The Executives Association of Great Britain Ltd (EAGB) is committed to ensuring that there are equal opportunities and supporting diversity in its membership.
It is the policy of EAGB that it will not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race (which includes colour, nationality and ethnic or national origins), religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation, against any directors, officers, members, guests, speakers and/or third parties.
The EAGB is generally free to decide whether to accept applications for membership, but any refusal will not be based upon any of the forbidden grounds.
Responsibility and scope
The EAGB’s directors are responsible for ensuring that this policy complies with current legislation and for the effective implementation of it within EAGB. The policy will be reviewed on an ongoing basis to reflect changes in the law, demographics and internal EAGB requirements.
Every member of the EAGB is personally responsible for ensuring that they and their guests comply with this policy and that they assist the EAGB in meeting its commitment to provide equal opportunities in membership, and to avoid any unlawful discrimination. This is particularly important at any events held including the monthly lunches and after events.
This policy covers all members of EAGB, including directors, officers, employees, consultants and contractors. This policy applies equally to the treatment of guests, speakers, suppliers and other third parties by our officers and members and the treatment of our members, speakers and guests by these third parties.
This policy applies to the advertising of membership and recruitment and selection, interviewing, training and development, task allocation, opportunities, health and safety and to conduct at meetings, social events and to termination of membership for any reason.
Types of unlawful discrimination
Discrimination can take many forms and may be direct or indirect. Direct discrimination is where a person is treated less favourably than another because of a protected characteristic, for example, not employing a woman because she is pregnant or because someone has a certain ethnicity or disability.
There may be limited circumstances, where the direct discrimination is a result of a membership requirement. In these circumstances, the membership requirement must be crucial and proportionate to the role.
Indirect discrimination is where a provision, criterion or practice is applied, which cannot be shown to be a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim, and which puts an individual who does not have that characteristic, at a disadvantage compared with an individual that does.
Discrimination also includes victimisation (being subjected to a detriment because of action taken to assert legal rights against discrimination) or associative discrimination (subjecting someone to discrimination or harassment as a result of their association, or perceived association with a colleague in that regard) and harassment (subjecting someone to unwanted conduct that has the purpose or effect of violating their dignity or creating an offensive, intimidating or hostile environment for them and which is related to a protected characteristic).
Equal opportunities in membership
The EAGB will avoid unlawful discrimination in all aspects of membership including recruitment and promotion. Candidates for membership will be assessed objectively against the requirements for the membership, taking account of any reasonable adjustments that may be required for candidates with a disability. Disability and personal or home commitments will not form the basis of employment decisions except where necessary.
Reasonable adjustments
The EAGB will monitor the physical features of its locations for meetings to consider whether they place disabled members or guests at a substantial disadvantage compared to other members. Where possible, EAGB will take proportionate steps to improve access for disabled members and guests.
Training
The EAGB will provide appropriate training/support to all existing members and all new members of EAGB will be provided with a copy of EAGB’s equality and diversity policy as part of their induction procedure.
Grievances/Complaints
The EAGB will take any complaint relating to breaches of this policy seriously and will seek to resolve any grievance that it upholds. You will not be penalised for raising a grievance, even if your grievance is not upheld, unless your complaint is both untrue and made in bad faith.
If you consider that you may have been unlawfully discriminated against, you should raise the matter with one of the directors of the EAGB who will then deal with your complaint.
Breaches of the policy
Acts of discrimination, harassment, bullying or victimisation against employees, members, guests, speakers or third parties will be dealt with by the directors which may result in immediate termination of membership.
If you believe that you may have been disadvantaged, discriminated against or harassed on any unlawful grounds you should report this to a director who will take appropriate action.
The EAGB will always take a strict approach to serious breaches of this policy.