Human Rights and Modern Slavery Policy

1. Scope of Policy

This policy applies to all employees of Age NI. We also expect all our stakeholders to respect and adhere to this or a similar policy.

2. Definition of Policy

Included within Age NI’s Charitable Objects is the purpose to promote the human rights of older people.

Age NI seeks to act in accordance with the Human Rights Act 1998. These rights not only affect matters of life and death, like freedom from torture and killing and providing protection against slavery and forced labour but also affect rights in everyday life. Age NI will work to ensure that it is not complicit in human rights violations and will uphold the human rights of our employees, service users and any other organisations or individuals that we work with, either directly or indirectly.

3. Principles

Age NI will:

• seek to avoid causing or contributing to adverse human rights impacts through our own activities and address such impacts, if they do occur, in a timely and appropriate manner.
• seek to respect, protect and fulfil human rights across the charity’s actions, decisions and policies, preventing or mitigating adverse human rights impacts that are directly related to our operations, products and services.
• provide for, or cooperate in their remediation through legitimate processes, if we identify that we have caused or contributed to adverse human rights impacts.
• continue to look for ways to support the promotion of human rights within our operations and our sphere of influence.

4. Roles and Responsibilities

4.1 The Organisation

Age NI will ensure the fair implementation of this policy and will review it every two years or sooner, if required.

4.2 The Manager

Managers will be responsible for adherence to and promotion of this policy and deal with any complaints or concerns in a timely manner.

4.3 The People & Development Department

The People & Development Team will provide advice and support to managers and staff in implementing this policy. The People & Development Team will also be responsible for ad-hoc monitoring, to ensure adherence to the policy including review as appropriate. This will ensure that it remains relevant and improved if required.

5. Relationship to other Age NI policies

This policy complements other Age NI’s Equality Policies and Health and Safety Policy which can be found in the Staff Handbook.

Child Labour: Age NI will not use child labour and will comply with all relevant laws in this regard. We do, however, support legitimate workplace apprenticeships, internships and other similar programmes that comply with the applicable laws and regulations.

Modern slavery: Age NI will not use forced, bonded or involuntary labour, and workers. Employees can leave Age NI on giving appropriate contractual notice with all wages owed to be paid. Age NI has a zero-tolerance approach towards human trafficking.

Health, Safety and Hygiene: All Age NI employees will work in an environment that is both safe and healthy, in line with our Health and Safety Policy.

Discipline: Age NI prohibits physical abuse or discipline, the threat of physical abuse, sexual or other harassment and verbal abuse or other forms of intimidation. Disciplinary and grievance procedures are clearly documented and communicated to all employees in our Staff Handbook.

Freedom of Association and Employee Representation: Age NI recognises that all its employees have the right to form and join organisations of their own choosing if this does not contravene any regulatory or legal requirements. Age NI takes active measures to seek employees’ views about the Charity, respects employees’ rights to belong to trade unions and fully complies with our legal obligations to inform and consult employees.

Working Hours: Age NI will ensure that working hours are reasonable and comply with legislation.

Equality of Treatment: Age NI is fully committed to eliminating discrimination in recruitment, training and working conditions, on grounds of sex, pregnancy or maternity, gender reassignment, married or civil partnership, political opinion, religious or similar philosophical belief, race, sexual orientation, disability and age and to promoting equality of opportunity and treatment as outlined in the Staff Handbook.

Employment terms: Age NI will provide written and clear contracts which detail the terms and conditions of its staff employment. We will ensure that work performed by employees is based on recognised employment law and practice.

Remuneration: Age NI will, at a minimum, provide wages and benefits that meet legal requirements. We will provide employees with clear written information on their pay and conditions. Age NI is committed to equal pay and benefits for men and women for work of equal value.

Whistleblowing: Age NI will protect workers who wish to ‘blow the whistle’ and provide clear procedures to be followed if a worker wishes to make a disclosure about alleged wrongdoing.

Safeguarding: Age NI will keep people who come into contact with the Charity safe from harm. We will take necessary and appropriate measures to ensure abuse does not occur in any of our services. We will provide clear procedures to ensure people can raise safeguarding concerns and will respond to all cases of suspected or alleged abuse, reporting to the relevant authorities as appropriate.

5. Grievance and remediation

Where a human rights violation is identified, Age NI will work with all parties involved to seek access to remedy, compensation and justice for the victim. Age NI will also investigate the root cause so that we can take appropriate steps to prevent such a violation reoccurring. Anyone raising a genuine concern which is in the public interest will be protected from victimisation in accordance with Age NI’s Whistleblowing Policy. All complaints relating to the policy should be raised through the Chief Executive’s Office.