Fair Work Statement

Effective Voice

At NEAT, we strongly believe in empowering the voices of our employees and promoting a culture of engagement. We do this through various avenues, such as team meetings, annual appraisals and good governance practices. We are committed to supporting all our employees who wish to join a trade union to ensure their voices are heard. We are also open to engaging in dialogue with artists and creative practitioners to improve and make NEAT the best it can be.

Opportunity

Our charity strongly believes in fairness and transparency throughout our recruitment process. We are committed to investing in the growth and development of our staff by providing training programs tailored to organisational priorities and individual needs. We ensure that all artistic and creative touring or freelance opportunities are publicly advertised, providing equal opportunity. To ensure diversity in board skills and characteristics, NEAT has successfully carried out a Board Skills Audit to support the future recruitment of members. Together, we strive to create a positive and inclusive environment where everyone can thrive.

Security

At NEAT, we believe in providing fulfilling and financially stable work. We are committed to offering fair contracts at sensible rates, without zero-hour contracts. Our entry point aligns with the Real Living Wage, and our salaries are reviewed annually by our Board, with responsible inflationary increases applied. We strive to inspire our team to do their best, knowing that their dedication is valued and rewarded. At NEAT, we genuinely believe that our employees are our greatest asset. That’s why we remain steadfast in our commitment to ensuring their health and safety. We’ve implemented robust policies that reflect this dedication. We’re constantly striving to do better. After all, when our employees are healthy and safe, they can bring their best selves to work every day and help us achieve our goals.

Fulfilment

At NEAT, we believe that work should be fulfilling and that employees should feel a sense of belonging. To achieve this, we engage our staff in every aspect of our work and invest in their training, learning, and skills development. Our annual Board and Staff Development Day exemplifies our commitment to being an employer that values employee fulfilment. Achieving a balance between work and life is crucial for a fulfilling and happy life. At NEAT, we recognise this and provide our employees with flexible working conditions.

Bullying is a type of behaviour that can cause harm to a person by making them feel vulnerable, upset, humiliated, undermined, or threatened. It involves the misuse of power and can take many forms, such as offensive, intimidating, malicious, or insulting conduct. Anyone can be a bully, regardless of their position of authority, as personal strength or the power to coerce through fear or intimidation can also be used to bully someone. Typically, bullying can take the form of physical, verbal, or non-verbal conduct. In the workplace, bullying can manifest in various ways, such as harassing, socially excluding someone, or negatively affecting someone’s work. It is essential to be aware of the different bullying behaviours and take steps to prevent it.

Harassment is a form of behaviour that involves unwanted physical, verbal, or non-verbal conduct and aims to violate a person’s dignity or create an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating, or offensive environment for them. It can be a repeated pattern of behaviour or a single incident that is severe enough to cause harm. It is also considered harassment when someone is treated less favourably because they have either submitted or refused to submit to such behaviour.

Discrimination refers to the unfair treatment of individuals based on their identity. Direct discrimination occurs when a person is treated unfairly due to a protected characteristic defined by the Equality Act 2010. Indirect discrimination occurs when an employer’s policies, rules, or practices apply to everyone, but people with particular protected characteristics are disproportionately affected. Discrimination can also occur based on perception or association. Recognising and addressing discrimination in all forms is vital to ensure equality and fairness for all individuals.

Victimisation is a form of discrimination that occurs when an individual who has made a complaint or provided information about harassment or discrimination, or supported another’s complaint, is treated unfavourably. Employees have the right to raise grievances and report issues related to discrimination or bullying without being victimised. They are also entitled to have matters investigated by management. It is important to note that if a person raises an issue in good faith, they should not face any negative consequences or victimisation due to speaking up.