Implement an equality plan

An equality plan outlines how your company's equality and diversity policy will be implemented.

Your equality and diversity policy should explain your business' stance on diversity and set out the legal rights and obligations of your staff. It is your promise to treat all employees, and potential employees, fairly and considerately.

See equality and diversity workplace policies.

Your equality plan allows you to integrate equality into your performance management system, quality initiatives, and corporate planning processes.

You may draft an equality plan that focuses on one particular protected equality ground (such as racial group, sex, or disability) or, alternatively, on two or more grounds, or, to take a fully integrated approach, on all of the protected equality grounds.

Equality plan templates

The Equality Commission has published two template equality plans that may assist you in drafting your own:

• racial equality plan template (DOC, 50K)
• an integrated equality plan template (DOC, 151K) for all protected equality grounds

The Equality Commission can provide further assistance on request, such as where you may wish to develop an equality plan that focuses on any other specific equality ground (such as sex or disability).

Equality plans can also be used to develop plans to promote affirmative and positive action where this is deemed appropriate.

Equality plan sample template

The Equality Commission supports businesses to promote good equality practice and can help you to develop an equality plan for your business.

It has developed a sample equality plan document that you can download and customise for your own needs.

Download the Equality Commission's sample employment equality plan (DOC, 151K).