Justice, Equality, Diversity, & Inclusion Policy (JEDI Policy)

  • Last Updated 01/09/2024

Ray Rico Freelance Justice, Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Policy (JEDI Policy)

Policy date: to be reviewed by the Company Leadership annually and signed off by the whole team. Next review date 02/22/2025

Our company:

Ray Rico Freelance is a minority-owned small business that is privately run. We always aim to install responsible ethics in the work we do, the operations for running our firm, and the relationships we hold with our teammates, our clients, and the public. Opportunities for justice, equality, diversity, and inclusion are embraced and employed wherever possible. While we are proud of the culture we have built, we continue to work to improve. This policy has been created to help keep us on track and remind us of our goals, both with our internal culture and in our work relationships, interactions with our clients, dealing with the public, working with any partners, and the work we produce.

Our policy:

  • Ray Rico Freelance is committed to encouraging justice, equality, diversity, and inclusion among our workforce, and eliminating unlawful discrimination.
  • The aim is for our workforce to be truly representative of all sections of society and our customers, and for each employee to feel respected and able to give their best.
  • The company – in providing goods & services – is also committed against unlawful discrimination of clients or the public.

Our policy’s purpose is to:

  • provide justice, equality, fairness, and respect for all in our employment, whether temporary, part-time, or full-time
  • not unlawfully discriminate because the Equality Act 2010 protected characteristics of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy, and maternity, race (including color, nationality, and ethnic or national origin), religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation
  • oppose and avoid all forms of unlawful discrimination. This includes pay and benefits, terms and conditions of employment, dealing with grievances and discipline, dismissal, redundancy, leave for parents, requests for flexible working, and selection for employment, promotion, training or other developmental opportunities

Ray Rico Freelance commits to:

  • Encourage justice, equality, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace as they are good practice and make business sense
  • Create a working environment free of bullying, harassment, victimization, and unlawful discrimination, promoting dignity and respect for all, and where individual differences and the contributions of all staff are recognized and valued. This commitment includes training the whole team about their rights and responsibilities under the justice, equality, diversity, and inclusion policy. Responsibilities include staff conducting themselves to help the organization provide equal opportunities in employment, and prevent bullying, harassment, victimization, and unlawful discrimination. All staff should understand they, as well as their employer, can be held liable for acts of bullying, harassment, victimization, and unlawful discrimination, in the course of their employment, against fellow employees, customers, suppliers, and the public
  • Take seriously complaints of bullying, harassment, victimization, and unlawful discrimination by fellow employees, customers, suppliers, the public, and any others in the course of the organization’s work activities. Such acts will be dealt with as misconduct under the organization’s grievance and/or disciplinary procedures, and appropriate action will be taken. Particularly serious complaints could amount to gross misconduct and lead to dismissal without notice. Further, sexual harassment may amount to both an employment rights matter and a criminal matter, such as in sexual assault allegations. In addition, harassment under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 – which is not limited to circumstances where harassment relates to a protected characteristic – is a criminal offense.
  • Make opportunities for training, development, and progress available to all staff, who will be helped and encouraged to develop their full potential, so their talents and resources can be fully utilized to maximize the efficiency of the organization.
  • Decisions concerning staff being based on merit (apart from any necessary and limited exemptions and exceptions allowed under the Equality Act).
  • Review employment practices and procedures when necessary to ensure fairness, and also update them and the policy to take account of changes in the law.
  • Monitor the make-up of the workforce regarding information such as age, sex, ethnic background, sexual orientation, religion or belief, and disability in encouraging justice, equality, diversity, and inclusion, and in meeting the aims and commitments set out in the justice, equality, diversity, and inclusion policy. Monitoring will also include assessing how the justice, equality, diversity, and inclusion policy, and any supporting action plan, are working in practice, reviewing them annually, and considering and taking action to address any issues.

The justice, equality, diversity, and inclusion policy is fully supported by the whole team. It is open to any member of the team to contribute to at any time.

Our action plan:

  • JED&I – We won’t work with clients who breach our policy’s aims & objectives.
  • JED&I – Clients, we work with charities at discounted rates where the work they are doing is important to upholding our core beliefs regarding justice, equality, diversity & inclusion. We also support charities independently that work in areas we consider important to uphold these goals.
  • Diversity – As a small tight-knit team we have limited opportunities for recruitment, but when opportunities arise we will ensure equal opportunities are given to all applicants for any role. 
  • Diversity – The company Leadership will undertake unconscious bias training in an effort to improve our understanding and highlight our opportunities so that we can act on them.
  • Inclusion – Digital inclusion strategies for disabilities. Due to the nature and wide range in our clients’ requirements, this is often client/budget led, but all options for digital inclusion will be presented to the client, and uptake strongly encouraged. In accordance with this, we are reviewing and updating our own materials and online presence to lead by example and highlight the importance of this even in smaller organizations.
  • Inclusion – All teammates have regular meetings with regards to their role and place within the company to ensure they continue to feel valued and are offered any relevant opportunities for training and growth within the company. Team members have the option to call a meeting at any time with one or both of the company Leadership.
  • Inclusion – Maternity, Ray Rico Freelance will work specifically with the mother to be on her needs and ensure new needs are accommodated wherever possible and flexible working is offered, exceeding statutory rights.
  • Inclusion – Paternity, Ray Rico Freelance will work specifically with the father to be on his needs and ensure new needs are accommodated wherever possible and flexible working is offered, exceeding statutory rights.

For more information or to discuss our policy directly please contact us directly.