Swansea University Dignity at Work and Study Policy Easy Read Version Please ask us if you would like this policy to be made available in other languages or formats. Please contact a member of the Equal Opportunities Team Email: equalopportunities@swansea.ac.uk Phone: 01792 513687 or 01792 602367 Page 1
Contents About this document... 3 Why have we got a Dignity at Work and Study Policy?... 4 What is Harassment?... 5 What is Discrimination?... 6 Discrimination is when a person treats another person less favourably because of their protected characteristics.... 6 For example, a man not asking his female colleague to a football match because she is a woman.... 6 Why is this important?... 6 All staff and students must make sure that they act in a manner that does not harass or discriminate against others.... 6 Who does the policy affect?... 6 What should I do if I feel that I am being harassed?... 7 Where can I get more information?... 9 Page 2
About this document This is an easy read version of Swansea University s document called the Dignity at Work and Study Policy. You can get the full document on the internet or From the Human Resources team in the Abbey building on campus or By sending an email to equalopportunities@swansea.ac.uk or By calling the team on 01792 513687 or 01792 602367. Page 3
Please send an email to equalopportunities@swansea.ac.uk or call 01792 513687 or 01792 602367 if you need this document in a different format such as: Braille Disk Large Print Large print Why have we got a Dignity at Work and Study Policy? We want Swansea University to be a place where staff and students feel safe and are treated fairly. Everyone should be treated with dignity and respect at all times. To help make sure this happens, we have made a policy to guide staff and students on how to act, and what to do if they feel they have been treated unfairly, if they have suffered harassment or discrimination at work or at any time during their studies in the University. Page 4
What is Harassment? Harassment is unwanted behaviour or actions. For example, if a person repeatedly does or says something that makes you feel uncomfortable. The law says that it is illegal for anyone to harass another person because of any of the nine protected characteristics, which are: Age = what age people are Disability = if they are disabled Gender Reassignment = if they change from being a woman to a man, or a man to a woman, or are thinking about changing Marriage and Civil Partnerships = if they are married or have a partner Pregnancy and Maternity = if they are having a baby or have recently had a baby Race = what race they are, or what colour their skin Religion and Belief = what religion they are, or if they do not have a religion Sex = if they are a man or a woman Sexual Orientation = if they are straight (heterosexual), a gay man, a lesbian woman, bisexual, or other orientation. Straight (heterosexual) is being attracted to people of the opposite sex (e.g. a man attracted to a woman and a woman attracted to a man), a gay man is attracted to other men, a lesbian woman is attracted to other women and bisexual people are attracted to both men and women. Page 5
What is Discrimination? Discrimination is when a person treats another person less favourably because of their protected characteristics. For example, a individual deliberately not offering a job to a suitable candidate because of their sex. Why is this important? Harassment and discrimination are very serious and the University wants to make sure that staff and students are well supported of they ever experience harassment or discrimination. All staff and students must make sure that they act in a manner that does not harass or discriminate against others. Who does the policy affect? The policy protects and guides all staff and students at the University. Page 6
What should I do if I feel that I am being harassed? If you feel that you are being harassed, you have several options. The first thing that you should do is let the person know that their behaviour or actions are making you feel uncomfortable. If the person does not stop their behaviour or actions, the second thing you should do is contact one of the University s harassment advisers. The University harassment advisers are volunteers who have been trained to provide advice. There are a number of harassment advisers in the College s and departments across the University. You can contact anyone on the list and do not have to contact an adviser from your College or department. The list of harassment advisers is available on the University website under the Equal Opportunities section. What will my options be? The harassment adviser will discuss the issue with you and help you think of what to do next. All complaints of harassment will be dealt with as quickly as possible, depending on the case. The case will also be treated as confidential, which means nobody will share the details unless you say you want them to. There is an informal process and a formal process. Most cases will begin with the informal process. Informal Harassment Process You, or your harassment adviser should let the person know that what they are doing or saying is making you feel uncomfortable. If the person does not stop the negative behaviour, the harassment adviser can help you write a statement or could arrange a meeting to further explain why the behaviour is not acceptable. The harassment adviser may also suggest mediation (please see the bottom of page 8) Page 7
Formal Harassment Process You can make a formal complaint under the University s grievance procedure. This must be a written complaint that explains what has happened and what has been done to try to resolve the issue. You may also consider mediation at this stage as well (please see the information at the bottom of this page). If the complaint is very serious, the case may be referred to the Director of Human Resources who may then follow the University s disciplinary process. This is where action would be taken against the harasser such as suspending them from work. Mediation Mediation is an informal way of resolving issues between people. The University has a network of trained mediators that are able to provide mediation for staff. The Students Union Advice Centre are able to offer mediation for students. Firstly, both people need to agree to mediation. The mediator will meet with one person at a time for about an hour to discuss the issue and hear both sides of the situation. There will be a short break and the mediator will then bring both people together for a meeting for about one to two hours to discuss the issue together and agree on a way forward. For more information about mediation, please visit the University website, under the Equal Opportunities section or email mediation@swansea.ac.uk. Page 8
Where can I get more information? For more information about the Dignity at Work and Study Policy, or anything else mentioned in this document, please contact a member of the Equal Opportunities Team: Email: equalopportunities@swansea.ac.uk Phone: 01792 513687 or 01792 602367 Staff and students, who feel they are being harassed, should firstly contact a harassment adviser, who will be able to offer help and advice. Members of staff can also contact their Human Resources Officer. Students can contact the Students Union Advice Centre. The list of harassment advisers is available on the University website under the Equal Opportunities section. Page 9