Equal Opportunities in Employment Policy

Equal Opportunities Statement 

TSL Contractors Ltd is committed to promoting and ensuring equal opportunities in employment. All  employees and job applicants will receive equal treatment regardless of age, disability, gender  reassignment, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or  national origin, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation (known as the protected characteristics). 

About This Policy 

This policy sets out our approach to equal opportunities and the avoidance of discrimination at work. It  applies to all aspects of employment with us, including recruitment, pay and conditions, training,  appraisals, promotion, conduct at work, disciplinary and grievance procedures, and termination of  employment. 

This policy covers all employees, contractors, casual workers and agency workers.   

This policy does not form part of any employee’s contract of employment and we may amend it at any  time. 

Responsibility for the Policy 

The company directors have overall responsibility for the effective operation of this policy and for  ensuring compliance with discrimination law. Day-to-day operational responsibility for this policy,  including regular review of this policy, has been delegated to the Head of HR. 

All managers must set an appropriate standard of behaviour, lead by example and ensure that those  they manage adhere to the policy and promote our aims and objectives with regard to equal  opportunities. Managers will be given appropriate training on equal opportunities awareness and  equal opportunities recruitment and selection best practice. Angela Coburn, Head of HR, has overall  responsibility for equal opportunities training. 

Any employee who has any questions about the content or application of this policy should contact  Angela Coburn to request training or further information. 

This policy is reviewed every six months by the Head of HR and employees are invited to comment  on this policy and suggest ways in which it might be improved by contacting her. 

Discrimination 

Employees must not unlawfully discriminate against or harass other people including current and  former employees, job applicants, clients, customers, suppliers and visitors. This applies in the  workplace, outside the workplace when dealing with customers, suppliers or other work-related  contacts or when wearing a clothes carrying the company name or logo, and on work-related trips or  events including social events. 

The following forms of discrimination are prohibited under this policy and are unlawful: 

• Direct discrimination: treating someone less favourably because of a protected  characteristic. For example, rejecting a job applicant because of their religious views or  because they might be gay. 
• Indirect discrimination: this is where a provision, criterion or practice applies to everyone  but adversely affects people with a particular protected characteristic more than others, and is  not justified. For example, requiring a job to be done full-time rather than part-time would  adversely affect women because they generally have greater childcare commitments than  men. Such a requirement would be discriminatory unless it can be justified. 

NB – Under Review: Policies apply to all TSL Contractors Ltd. business units, including Skyhook Equal Opportunities in Employment Policy 2.0 Page 1 of 3 

• Harassment: this includes sexual harassment and other unwanted conduct related to a  protected characteristic, which has the purpose or effect of violating someone’s dignity or  creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for them.  Harassment is dealt with further in our Anti-harassment and Bullying Policy. 
• Associative discrimination: this is where an individual is directly discriminated against or  harassed for association with another individual who has a protected characteristic. For  instance, harassing an employee because he or she has a disabled child. 
• Perceptive discrimination: this is where an individual is directly discriminated against or  harassed based on a perception that they have a particular protected characteristic when they  do not, in fact, have that protected characteristic. For instance, harassing an individual for being gay when the individual is, in fact, heterosexual. 
• Victimisation: retaliation against someone who has complained or has supported someone  else’s complaint about discrimination or harassment. 
• Disability discrimination: this includes direct and indirect discrimination, any unjustified less  favourable treatment because of the effects of a disability, and failure to make reasonable  adjustments to alleviate disadvantages caused by a disability. 

Recruitment and Selection 

Recruitment, promotion, and other selection exercises such as redundancy selection must be  conducted on the basis of merit, against objective criteria that avoid discrimination. Shortlisting should  be done by more than one person and with the involvement of the Head of HR, where possible. The  company’s recruitment procedures should be reviewed regularly to ensure that individuals are treated  on the basis of their relevant merits and abilities. 

Vacancies should generally be advertised to a diverse section of the labour market. Advertisements  should avoid stereotyping or using wording that may discourage particular groups from applying. They  should also include a short policy statement on equal opportunities and a copy of this policy will be  made available on request. 

Job applicants should not be asked questions which might suggest an intention to discriminate on  grounds of a protected characteristic. For example, applicants should not be asked whether they are  pregnant or planning to have children. 

Job applicants should not be asked about health or disability before a job offer is made. There are  limited exceptions which should only be used with the approval of the Head of HR. For example: a) questions necessary to establish if an applicant can perform an intrinsic part of the job (subject to  any reasonable adjustments). 

1. b) questions to establish if an applicant is fit to attend an assessment or any reasonable  adjustments that may be needed at interview or assessment. 

(c) Positive action to recruit disabled persons. 

(d) Equal opportunities monitoring (which will not form part of the selection or decision-making  process). 

Where necessary, job offers can be made conditional on a satisfactory medical check. 

We are required by law to ensure that all employees are entitled to work in the UK. Assumptions  about immigration status should not be made based on appearance or apparent nationality. All  prospective employees, regardless of nationality, must be able to produce original documents (such  as a passport) before employment starts, to satisfy current immigration legislation. The list of current  legally acceptable documents is available from the Head of HR. 

Training and Promotion  

Training needs will be identified through regular performance development reviews. Subject to the  needs of the business, employees will be given appropriate access to training to enable progression  within the company and all promotion decisions will be made on the basis of merit. 

Workforce composition and promotions will be regularly monitored to ensure equality of opportunity at  all levels of the company. Where appropriate, steps will be taken to identify and remove unjustified  barriers and to meet the special needs of disadvantaged or underrepresented groups.

NB – Under Review: Policies apply to all TSL Contractors Ltd. business units, including Skyhook Equal Opportunities in Employment Policy 2.0 Page 2 of 3 

Termination of Employment 

The company will ensure that redundancy criteria and procedures are fair and objective and are not  directly or indirectly discriminatory. 

The company will also ensure that disciplinary procedures and penalties are applied without  discrimination, whether they result in disciplinary warnings, dismissal or other disciplinary action. 

Disabilities 

The company encourages all employees who are disabled or who become disabled to tell us about  their condition so that we can provide appropriate support. 

Any employee who experiences difficulties at work because of disability may wish to contact their line  manager or the Head of HR to discuss any reasonable adjustments that would help overcome or  minimise the difficulty. The company will comply with its obligations under the Equality Act 2010 and  consider the matter carefully and try to accommodate the employee’s needs within reason. If we  consider a particular adjustment would not be reasonable we will explain our reasons and try to find  an alternative solution where possible. 

Part time and Fixed Term Work 

Part-time and fixed-term staff should be treated the same as comparable full-time or permanent staff  and enjoy no less favourable terms and conditions, on a pro-rata basis where appropriate, unless  different treatment is justified. 

Breaches of This Policy 

TSL Contractors takes a strict approach to breaches of this policy, which will be dealt with in  accordance with our Disciplinary Policy. Serious cases of deliberate discrimination may amount to  gross misconduct resulting in dismissal. 

Any employee who believes that they have suffered discrimination can raise the matter through our  Grievance Procedure or through our Anti-harassment and Bullying Policy as appropriate. Complaints  will be treated in confidence and investigated appropriately. 

There must be no victimisation or retaliation against staff who complain about discrimination.  However, making a false allegation deliberately and in bad faith will be treated as misconduct and  dealt with under our Disciplinary Policy.

Date: May 2026
Next Review Date: December 2026