Workplace adjustments: onboarding process - equality impact assessment

This is an equality impact assessment which was done at the start of a project to improve workplace adjustments for new starts in Scottish Government.


Stage 3: Assessing the impacts and identifying opportunities to promote equality

1.1 Having considered the data and evidence you have gathered, this section requires you to consider the potential impacts – negative and positive – that your policy might have on each of the protected characteristics. It is important to remember the duty is also a positive one – that we must explore whether the policy offers the opportunity to promote equality and/or foster good relations.

Do you think that the policy impacts on people because of their age? Yes

Age

Eliminating unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation - Positive

Reasons for your decision

The new process will promote early discussion with all new employees; links between age and disability made where relevant, and enable early conversations which will allow identification of individual needs.

The service will improve the identification and provision of workplace adjustments, including those related to age.

Age

Advancing equality of opportunity - Positive

Reasons for your decision

While the process will improve access to workplace adjustments for new employees in different age groups with a disability or health condition, they will be identified to the team on the basis of their health. We will seek to improve evidence on different age groups and gain feedback to make improvements to the process throughout.

People in different age groups with a disability should not experience delays to starting their new role because of the time taken to access adjustments or experience periods or begin their role without adjustments.

Adjustments seek to remove barriers to allow people to perform at their best at work.

Age

Promoting good relations among and between different age groups - None

Reasons for your decision

Evidence tells us that the delays and communication problems that can arise during onboarding can affect the relationship between the new employee and their line manager and HR negatively

Do you think that the policy impacts disabled people? Yes

Disability

Eliminating unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation - Positive

Reasons for your decision

The process has been developed to improve the onboarding process for people with a disability or health condition. Early and enhanced discussion about disabilities and health conditions will be enabled quickly. The policy allows for workplace adjustments on a case by case basis to allow successful candidates to undertake the role to the best of their ability. High unemployment but a willingness to work is highlighted in the evidence gathered

People are more likely to be unemployed if they are disabled. The onboarding process will enable new employees to start their role with the correct adjustments in place, and by enabling that ensure that they are not discriminated against by delaying their start date.

If equipment takes longer than the 6 week lead in time (the period between job offer and start date) to put into place this could delay the start date and mean that new employees with a disability are missing out on being paid when those without a disability have already started. Onboarding with a transparent, efficient and effective process will mean that people with disabilities and health conditions start on the same date as other staff, rather than face delays while adjustments are put in place.

Because people with disabilities are more likely to be unemployed, we cannot assume that they will be moving into the organisation from existing employment. There is a risk that if we delay the start date and 'paid from' date there may be indirect discrimination. Ensuring that someone needing an adjustment is on the payroll at the same time as other new employees will be an aim of this project.

Successful candidates are asked for information about their disability twice during recruitment: once for interview and again once they have been successful. We will explore whether we can reduce the impact of this as we know that repeating their story can be a negative experience.

The new process will promote early discussion with all new employees; links between other protected characteristics and disability or health condition, and enable early conversations which will allow identification of individual needs. It will apply to all conditions, neurological, physical, cognitive and mental. There may be issues relating to interdependencies.

Disability

Advancing equality of opportunity - Positive

Reasons for your decision

Workplace adjustments are enabled for physical, neurological, cognitive and mental conditions where possible and in line with OH/specialist advice and through positive engagement with candidates. However, it is clear that improvements are required in areas of the process to identify and enable workplace adjustments quickly, efficiently and effectively, to eliminate the need for candidates to retell their story and reduce stress and uncertainty. Training and development is a priority and will be identified for relevant staff and line managers.

New employees with a disability should not experience delays to starting their new role because of the time taken to access adjustments or experience periods or begin their role without adjustments.

Disability

Promoting good relations among and between disabled and non-disabled people - Positive

Reasons for your decision

Promoting good relations is achievable by providing a better service, improving awareness by line managers and communication with new employees.

Do you think that the policy impacts on men and women in different ways? Yes

Sex

Eliminating unlawful discrimination - Positive

Reasons for your decision

The process allows for workplace adjustments on a case by case basis to allow employees to undertake the role to the best of their ability during the on-boarding process and beyond. This may be dependent on role and legislation, (e.g. pregnant women at sea) performance in post and undertaking the role to the best of their ability.

Sex

Advancing equality of opportunity - Positive

Reasons for your decision

The process will improve access to workplace adjustments for new employees of all genders with a disability or health condition. We will seek to improve evidence on different age groups and gain feedback to make improvements to the process throughout.

People of all genders with a disability should not experience delays to starting their new role because of the time taken to access adjustments or experience periods or begin their role without adjustments.

Sex

Promoting good relations between men and women - None

Reasons for your decision

Evidence tells us that the delays and communication problems that can arise during onboarding can affect the relationship between the new employee and their line manager and HR negatively, although we won't collect information on the gender of recruits and managers.

Do you think that the policy impacts on women because of pregnancy and maternity? Yes

Pregnancy and Maternity

Eliminating unlawful discrimination - Positive

Reasons for your decision

The process allows for workplace adjustments on a case by case basis to allow employees to undertake the role to the best of their ability during the on-boarding process and beyond. This may be dependent on role and legislation, (e.g. pregnant women at sea) performance in post and undertaking the role to the best of their ability. Adjustments include pregnancy and maternity related conditions. However we will not know if a new employee is pregnant before starting in post unless they disclose this information as relevant to their disability or adjustment.

Pregnancy and Maternity

Advancing equality of opportunity - Positive

Reasons for your decision

New employees who are pregnant with a disability, or need a pregnancy related workplace adjustment will benefit by accessing their adjustments quickly.

New employees who are pregnant should not experience delays to starting their new role because of the time taken to access adjustments or experience periods or begin their role without adjustments.

Pregnancy and Maternity

Promoting good relations - Positive

Reasons for your decision

New employees who are pregnant with a disability/and require an adjustment will have better communication with HR and manager and experience of the organisation from the point of entry.

Do you think your policy impacts on people proposing to undergo, undergoing, or who have undergone a process for the purpose of reassigning their sex? (NB: the Equality Act 2010 uses the term 'transsexual people' but 'trans people' is more commonly used) Yes

Gender reassignment

Eliminating unlawful discrimination - Positive

Reasons for your decision

Trans people will receive workplace adjustments on a case by case basis to allow employees to undertake the role to the best of their ability during the on-boarding process and beyond.

The service will improve the identification and provision of workplace adjustments.

Gender reassignment

Advancing equality of opportunity - Positive

Reasons for your decision

The process will improve access to workplace adjustments for new trans employees.

Trans people should not experience delays to starting their new role because of the time taken to access adjustments or experience periods or begin their role without adjustments.

Gender reassignment

Promoting good relations - Positive

Reasons for your decision

We won't identify trans people unless they disclose the information to us. We would not record this information unless requested to. Any information disclosed would be with the consent of the employee, however the service is designed to increase awareness and understanding of line mangers and offer better and informed support to employees and so offers the chance of improved communication and relations.

Do you think that the policy impacts on people because of their sexual orientation? Yes

Sexual orientation

Eliminating unlawful discrimination - Positive

Reasons for your decision

LGBO people with a disability will receive workplace adjustments on a case by case basis to allow employees to undertake the role to the best of their ability during the on-boarding process and beyond. However we will not know if the new employee is LGBO unless they disclose the information as relevant to their adjustment.

The service will improve the identification and provision of workplace adjustments.

Sexual orientation

Advancing equality of opportunity - Positive

Reasons for your decision

The process will improve access to workplace adjustments for new LGBO employees groups with a disability or health condition.

LGBO people with a disability should not experience delays to starting their new role because of the time taken to access adjustments or experience periods or begin their role without adjustments.

Sexual orientation

Promoting good relations - Positive

Reasons for your decision

We won't be able to identify LGBO people with a disability unless they disclose the information to us. We would not record this information unless requested to. We would only disclose information to their manager with their consent and if relevant to their adjustment or barriers likely to be faced at work. The service is designed to increase awareness and understanding of line mangers and offer better and informed support to employees and so offers the chance of improved communication and relations.

Do you think the policy impacts on people on the grounds of their race? Yes

Race

Eliminating unlawful discrimination - Positive

Reasons for your decision

New minority ethnic employees with a disability will receive workplace adjustments on a case by case basis to allow employees to undertake the role to the best of their ability during the on-boarding process and beyond. We will not know if the new employee is minority ethnic unless they disclose the information as relevant to their adjustment.

The service will improve the identification and provision of workplace adjustments.

Race

Advancing equality of opportunity - Positive

Reasons for your decision

The process will improve access to workplace adjustments for new minority ethnic employees with a disability or health condition. We will seek to improve evidence on different ethnicity groups and gain feedback to make improvements to the process throughout.

New minority ethnic employees with a disability or health condition should not experience delays to starting their new role because of the time taken to access adjustments or experience periods or begin their role without adjustments.

This has been clearly shown in our commitment to increasing the percentage of ethnic minority candidates in the workplace, which the Race Retention and Recruitment plan will further set out.

Race

Promoting good race relations - Positive

Reasons for your decision

We won't be able to identify minority ethnic people with a disability unless they disclose the information to us.

The service is designed to increase awareness and understanding of line mangers and offer better and informed support to employees and so offers the chance of improved communication and relations.

Do you think the policy impacts on people because of their religion or belief? Yes

Religion or belief

Eliminating unlawful discrimination - Positive

Reasons for your decision

New employees will receive workplace adjustments on a case by case basis to allow employees to undertake the role to the best of their ability during the on-boarding process and beyond. We will not know if the new employee belongs to a faith group unless they disclose the information as relevant to their adjustment.

Religion or belief

Advancing equality of opportunity - Positive

Reasons for your decision

The process will improve access to workplace adjustments for new employees in all faith groups with a disability or health condition. We will seek to improve evidence on different faith groups and gain feedback to make improvements to the process throughout.

People of all faith groups with a disability should not experience delays to starting their new role because of the time taken to access adjustments or experience periods or begin their role without adjustments.

If disclosed, we will provide positive engagement with candidates to let them know of contemplation and meditation or prayer rooms and the single point of contact with the team will allow for positive communication and allow for identification of any barriers that may be addressed.

Religion or belief

Promoting good relations - Positive

Reasons for your decision

We won't be able to identify new employees' faith group unless they disclose the information to us. We would not record this information unless requested to. We would only disclose this information to their manager if relevant to their adjustment and with their permission.

The service is designed to increase awareness and understanding of line mangers and offer better and informed support to employees and so offers the chance of improved communication and relations.

Do you think the policy impacts on people because of their marriage or civil partnership? Yes

Marriage and Civil Partnership[6]

Eliminating unlawful discrimination - None

Reasons for your decision

The policy/process has been developed to address/improve the onboarding process. The policy will continue to support the onboarding and career development of individuals in this group.

Contact

Email: workplaceadjustments@gov.scot

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