SOCIAL POLICY

Our Group Management are appointed to be responsible for Group social and ethical policies

Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement’s policy on social responsibility is designed to provide and promote opportunities for employees and to reflect our involvement in the local communities in which we operate.

Diversity and equal opportunities

Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement is committed to a policy of diversity and equal opportunities in its employment practices and fully supports the right of all employees to work in an environment which is free of sexual or racial discrimination or of bias related to any disability. The policy aims to ensure that there is no discrimination (either direct or indirect) against employees or applicants on the basis of sex, marital status, sexual orientation, race, ethnic origin, religion, religious beliefs, age or disability. Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement recognises the problems that harassment can cause in the workplace and considers harassment of any employee for any reason to be unacceptable.

An environment where equality exists will lead to better performance from all our employees as these will feel they can fulfil their own potential in an atmosphere free from discrimination. All employees have a personal responsibility for the practical application of equal opportunities in their everyday dealings and working relationships with colleagues, clients, suppliers and other related parties.

Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement’s external stakeholders are diverse and come from all sections of the population. The structure of the workforce should reflect this diversity to enhance our interaction with the community.

‘Equal opportunity’ means:

• encouraging and promoting talented employees regardless of their sex, race or disability.
• ensuring that all employees have the same access to opportunities available for training and career development.
• ensuring that fair and consistent criteria based on skills and abilities relevant to the job are used for recruitment/selection, performance management, training/development and promotion.
• questioning assumptions about particular groups of the workforce and not allowing yourself to be influenced by misinformed notions.

Harassment and victimisation

Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement will not tolerate any form of victimisation or sexual or racial harassment.

Sexual and racial harassment are both forms of unlawful discrimination. They are characterised by unwanted conduct of a sexual or racial nature, or behaviour which is offensive to the recipient. Sexual harassment does not refer to behaviour which is mutually acceptable; it refers to behaviour which is personally offensive, which fails to respect the rights of others and is such that it could interfere with an individual’s performance and approach to work. This can include unwelcome physical, verbal or non-verbal conduct.

Victimisation (or bullying) involves intentional intimidation or belittling of an individual. Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement’s policy is to make every effort to provide a working environment free from sexual/racial discrimination, intimidation and bullying.

All employees should consider their own behaviour and that of their colleagues and reflect on whether it might be unacceptable or offensive. Managers have a responsibility to ensure that no form of harassment occurs in the workplace; this includes ensuring that a culture of unacceptable behaviour is not allowed to develop.