Equal Opportunities Policy
1.The Policy
1.1 Creative Emporium is an equal opportunities employer. This means that it is the Company's policy that there should be no discrimination against or harassment of any employee or job
applicant either directly or indirectly on the grounds of:
- Race, colour, nationality or national or ethnic origin
- Sex or marital status
- Disability (e.g., a long term mental or physical impairment)
- Sex change status
- Sexual orientation
- Religion or philosophical belief
- Political belief
- Trade union activity
- Age
1.2 Creative Emporium's policy is to
- Eliminate, as far as is reasonably possible, discrimination and harassment from the workplace;
- Encourage all its employees to take an active role against all forms of discrimination and harassment;
- Deter employees from participating in discriminatory behaviour or harassment;
- Demonstrate to all employees that they can rely upon the Company's support in cases of discrimination or harassment at work.
1.3 The Company is fully committed to providing a good and harmonious working environment that offers equal treatment and equal opportunities for all employees and where every employee is treated with respect and dignity. The Company's aim is that remuneration, recruitment, promotion and retention should not be affected by irrelevant considerations and stereotyping.
1.4 The Company recognises that the provision of equal opportunities in the workplace is not only good management practice, it also makes sound business sense. The Company's equal opportunities policy will help all employees develop their full potential and the talents and resources of the workforce will be fully utilised to maximise the efciency of the organisation.
1.5 Whilst the Company recognises that the overall responsibility for the effective operation of this policy lies with the Board of Directors, all employees, whatever their position within the Company, have some measure of responsibility for ensuring its effective implementation in their day to day activities and working relationships with colleagues.
1.6 Employees should ensure that:
- They co-operate with any measures introduced to develop equal opportunities;
- They respect the sensitivities of others;
- They refrain from taking discriminatory actions or decisions which are contrary to either the
letter or spirit of this policy and, for employees of managerial status, that they ensure that
those who report to them also comply with the policy;
- They do not instruct, induce, or attempt to induce or pressurise other employees to act in
breach of this policy;
- Employees who make complaints of breaches of this policy are treated fairly and
responsively both when the complaint is made and thereafter.
1.7 Breaches of the Company's equal opportunities policy and procedures and any unfair or unlawful discrimination will not be tolerated and will be dealt with under Creative Emporium's disciplinary procedures. In serious cases, this could lead to dismissal of the relevant individual.
1.8 The policy shall also apply to employees of contractors working at the Company's premises.
2. General application of Policy
2.1 Recruitment and Selection
The selection process is of crucial importance in this policy and must be carried out according to
objective job-related criteria which must be subject to regular review. The effectiveness of the policy
will be determined to a great extent by this aspect of employment procedure. The Company will
endeavour through appropriate training to ensure that employees making selection decisions will
not discriminate whether consciously or unconsciously in making these decisions.
2.2 Training
Equal opportunities must be integrated into all training concerned with selection skills, staff
assessment, counselling, staff development and the management or supervision of staff. The
importance of equal opportunities in the eld of customer care initiatives is also recognised. The
Company's policy will form part of the induction training of all staff.
2.3 Promotion
It is in the Company's interest to provide equal opportunities for promotion to all employees.
Managers must continually assess the promotion potential of all employees and all promotion
decisions must be made in accordance with objective selection criteria.
2.4 Grievance and Discipline
Employees who believe that they have experienced unfair or unlawful discrimination or racist or
sexist abuse or harassment should raise their concern with Creative Emporium's Equal
Opportunities ofcer through the applicable grievance procedure. Where such grievances may
concern the normal line of supervision or management, individuals may approach the relevant
Group HR director.
3. Communication
3.1 This policy and accompanying action programmes must be communicated widely and effectively throughout the workforce and to potential employees. It is the responsibility of management at all levels to ensure that such communication takes place.
Darren Cohen
Managing Director
Date: 4th November 2010



