COMPLIANCE & GOVERNANCE

Diversity, Equality & Inclusion Policy

OUR COMMITMENT
Thesis SM is fully committed to equal opportunities for everyone who works here or wants to join us. We want every person to only be judged on their skills, talent, and contribution to business success.
 
Discrimination, harassment, bullying, and victimisation are not just harmful, they are illegal, and they have no place at Thesis.
 
We take all reports seriously, and anyone found to have acted in contrary to this policy may face disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal.
SCOPE

This policy applies to everyone at Thesis SM, employees, officers, consultants, contractors, interns, casual workers, and agency workers. It also covers job applicants and former employees in many circumstances.

Protected characteristics include, but are not limited to, race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, Indigenous identity, religion or creed, political belief, marital or family status (including pregnancy and maternity), physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, and source of income.

No one should receive less favourable treatment on the basis of any of these characteristics, or be discriminated against for being associated with someone who has them.

WHAT WE PROHIBIT

Types of discrimination

It helps to understand what discrimination can look like. Thesis prohibits all of the following:

Thesis SM LinkedIn Campaign (4)

Victimisation

Treating someone badly because they raised a concern about discrimination or supported someone else who did.

Direct discrimination

Treating someone worse because of a protected characteristic, for example, not hiring someone because of their religion or sexual orientation.

Harassment

Unwanted conduct related to a protected characteristic that violates someone's dignity or creates a hostile, degrading, or humiliating environment.

Disability discrimination

This includes direct and indirect discrimination, unjustified less favourable treatment because of the effects of a disability, and failure to make reasonable adjustments to support a disabled employee or applicant.

Indirect discrimination

A rule or practice that seems neutral but unfairly disadvantages a group, for example, requiring full-time hours when part-time is feasible, which can disadvantage those with caring responsibilities.

RECRUITMENT & SELECTION

How we hire fairly

We recruit based on ability and merit. Every role has a clear job description and person specification so candidates know exactly what we're looking for, and so we assess everyone against the same objective criteria.

  • Vacancy Promotion

  • Fair Interview Process

  • Flexible Adjustments

  • Verification Approach

Vacancies are advertised broadly, internally and externally, to reach as wide a pool of candidates as possible.

 

Interview questions focus only on what's relevant to the role. We do not ask about pregnancy, childcare plans, health, or disability before a job offer is made.
Reasonable adjustments are made for applicants with disabilities where a need is identified, to ensure they have an equitable opportunity to participate in the recruitment process.
We verify the right to work for every candidate, regardless of nationality, assumptions are never made based on appearance or accent.
WAYS OF WORKING

Flexible & part-time working

Thesis recognises that our people have lives outside of work, including caring responsibilities, parenthood, and other commitments. Where reasonably practicable, we aim to accommodate these.

All requests for flexible working arrangements are considered sympathetically and in line with our Flexible Working Policy. Part-time and fixed-term staff receive the same terms and conditions as full-time or permanent colleagues on a pro-rata basis.

Job sharing, where a full-time role is divided between two or more people, is also something Thesis will consider where it meets the needs of both the business and the individual.

 

Thesis SM LinkedIn Campaign (5)
WHAT WE OWE ONE ANOTHER

Our responsibilities

This policy is everyone's responsibility. That said, leaders and managers carry an additional duty: to actively uphold this policy, ensure it is understood across their teams, and make sure that no decision about a person is taken on discriminatory grounds.

All employees are responsible for:

    • Treating colleagues, clients, suppliers, and visitors with fairness and respect at all times.
    • Not engaging in discrimination, harassment, bullying, or victimisation, in the workplace or at work-related events.
    • Speaking up if they witness behaviour that breaches this policy.
SPEAK UP

Raising a concern

If you believe you've been treated in a way that is inconsistent with this policy, we encourage you to speak to the People team. Every report will be taken seriously, fully investigated, and handled confidentially.

In addition to our whistleblowing policy, the “Your Voice” feature on HiBob provides a safe, secure, and anonymous channel for employees to raise concerns confidentially. 

There will be no retaliation against anyone who raises a concern in good faith. Making a deliberate false allegation, however, may itself be treated as misconduct.

If you are disabled or become disabled during your employment, please consider sharing this with us, even informally, so we can provide the right support. All health information is handled confidentially and in line with our Privacy Policy and applicable data protection legislation (including GDPR in the UK).

We're here to help

If you have questions about this policy or need support, our People & Culture team is always available.

 

CONTACT US