Good practice advice for developing an Equal Opportunities policy
• Key elements that an EO policy should include
• How an Equal Opportunities policy should be implemented
• Dealing with complaints under the policy
• Monitoring and review

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
   

THE DISABILITY REASONABLE ADJUSTMENT DUTY IN THE RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION PROCESS
 

This webinar will examine the management of disability in the workplace with a particular emphasis on the reasonable adjustment duty and promotion of equality of opportunity for disabled applicants and employees. It is aimed at employers who already have a knowledge of the key provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995.


Webinar Overview
 

• The requirements of the reasonable adjustment duty in the DDA
• The importance of the duty to promoting equality in employment for disabled people
• How to develop an action plan to facilitate compliance with the duty and promote good practice

PROMOTING EQUALITY IN ACCESS TO TO GOODS, FACILITIES AND SERVICES - A FOCUS ON DISABILITY LEGISLATION

This webinar will help service providers (shops restaurants, public bodies etc) to identify the business case and barriers for disabled people accessing everyday services, understand the equality legislation as it applies  and good practice such as Every Customer Counts . This seminar will include a video featuring disabled people discussing the barriers in Northern Ireland.

Webinar Overview
 

• Business case for promoting equality for people with disabilities accessing services
• Barriers for people with disabled people accessing services
• Equality Legislation as it applies to Goods, facilities and services with an emphasis on disability legislation
• Good Practice including considering COVID 19 and utilising the Every Customer Counts Charter

PROMOTING EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITY FOR EMPLOYEES WITH MENTAL ILL HEALTH - THE DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION ACT

This webinar will examine the responsibilities placed on employers under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, such as complying with the reasonable adjustments duty.  It will encourage employers to review their employment policies and procedures and examine how to implement good practice/positive action measures which are permissible under the law.

Webinar overview:
 

• The legal, human and business case for healthy workplaces
• Managing mental health successfully
• The Reasonable adjustment duty and examples
• Positive action
• The Mental Health Charter

FLEXIBLE WORKING

This webinar will examine the concept of flexible working in its broadest sense. It will examine this relationship in terms of the law and also provide recommendations for employers in respect of good practice.

Webinar overview:

• What is meant by the term flexible working?
• The business benefits of flexible working
• Flexible working, its relationship to equality law & employment law in Northern Ireland
• Promoting Good Practice 
   

UNCONSCIOUS BIAS AND EQUALITY IN THE WORKPLACE

This webinar will look at what unconscious bias is, why we have it, and examine its impact in the workplace. It will also at how employers can manage unconscious bias and reduce or eliminate its impact in the workplace.

Session overview:

• What unconscious bias is
• The potential impact of unconscious bias in the workplace
• How to ensure unconscious bias does not form a part in decision making in your workplace

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

• Equality mainstreaming and its relationship to other equality legislation in Northern Ireland
• The origin of Section 75
• The duties placed on public authorities by Section 75
• How the duties relate to the making of public policy
• The public authority and individual’s role in complying with the duties.

SECTION 49A OF THE DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION ACT (DDA) AND DISABILITY ACTION PLANS (for Public Authorities)

This webinar will examine the Section 49 A and B of the DDA, otherwise known as the disability duties. Key concepts such as disability action plans will be discussed and attendees will learn about the key components of a DAP.

Webinar Overview
 

• The key provisions of Section 49A of the DDA Act 1995
• Key components of a Disability Action Plan (DAP)
• Good practice disability action measures authorities can promote in their DAP to support the duties
• Summary of Commission guidance (pdf, 369kb)