Diversity Policy
At Oakwood Property Solicitors, we promote equality and diversity in the workplace as well as our policies and procedures.
We take a strict approach to breaches of these policies and any issues will be dealt with in accordance with our Disciplinary Procedures. We ensure that we do not 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 on any occasion when a staff member is representing the company.
Discrimination
We also safeguard against the following forms of discrimination:
- 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: A provision, criterion or practice that 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Championing Women in the Workplace
We have a 67% workforce of women at Oakwood Solicitors and Oakwood Property Solicitors that work part time, full time, or flexi-hours to ensure that they achieve a work-life balance with their children, friends and family. This is also highlighted in that 28% of our staff have children.
The Managing Director and entire Board of Directors are female and we are big advocates at Oakwood Solicitors and Oakwood Property Solicitors of ensuring that women are given fair and equal opportunities in the work place. We have seen home grown talent go up through the ranks to become solicitors, senior fee earners and Heads of Departments and we are proud of all their accomplishments.
Diversity information for Oakwood Property Solicitors
Out of the 67 staff members from Oakwood Solicitors and 7 staff members from Oakwood Property Solicitors that responded to the diversity questionnaire, the following information was obtained:
We presently have 15 Solicitors, 1 Costs Lawyer, 29 fee earners, 5 managers who are not solicitors and 23 staff in a supporting role such as admin, new claims, accounts and marketing.
Of those, 28% fit within the 16-24 age bracket, 37% in the 25-34 bracket, 23% in the 35-44 bracket and 12% in all other age brackets.
85% of staff said that they were heterosexual, with 10% being gay or lesbian or bisexual. 57 staff members went to a UK state-run or funded school, with only 4 going to a UK independent school – as highlighted in the pie chart below.
Staff were asked to clarify what was the highest level of qualification that someone in their household had achieved by the time they were 18. This is shown in the graph below. 44 staff members had family members who did not achieve a qualification above degree level, with 19 going to university.
29 staff members declared that they did not have a religion, compared to 24 Christians, 5 Muslims, 1 Sikh, I Jewish person and 7 preferred not to say.
For more information, please visit www.sra.org.uk/diversitydata.
Disclaimer: Our Diversity Policy reflects both Oakwood Property Solicitors and our sister company, Oakwood Solicitors.