1. Policy
We are dedicated to ensuring that our firm is a place where people count and the differences between them do not. Our ability to deliver outstanding results depends upon the positive and creative power that comes from the diversity of our workforce. By valuing diversity and tapping into the unique ideas, opinions, perspectives and talents of all the different people who work with us, we enrich the whole organisation. Our goal is to foster an inclusive culture that seeks, respects, values and harnesses difference, which accommodates a variety of life patterns and which actively encourages staff to use their unique talents to the full. As we believe that diversity enriches our performance and products, the communities in which we live, work and serve, and the lives of our employees, valuing diversity is at the core of our values.

2. Defining equality and diversity
As our workforce evolves to reflect the growing diversity of our communities and a global marketplace, our efforts to understand, value and incorporate differences become increasingly important. We therefore need to define what the terms ‘equality’ and ‘diversity’ mean within our organisation and how they interrelate.

Equality

Equality is an ongoing process. It is about the policies, systems and processes we use in the employment cycle, from recruitment to termination, and beyond, to ensure that everyone is treated fairly according to their merits and abilities and given a chance to fulfil their potential. Equality is an integral part of achieving diversity. Further details can be found in the Equal Opportunities Policy.

Diversity

Diversity occurs naturally. We are all individuals: no two humans are the same. We therefore have unique requirements, abilities and motivations. We also have different identities within the social groups. Diversity in the workplace means dealing effectively with the spectrum and spread of human culture within the work environment and trying to accommodate individual approaches to life and styles of work. The diversity model in our organisation means:

• creating a culture of inclusion – visibly welcoming difference;
• valuing individuals for the positive benefits that a diverse range of inputs, views and experiences can bring;
• ensuring everyone treats one another with respect;
• eradicating any form of discrimination, harassment or bullying;
• making inclusiveness a reality by ensuring that managers actively seek views and employees are actively encouraged to put forward their ideas;
• helping our staff to achieve greater flexibility to manage all their commitments, both inside and outside work by operating family leave provisions and flexible working policies which strive to strike a fair balance between their needs and the operational needs of the business; and
• harnessing the differences between people to drive forward excellence and creativity in performance, enabling us to be successful in delivering a diverse range of products and a diverse range of services to a diverse client base, in diverse locations.

Crucially, inclusiveness is not about helping people in our organisation to become one of ‘us’ – a corporate clone – but looking at ‘us’ and rooting out any aspects of our culture that excludes people and which stops us from being inclusive.

3. Business benefits

In a rapidly changing world, we recognise that traditional approaches to management are no longer effective and successful. New technologies, demographic changes in the workforce and an increasingly global marketplace challenge organisations to adopt new ways of working. Organisations that value and encourage the diversity of their employees, suppliers and clients will have a competitive advantage over others.

Focusing on diversity and looking for more ways to be a truly inclusive organisation is not just a nice idea – it makes good business because it yields greater productivity and competitive advantage by focusing on harnessing differences between people to drive forward excellence and creativity in performance.

There are social and moral reasons that make diversity an important issue for our organisation, including the need to be legally compliant. However, an organisation that embraces variety, rejects prejudice, and understands and accommodates changing work patterns will reap the rewards of a happy, fulfilled and motivated workforce with diverse skills and we aim to secure the benefits: managing diversity will:

• Improve the quality of our workforce and provide a valuable means of obtaining a better return on our investment in human capital. An environment where all employees feel included and valued yields greater commitment and motivation.
• Enable us to capitalise on new markets – just as the workforce is becoming more diverse, so is our market. Diverse employees understand our clients, identify their needs and suggest potential new markets. Potential clients now often ask about our diversity record before making a commitment to do business.
• Attract the best and the brightest employees to our organisation and make sure they stay. A good track record in managing diversity will make us a preferred employer of choice, winning the war for talent. Applicants now commonly ask about our organisation’s diversity programme and factor that into their employment decision.
• Increase creativity. Employees from varied backgrounds can bring different perspectives, ideas and solutions, as well as devise new products and services, challenge accepted views and generate a dynamic synergy that may yield new niches for business opportunity.
• Bring greater flexibility. Because change is the only certainty ahead, making adaptations required by diversity to accommodate the differing needs of people keeps us flexible and well-developed – if we are flexible, then employees will willingly embrace change as well when required. Strengthening the ability to respond to changing environments and demands is a strategic business imperative that is critical to ensuring organisational viability.
• Demonstrate that we do all we can to value difference and eradicate discrimination, serving as an example of what other organisations should strive for in the way of diversity, while protecting our organisation against legal claims, as the law makes allowances for organisations who do all they can to prevent unlawful acts occurring.

4. Achieving our goal

‘Our objective is to develop a practice comprising individuals who know the value of diversity; that appreciate the particular contributions made by all individuals; that will enhance the firms efficiency and effectiveness through the inclusion of diverse perspectives as well as  points of view. Everyone, including myself, is responsible for valuing and encouraging diversity.  Mike Shutler.

The following operational principles apply to ensure we achieve our goal and reap the benefits of diversity:

• The Partners and all managers are totally committed to the achievement of diversity as a core operating value and will provide visible support by ensuring that the principles of diversity are weaved throughout the fabric of the organisation and are a consideration in everything we do.
• We will be explicit about how support and commitment for the core value of diversity is to be shown by all staff in the organisation through our values code (see below) and during induction sessions for all new starters.
• We will create and maintain a working environment that eradicates any form of inequality or unacceptable behaviour. Zero tolerance will be regarded as ‘the way we do things around here’ to ensure that employees themselves hold a strong commitment to equality, choice, and the rights of individuals to equality of opportunity, dignity and respect.
• We will recognise that a current day labour market is dominated by greater mobility and people’s changing expectations and lifestyles. Just as ‘jobs for life’ are a thing of the past, gone too are the people who filled them. We want to be recognised as the preferred employer of choice who can help people meet their unique needs, balancing responsibilities between home and work or achieving a quality of life where there is a realistic balance between the time spent in both.
• We will encourage employee involvement by creating and maintaining open channels of communication with all employees to make sure they can contribute their experiences, ideas and views so that we can benefit from their unique talents. We will also showcase the benefits of their ideas to ensure that they, the organisation and our clients can see how inclusion works for the good of all.
• To ensure that we meet our aspirations with regard to (c), (d) and (e) above, we will have relevant policies and procedures in place to combat discrimination, recognise family responsibilities, provide for work-life balance though the application of flexible working practices and facilitate employee involvement.
• We will ensure integration and accountability of the diversity core value by making it a core value of the organisation, its operations, systems and policies and holding management accountable for performance in their respective areas against the key elements of the diversity model.

Achieving our goal by compliance

The partners and managers will appraise staff annually in order to monitor, eveluate and ensure compliance with, and if necessary update this policy.

The firm operates a grievance and  disciplinary procedure to deal with dissatisfaction or complaint against Partners, managers and employees. The procedure applied is set out below.

Grievance Procedure
This grievance procedure is contractual, forms part an employees contarct of employment and applies to all Employees who should familiarise themselves with its provisions before commencing employment with us.
Any dissatisfaction or complaint against the Employer or persons within the Employer’s business (other than in relation to disciplinary decisions of the Employer against the Employee) should be set out by the Employee in writing, and a copy handed to your Department Head. .
In all cases before any action is taken the Employee will be interviewed by the Managing Partner to ascertain their grievance. The Employee will be given the opportunity to state their case at the interview and may be accompanied by their Trade Union Representative or a colleague of his/her choice.
The Employee will then be informed of the Employer's decision as to his response to the grievance and notified of his or her right of appeal if he or she is not satisfied with it.
If the Employee is dissatisfied with the outcome of his/her grievance he/she may appeal either orally or in writing within 7 days to the Senior Partner. The Employer will hold a further meeting which if possible will be held by someone senior to the person that made the original decision. The Employee will be given the opportunity to state their case at the interview and may be accompanied by their trade union representative or a colleague of his/her choice. The Employee will be informed of the final decision within 14 days of the appeal hearing.

Disciplinary Rules and Procedures
This disciplinary procedure provides for warnings to be given for failure to meet the Employer's standard job performance, conduct (whether during working hours or not) and attendance, or for breach of any of the terms and conditions of employment. The procedure is contractual and applies to all Employees who should familiarise themselves with its provisions.
In the first instance your Department Head will establish the facts surrounding the complaint if necessary taking into account the statements of any available witness.
If the Department Head considers that it is not necessary to resort to the formal warning procedure, he will discuss the matter with the employee suggesting areas for improvement. The discussion will, insofar as is possible, be in private and the Employee will be informed that no formal disciplinary action is being taken.
If the Department Head considers that it is necessary to invoke the formal warning procedure he will inform the employee. The following procedure will then apply, but, depending upon the seriousness of the offence, may be invoked at any level including summary dismissal.
The Employee will be given written particulars of the alleged conduct, characteristics, or other circumstances which have lead the employer to contemplate dismissing, or taking disciplinary action against the Employee. The Employee will be given a reasonable opportunity to consider these written particulars, what is a reasonable period will depend upon the severity of the alleged offence and the circumstances, and will be invited to attend a meeting to discuss the matter. The Employee will be given the opportunity to state his/her case at the interview and may be accompanied by an appropriate trade union representative or colleague of his/her choice.
At the conclusion of the meeting the Employee will be informed of the decision of the Employer and the disciplinary action, if any that will be taken against him/her. The Employee will also be informed of his right to appeal against the decision if he is not satisfied.
In the case of minor offences the Employee will be given a formal verbal warning. He will be advised that the warning constitutes the first formal state of the disciplinary procedure and that a note will be placed on his personal file. The nature of the offence and the likely consequences of further offences or a failure to improve will be explained to him.
In the case of serious offences, or a repetition of earlier minor offences, the Employee will be given a written warning, setting out the precise nature of the offence, the likely consequences of further offences and specifying, if appropriate, the improvement required and over what period.
In the case of a further repetition of earlier offences, if the Employee still fails to improve or if the offence, whilst falling short of gross misconduct, is serious enough to warrant only one written warning, the Employee will be given a final written warning setting out the precise nature of the offence, containing a statement that any recurrence will lead to dismissal or whatever other penalty is considered appropriate and specifying, if appropriate, the improvement required and over what period.
Depending upon the seriousness of the matter and all the circumstances, any of the above stages may be omitted.
In the case of gross misconduct or if all or the appropriate stages of the warning procedure have been exhausted the Employee will normally be dismissed, but only after consideration of other possible disciplinary action including but without limitation, demotion or transfer; loss of seniority or salary increment, suspension with or without pay.
Where the Employee is accused of an act of gross misconduct he may be suspended from work for up to 28 days on full pay pending the outcome of investigation into the alleged offence.
If the Employee is dissatisfied with the outcome of any stage of the above procedure he may appeal either verbally or in writing within 7 days to the Managing Partner.
The Employee may be accompanied by an appropriate trade union representative or a colleague of his choice at any appeal hearing. The Employee will be informed of the final decision within 14 days of any appeal hearing.
The following are non-exhaustive examples of the sort of offences which, if committed, will normally lead to formal disciplinary action being taken.:
Minor offences (verbal warning); poor job performance involving sub-standard work, unpunctuality, absenteeism, or any minor breach of the Employer's regulations.
Serious offences (written warning): negligence resulting in minor loss, damage or injury; failure to comply with a specific instruction; irresponsibility in relation to the Employer's Employees, activities or impropriety in relation to the Employee's tasks for the Employer, whether or not within working hours, which the Employer reasonably considers to be detrimental to or conflicting with the interests of the Employer or its (clients or customers), or likely to affect the Employee's standard of work; failure to disclose any personal interest of the Employee which conflicts with any matter of a (client or customer) with which Employee is engaged, or any breach of confidence relating to the Employer or its (clients or customers) affairs.
Gross misconduct (dismissal): negligence resulting in serious loss, damage or injury; assault or attempted assault; theft; malicious damage to property; wilful disregard or duties or of instructions relating to the employment; deliberate and serious breach of confidence relating to the Employer or its clients or customers) affairs; the use for personal ends of confidential information obtained by the Employee in the course of his employment; falsification of records; conduct violating common decency, incapacity through drugs or alcohol or conviction on a criminal charge relevant to the Employee's employment. (In serious cases, dismissal will normally be without notice.)
Subject to satisfactory performance or conduct warnings will normally, but not always, be disregarded for disciplinary purposes after a period of time as follows:
Verbal warnings - 6 months
Written warnings - 12 months
Final written warnings - 12 months.
Our diversity values codes

To ensure that we do value difference, all of us will be expected to follow the value code set out below. We must:

• Understand the fact that we are all different.
• View difference as a strength, not a threat.
• Value the benefits that individual ideas can bring.
• Treat one another with respect, ensuring we do nothing that could undermine a colleague’s dignity.
• Learn to understand what others actually believe and value, and let them express this in their own terms.
• Respect the convictions of others and do not behave in ways that cause offence.
• Avoid imposing ourselves and our views on others.
• Not tolerate views which are illegal, immoral or which are expressed in an offensive way.
• Recognise that all of us at times fall short of the ideals of our own traditions.
• Never compare our own ideals with other people's practices.
• Work to prevent disagreement about personal values leading to conflict.
• Not misrepresent or disparage other people's beliefs and practices.
• Correct misunderstanding or misrepresentations not only of our own but also of other beliefs.
• Become well informed – if we are not sure, find out more information – think before we act.
• Eliminate all forms of prejudice, stereotyping and discrimination from our minds.
• Acknowledge that individuals work best when they are able to effectively combine work with their life.
• Actively welcome any views that would improve what we do or provide us with new opportunities.

If you cannot honestly say that you can be true to these values, then Turners Solicitors LLP may not be the firm for you.