Workplace adjustments: onboarding process - equality impact assessment

Stage 1: Framing

Results of framing exercise

This process reviews a range of an existing practices and synchronises them into one new process. The SG has a duty of care to all candidates and employees to ensure they are treated fairly when applying for roles and throughout their career. The SG has employer duties under the Equality Act 2010, which legally protects people from discrimination in the workplace and in wider society. Work has been undertaken through the SG Equality Strategy and DRRAP to inform the new process which will provide an enhanced experience for candidates and employees when joining the organisation.

The project reviews the current approaches from the perspective of the user/candidate to ensure it will better meet the needs of the user when they wish to request a workplace adjustment when joining the Scottish Government.

It takes account of the needs of managers where they need to arrange a workplace adjustment for their staff, and deliver better efficiency in meeting the needs of the business, removing barriers and optimising opportunity for performance.

User research tells us that there are high levels of dissatisfaction with the consistency of our existing processes, available accessible information and delays in resolving issues. The project also seeks to drive efficiency and effectiveness, internally to meet users' needs, through technology and systems enhancement by providing a single entry point, end to end process for requesting, categorising, ordering, arranging and delivering workplace adjustments which are properly maintained and reviewed.

From our engagement work in developing the DRRAP we learned that many new employees shared a frustration with the time taken to put workplace adjustments in place.

There is currently no written procedure between recruiting manager, HR staff, the individual and those areas of Scottish Government that put WAS in place.

Currently, when an adjustment is identified on an Occupational Health Form during pre employment checks, it is not actioned until the person's start date has been negotiated. With adjustments requiring a longer lead in time, this often means either a delay to a person starting work or starting work without the required adjustments in place.

The Workplace Adjustments (WAS) project team is piloting provision of a single point of contact for each new employee and recruiting managers to provide specialist support efficiently and effectively. The project team will liaise with any/all other contacts within SG or outside the organisation, acting as a conduit and enabling adjustments to be made to a set timescale. Most importantly, the approach will put the member of staff at the centre of the process and improve communication with them and their line manager.

The team will set up a central record of adjustments for the employee, forming part of their individual HR record. That record will detail adjustments needed which will improve how we manage cases, better inform line managers and ensure a streamlined approach to providing adjustments when the individual moves to different roles.

The new service will also:

• The process will enable a smooth transition for new employees into the organisation and throughout their career
• It will improve the consistency of user experience and the wellbeing of all staff
• It will improve operational efficiency and reduce timescales in delivery
• It will enhance access to direct support for those requiring workplace adjustments
• It will enhance awareness and confidence for line managers in meeting the needs of staff who require workplace adjustments
• It will improve accessibility and availability of information and guidance
• It will ensure that managers are well informed in relation to the implementation of workplace adjustments
• It will inform the SG employer narrative as a leading Fair Work employer

On-boarding – organisational process

Storm ID were commissioned to produce a report in 2018 with the following objective: through the successful evaluation of current services, and the discovery of evidenced user insights; ensure that Scottish Government has the knowledge it needs to empower disabled employees, removing unnecessary barriers to their recruitment, retention and progression whether they have declared a need or not - while achieving organisational objectives and fulfilling its legal obligations.

Extent/Level of EQIA required

A full EQIA is required with the focus on adjustments (health conditions/disability), mainly using corporate information. It details a new process which seeks to enable workplace adjustments for employees at the onboarding stage of recruitment, and onwards throughout the employee's career. This EQIA links to and will inform additional EQIAs relating to the recruitment of employees, and also the upcoming Employee Passport^[3].