Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI)

First of all, equality. This means offering the same rights and opportunities to all people. Secondly, diversity. This is understanding that each person is unique. It means embracing the range of human differences, including people’s beliefs, abilities, preferences, backgrounds, values and identities. And, inclusion is an extension of all these things. It means that all people, without exception, have the right to be included, respected and appreciated as valuable members of the community. It’s also useful to know what equity means. This means offering those rights and opportunities fairly, which means catering to people’s differences, so they are given fair access to the opportunities.

Interview questions cannot be related to your age, country of origin, race/ethnicity, disability, religion, gender/sex or if you are pregnant or married. Here are some example questions that cannot be asked to you in an interview:

• Are you a legal Citizen here?
• Are you married?
• How old are you?
• How many sick days did you take in your last job?
• Are you/is your wife pregnant?
• At what age do you plan to retire?
• Do you have any religious beliefs?

If your illness is considered a disability then you are protected by the Equality Act under one of their protected characteristics. A disability is defined as “physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long term adverse effect on your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.”

Employers have to make adequate arrangements for someone if they have a disability at work. If they refuse to do so, they are not complying with the Equality Act and can be prosecuted for it. You can do one of the three options, you can; talk them informally first to see if they even realised what was going on. You could complete a written grievance or make a complaint. Or you could make a claim to the employment tribunal. You should always try to sort things out with your employer before seeking external help.