Diversity/Equal Opportunities/Equalities - What's the difference?

Equal opportunities is driven by legislation and focuses on barriers to equality, whereas diversity celebrates difference, and encourages positive relationships between people from all different communities, by working to increase awareness, tolerance and understanding. Thus helping people develop new friendships and skills, enabling them to work with or support a whole variety of customers and colleagues.

Equalities Issues

The Equalities agenda strives for the following:

staff and customers alike to be treated with dignity and fairness
people's cultures, beliefs and backgrounds to be respected and welcomed
good practice to be evidenced and shared across the Company and our partners.

The information below tells you more about how equalities works within GCH and the employee networks we liaise with to ensure that everyone has equality of opportunity and is treated with dignity and respect.

Useful links

For any further questions on Equalities please email anita.pope@gloscityhomes.co.uk|

Table describing equality issues
Gender\|	The Sex Discrimination Act 1976 and the Gender Recognition Act 2004 prohibit discrimination against men, women and transgender individuals irrespective of whether it is: Direct discrimination – less favourable treatment because of a person’s gender Indirect discrimination – where the rules apply to everyone but disproportionately affects a certain group Victimisation – of someone who has complained of gender discrimination Discrimination on the basis of marital and family status Harassment related to sex Sexual Harassment. Gloucester City Homes is committed to actively promoting equality between men and women. We have introduced the Gender Equality Scheme in response to the Equality Act 2006, which introduces a positive duty on public sector bodies to promote equality of opportunity between men and women and eliminate sex discrimination. This link provides information on legislation that exists to protect employees from suffering discrimination on the grounds of their sex/gender or because they are married and Gloucester City Homes gender equality scheme.
Age\|	The Employment Equality (age) Regulations 2006 outlaws discrimination on the grounds of a person’s age. The legislation, which came into force in October 2006, makes unjustified age discrimination in recruitment, training, promotion and dismissal unlawful. In line with Gloucester City Homes’ Equalities and Diversity Policy, the Company does not base employment decisions on preconceived ideas about age, rather than on skills and abilities. This would be to waste the talents of a large part of the population. The legislation sends a clear message to employers and society that age discrimination is no longer acceptable, but on its own it is not enough to tackle age discrimination consequently GCH has developed an Age Equality Scheme. This link provides information on legislation that exists to protect employees from suffering discrimination on the grounds of their age and Gloucester City Homes’ Age Equality Scheme.
Bullying and Harassment\|	It is the aim of Gloucester City Homes to eliminate harassment, victimisation and bullying This link provides information on legislation that exists to protect employees from suffering discrimination on the grounds of their sex/gender or because they are married and Gloucester City Homes gender equality scheme.
Disability\|	The Disability Discrimination Act 2005 imposes a positive duty on public authorities to promote disability equality and becomes law in December 2006. This link provides information on the legislation that exists to protect employees from suffering discrimination on the grounds of their disability and Gloucester City Homes’ Disability Equality Scheme as well as information on legal developments, the Two Ticks system and links to useful websites.
Faith, Religion and Belief\|	Since December 2003 it has been unlawful to discriminate against a person on the grounds of their religion, faith or belief in relation to employment and training. The Employment equality (Religion or belief) regulation defines religion and belief as being any religion, religious belief or similar philosophical belief. It does not include any philosophical or political belief unless it is similar to a religious belief. The regulations make it unlawful to discriminate against a person on the grounds of their religion or belief whether it is: Direct discrimination Indirect discrimination Harassment (including the perception of the victim) Victimisation Discrimination or victimisation, even when the work relationship has ended. This link provides information on legislation that exists to protect employees from suffering discrimination on the grounds of their religion, faith or belief and Gloucester City Homes religion and belief equality scheme.
Race\|	The Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 places a statutory requirement on the Gloucester City Homes to eliminate Racial Discrimination and promote equality of opportunity. It requires us to develop a Race Equality Scheme in evidence and produce regular annual reports reviewing efforts and achievements against the scheme. This link provides information on legislation that exists to protect employees from suffering discrimination on the grounds of their race and Gloucester City Homes Race Equality scheme, together with information on the definition and recording of racist incidents.
Sexual Orientation\|	Since December 2003 the Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003 made it unlawful to discriminate against anyone, in relation to employment or training, on the grounds of their sexual orientation. Sexual Orientation is defined as: Orientation towards the same sex (lesbian women and gay men) Orientation towards the opposite sex (heterosexual) Orientation towards the same and the opposite sex (bisexual). The Regulations makes it unlawful to discriminate a person on the grounds of their sexual orientation whether it is: Direct discrimination Indirect discrimination Harassment (including the perception of the victim) Victimisation Discrimination or victimisation, even when the work relationship has ended. This link provides information on legislation that exists to protect employees from suffering discrimination on the grounds of their sexuality and Gloucester City Homes Sexual Orientation Equality Scheme. Together with Gloucester City Homes commitment as a Stonewall Diversity Champion.
Equality Impact Assessments\|	The purpose of an Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) is to improve the work of Gloucester City Homes by making sure it does not discriminate and that, where possible, it promotes equality. This link provides information on the impact assessment process, the impact assessment timetable, current impact assessments and how customers can get involved.