At Oxford Instruments we are committed to equity, diversity and inclusion in its broadest sense and recognise that how we do business is as important as what we do. Being inclusive is a core company value and is based on respect for the individual and creating a sense of belonging. Oxford Instruments’ approach to equity, diversity and inclusion forms a core part of our wider commitment to sustainability.
We have decided to use the term ‘equity’ rather than ‘equality’ here for a number of reasons. Equality suggests that everyone should be treated the same, in order to ensure fairness. However, not everyone is starting from the same place, has the same challenges or requires the same level of support. Equity is focused on giving everyone what they need to be successful, and is much more focused on equality of outcomes. As Oxford Instruments, we want to make very clear our commitment to supporting everyone on their journey and encouraging them to achieve by actively ‘levelling the playing field’ wherever needed.
In everything we do, we seek to develop and sustain a culture where differences are recognised, valued and celebrated. We understand diversity makes a profound contribution to our culture, to the delivery of our strategy, to our customers, to our business performance and ultimately delivers sustainable growth and value creation for our shareholders. Our vision is to continually evolve towards a truly inclusive mindset and we aspire to be recognised for this vision by employees, customers, shareholders, suppliers, local communities and competitors.
We actively encourage a supportive and collaborative working environment so all our people feel able to be open about their own unique identity, and have a strong sense of belonging within Oxford Instruments. We actively address any barriers people may face in the workplace, including all aspects of accessibility and ensuring we implement reasonable adjustments wherever needed, We have a zero-tolerance approach to discrimination, bullying and harassment in any form. Difference within Oxford Instruments is warmly welcomed and nurtured, including differences in gender, ethnicity, disability, religion, age, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, cultural background, country of origin, marital or civil partner status, socio-economic background or thinking style. We are also committed to providing equitable treatment to third parties we deal with as an organisation, including customers and suppliers.
All of our people across the world are responsible for embracing our differences and working together in a positive and constructive manner. This means each of us making inclusion a conscious part of how we conduct both ourselves and our business. Everyone is expected to actively contribute to an open, inclusive and diverse working environment to ensure all employees benefit from a sustainable workplace and feel a true sense of belonging.
We strongly believe that a truly diverse workforce helps our business and employees realise their full potential, as everyone benefits from the creativity and innovation of people with different experiences, perspectives and cultures. It also enables us to better understand and respond to our diverse and changing customer base around the world, and to societal changes as they happen.
We recognise that equity, diversity and inclusion is important for all our people and society as a whole. However, we also recognise that we operate in 17 countries around the world in which the legislative frameworks and cultural landscapes vary hugely. Our approach to managing this complex landscape stems from our values and is based on inclusion, respect for the individual and creating a sense of belonging. In each of the countries in which we operate, we aim to be ahead of the curve in our equity, diversity and inclusion targets and working practices of that country. However, we are committed to ensuring that we will not put employees in a position where we are asking them to act out of line with local legislation.
The purpose of our Policy is to explain our commitment and vision, and outline equity, diversity and inclusion standards that are to be observed at all times when conducting business within and on behalf of Oxford Instruments. This Policy should be read in conjunction with our Code of Conduct, and relevant regional employment policies and handbooks.
This Policy applies to all employees and workers, and Oxford Instruments’ Board of Directors.
Click the link below to read the full Policy.
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