EQUALITY & DIVERSITY

Aruna Productions recognises that diversity and inclusion help to support creativity and innovation: they are an essential ingredient in a successful television company. We are committed to encouraging diversity and inclusion and to ensuring there is no discrimination in our company. We want our workforce to be truly representative of all sections of society. We want our company to be one in which every employee and freelancer feels respected and able to give of their best.
To that end this policy provides a framework of equality and fairness for all in our employment. It expresses our commitment not to discriminate on the grounds of age, disability, gender, gender reassignment, marital status (including civil partnerships), race, ethnic origin, colour, nationality, national origin, religion or belief and sexual orientation. We oppose all forms of unlawful and unfair discrimination.
This policy applies to employed and freelance staff and to people working on and off screen.
All freelancers and employees, whether part-time, full-time or temporary, will be treated fairly and with respect. Selection for employment ? whether as a member of staff or on a freelance basis ? will be on the basis of aptitude and ability. Access to opportunities for promotion, training or any other benefit will also be on the basis of aptitude and ability. All employees will be encouraged to develop their full potential and the talents and resources of the workforce will be fully utilised to maximise the creativity and success of the company.
We will:

• Actively seek to increase the number of people we work with who are from groups/communities that are under-represented in the television industry as a whole, or in particular job roles in the industry.
• Review all our formal and informal employment/hiring practices and procedures to ensure they are fair and help us to identify the best talent.
• Identify and take opportunities to increase the diversity of casting decisions
• Ensure reasonable adjustments are made to enable disabled people to work in or with our company, both on and off screen.
• Actively seek to increase the diversity of our talent networks.
• Create an environment in which individual differences and the contributions of all our staff and freelancers are recognised and valued.
• Ensure every employee and freelancer is able to work in an environment that promotes dignity and respect for all. We will not tolerate any form of intimidation, bullying or harassment.
• Ensure training, development and progression opportunities are available to all staff.

We will monitor the success of this policy regularly and our review our progress at least once a year. We have developed an action plan to help us implement this policy/achieve our specific diversity goals/targets. This policy is fully supported by the senior management of the company. Breaches of the policy may be regarded as misconduct and could lead to disciplinary proceedings.

Objective

The purpose of this policy is to communicate to all employees, including supervisors, managers and executives, that Aruna Productions. ltd will not in any instance tolerate bullying behavior. Employees found in violation of this policy will be disciplined, up to and including termination.

Definition

Aruna Productions ltd defines bullying as repeated, health-harming mistreatment of one or more people by one or more perpetrators. It is abusive conduct that includes:

• Threatening, humiliating or intimidating behaviours.
• Work interference/sabotage that prevents work from getting done.
• Verbal abuse. 

Such behaviour violates Aruna Productions, ltd's Code of Ethics, which clearly states that all employees will be treated with dignity and respect.

Examples

Aruna Productions ltd considers the following types of behaviour examples of bullying:

• Verbal bullying. Slandering, ridiculing or maligning a person or his or her family; persistent name-calling that is hurtful, insulting or humiliating; using a person as the butt of jokes; abusive and offensive remarks.
• Physical bullying. Pushing, shoving, kicking, poking, tripping, assault or threat of physical assault, damage to a person's work area or property.
• Gesture bullying. Nonverbal gestures that can convey threatening messages.
• Exclusion. Socially or physically excluding or disregarding a person in work-related activities.

In addition, the following examples may constitute or contribute to evidence of bullying in the workplace:

• Persistent singling out of one person.
• Shouting or raising one's voice at an individual in public or in private.
• Using obscene or intimidating gestures.
• Not allowing the person to speak or express himself of herself (i.e., ignoring or interrupting).
• Personal insults and use of offensive nicknames.
• Public humiliation in any form.
• Constant criticism on matters unrelated or minimally related to the person's job performance or description.
• Public reprimands.
• Repeatedly accusing someone of errors that cannot be documented.
• Deliberately interfering with mail and other communications.
• Spreading rumours and gossip regarding individuals.
• Encouraging others to disregard a supervisor's instructions.
• Manipulating the ability of someone to do his or her work (e.g., overloading, underloading, withholding information, setting deadlines that cannot be met, giving deliberately ambiguous instructions).
• Assigning menial tasks not in keeping with the normal responsibilities of the job.
• Taking credit for another person's ideas.
• Refusing reasonable requests for leave in the absence of work-related reasons not to grant leave.
• Deliberately excluding an individual or isolating him or her from work-related activities, such as meetings.
• Unwanted physical contact, physical abuse or threats of abuse to an individual or an individual's property (defacing or marking up property).

Individuals who feel they have experienced bullying should report this to their supervisor or to Human Resources before the conduct becomes severe or pervasive. All employees are strongly encouraged to report any bullying conduct they experience or witness as soon as possible to allow Aruna Productions ltd to take appropriate action.