Northern Ireland Diversity and Inclusion Charter Mark

It’s what everyone is talking about right now, Northern Ireland’s first ever Diversity and Inclusion Charter Mark covering all nine of the prohibited grounds in equality legislation:

Sex
Pregnancy or Maternity
Gender Reassignment
Married or Civil Partnership
Religious Belief or Political Opinion
Race
Sexual Orientation
Disability
Age

Research firmly indicates that organisations that practice diversity and inclusion for their staff, their customers, their contacts and suppliers are best placed to excel and outperform their competitors.

This brand-new Charter Mark has been developed to provide employers in Northern Ireland with the opportunity to publicly commit to and prove they are taking steps towards greater Diversity and Inclusion in Northern Ireland.

Developed for both small and large organisations, successful applicants for the Charter Mark will understand the business case for greater workplace diversity but also accept and cherish the uniqueness of each and every employee.

This Charter Mark is the perfect opportunity for you to be recognised and celebrated as one of the first few early adopters of this brand-new initiative.

What evidence will I need to provide as part of the application?

This Award requires employers to satisfy our assessors that your organisation has three key elements present and relevant to maintaining an acceptable level of equality, diversity and inclusion in your workplace. To achieve the Charter Mark (Awareness level) employers will need to show evidence of:

An up-to-date Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy
The Policy’s application in the workplace
All staff training on Equality, Diversity & Inclusion issues

How does the application process work?

You complete, sign and submit your application form. Our panel of experts will then scrutinise your submission. Within 28 days of receipt of your application, you will be informed of the success or otherwise of the application.

What are the benefits of achieving the Charter Mark?

All successful organisations will be issued with a certificate confirming that they have reached the required standard concerning diversity and inclusion in their workplace. This will give employers the right to display the diversity Awareness logo. You will receive a suite of logos enabling you to use them on your letterheads, email signatures, online marketing and profiling, as well as transfers to display on company entrance doors.

Your organisation will also receive a detailed feedback report. This will include any recommendations, action points or helpful suggestions to enable you to continue to strive towards excellence in this area.

For how long is the certification valid?

The Award is valid for two years.

What happens if my application is unsuccessful?

Any unsuccessful candidates will be informed of relevant shortcomings and receive advice on how to strengthen their application for re-submission at a later stage. Organisations can resubmit anytime in the following twelve months at no extra cost.

You will receive written feedback on your application with any suggestions for improvements and also general information on how to excel in diversity and inclusion as an employer in Northern Ireland.