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Diversity Statement

At BLP we believe that our goals of always exceeding client expectations and being the most attractive place to work will only be achieved if we recruit, retain, reward and develop our people with regard to their abilities and contributions and without reference to their background, gender, ethnic origin, age, religion, sexual orientation, political belief or any disability.

To this end we embrace diversity by promoting and sustaining an open, inclusive and supportive working environment to enable our people to make the most of their particular qualities and skills and to achieve their full potential in line with their abilities and aspirations.

Our employment policies and practices are designed to provide a framework which makes our values and expectations clear and delivers fairness and consistency of approach, while at the same time allowing people to be themselves at work. We also place great emphasis on the power of team work and co-operation and the benefits they provide to both the individual and the firm.

Our diversity policy explains in detail how the principles of inclusivity and diversity are embedded into all that we do, including our approach to recruiting, training, developing, rewarding and involving our people.

Recent diversity initiatives

• We are working with several organisations whose aim is to encourage graduates from ethnic minorities to apply for a training contract - notably Legal Launch Pad and Legal Chances.
• We have recently begun to work with the Linkson Fellowship, which helps A level students from low income families to find work experience.
• In the past six months all of our people have attended diversity awareness sessions. These sessions were intended to emphasise the importance we place on the principles and practice of diversity and explain the role everyone in the firm has to play to ensure we sustain a diverse and inclusive culture.
• We have introduced a new senior role as an alternative to the traditional partnership role in response to feedback from our lawyers who wanted more flexibility and choice in their career options.
• We have recently introduced free pre retirement seminars to help our staff, and their partners, to prepare for retirement.
• We are introducing a specialist mentoring programme for our female lawyers who are going on maternity leave with sessions being offered with coaches pre, during and post their maternity leave.
• In 2005 we began an association with the Asperger's Syndrome Society and provided one of their members with a work placement which we hope to repeat this year.

Our workforce demographics

We monitor the make-up of our workforce on a regular basis and hold the details on our intranet. 

Our current workforce demographics are:

In summary, here are some key facts:

• Our current gender split is 62% female and 38% male.
• A total of 12% of our workforce are from an ethnic minority. This has increased from 9% over the past year.
• 11% of our people have a non-standard working arrangement - this is in addition to those working at home on an informal basis.

Diversity Policy

Awareness and Understanding

Although management provide the framework and associated policies, it is the responsibility of everyone at BLP to sustain a culture which supports the principles of diversity and inclusivity.

Definitions

Diversity means treating everyone fairly and consistently, regardless of background, gender, age, ethnic origin, religion, sexual orientation, political belief or disability. However, it goes further than equal opportunities in that it is concerned with what we as an organisation do to make sure that everyone can reach their potential and that we tap into cultural differences to achieve organisational success and support staff satisfaction.

Inclusivity is another important aspect and, in particular, listening to people, involving them and sharing information.

Diversity training

The firm is committed to providing diversity awareness training to all staff and partners. These sessions are mandatory and include clarification on why diversity is important, understanding differences in the way people work and interact, recognising preconceptions and avoiding indirect discrimination.

In addition, equal opportunities training is given to all those involved in recruiting.

Staff Liaison Committee

The staff liaison committee includes representatives from our main departments and practices. Areas of importance to staff are discussed by this forum and it acts as a vehicle for feedback on issues such as diversity and how we are doing in related areas.

Key Aims

Our key aims in relation to equality of opportunity, achieving an inclusive environment, and embedding the principles of diversity in all we do, are:

• to maintain a working environment where everyone is treated with dignity and respect;
• to raise awareness of what we mean by diversity;
• to ensure that everyone is aware of their own personal responsibility regarding the principles of diversity;
• to provide and communicate clear employment policies and to ensure they are applied fairly;
• to ensure consistency and fairness in all our HR processes;
• to offer a career progression route which provides a clear framework but is flexible in that it allows individuals choice;
• to provide training opportunities for all with a focus on the individual selecting training initiatives and taking responsibility for their development;
• to ensure that any failure to adhere to these principles is dealt with promptly and, where relevant, action is taken.

There is both a business and a moral imperative in supporting diversity at BLP. To achieve both business and individual goals we need to:

• tap into the widest possible pool of people to attract high quality individuals;
• motivate our people by providing a supportive culture where everyone feels they are treated fairly and can do their best;
• offer clients ideas and solutions that can only come from tapping into a broad base of talent;
• respond to the needs of a range of clients : having a diverse and representative workforce is of great importance and clients expect this of us;
• provide an environment where people work as teams, listen to each other, share ideas; and
• ensure we comply with all relevant legislation.

People practices and processes

We review our processes regularly, focussing on fairness and consistency. Feedback on how we are doing is gathered from a variety of sources, including employee satisfaction surveys, the staff liaison committee and focus groups.

Recruitment and selection

As a City Law firm, we face certain challenges in attracting candidates from diverse backgrounds and we are working to meet this challenge with particular reference to attracting trainees from more diverse backgrounds.  One of the ways we are doing this is by working with relevant organisations whose aim is to attract candidates from less privileged backgrounds and from ethnic minority groups.

We are one of the law firm sponsors for the Legal Chances programme.  Legal Chances’ aim is to bring students from ethnic minorities into City law firms.  They hold a two day event each year which allow students to network and to ask assistants questions about their work, clients, skills required etc.  The students also take part in exercises which demonstrate necessary skills and visit two or three City firms during the two days. 

We also work with London First and offer summer placements to students from a variety of disciplines from London universities who are seeking to gain experience of working in a professional firm and to improve their capabilities.  One of the key aims of the London First programme is to encourage a positive attitude toward ethnic diversity.   

SEO London assess candidates from under-represented ethnic minority candidates through an assessment centre before placing them in City firms.  We are involved in this assessment process where associates interview and recommend the stronger candidates.  As well, as offering places on the formal vacation scheme, associates act as mentors to students who are placed and offer support and guidance.

The Legal Launch pad forms part of the Black Lawyers Directory. As sponsors of the programme we will be offering work placements and mentors to ethnic minority students.

Other placement programmes are offered through Pathways to Law, the Black Solicitors Network and the Social Mobility Foundation where under represented and disadvantaged college students experience three - five days working with trainees in City law firms.

We have entries in Ethnic Britain and The Black Solicitors Members’ Directory.

Our recruitment and selection processes are designed to be free from bias and all those involved in recruiting are given equal opportunities training.  Only relevant criteria are used for selection i.e. those appropriate for the role and we ensure that any tests used are free from bias.

Performance management

Our performance management process is designed to provide clear performance criteria for fee earners, secretaries and support staff and to clarify expectations regarding role and responsibilities which will change as individuals progress.

All staff complete a personal development plan twice a year, the focus of which is looking forward and planning actions and objectives. This is a collaborative process with the individual having responsibility for shaping his/her own development. Together the partner/manager and the individual should identify what the individual can and should be contributing and what support the partner/manager will provide.

The process is the same for all staff and focuses on two reviews a year, one career development review and one appraisal. Consistent guidelines are given to all appraisers and HR conduct a consistency review of all grades to ensure a fair approach.

Training and development

We provide diversity awareness sessions for all partners and staff. We also offer equal opportunity training to all those involved in recruiting.

With regard to our wider training programme, our focus is on the individual selecting what training they will attend. Individuals are encouraged to take a proactive approach, selecting those courses they consider appropriate for their current role and responsibilities and those which will help them progress.

Our training programme has a strong focus on coaching, teamworking, teambuilding and leadership - all of which we consider essential to underpin an inclusive environment.

Career progression

We aim to achieve a culture of continuous learning and development with individuals taking ownership for their career progression within a supportive framework. Partners and managers have a crucial role to play by providing coaching and feedback.

Promotion decisions are based on individuals’ abilities and potential. Fee earners are given feedback on their partnership potential at an appropriate stage and coaching toward achieving their goal. However, we recognise that not all fee earners have partnership aspirations and, where appropriate, an alternative role may be agreed. Secretaries have a clear career track with role descriptions clarifying required skills and responsibilities for each level.

Reward

There is an annual salary review at BLP with increases determined by market rates, the firm’s performance and individual performance and contribution. Salary bands are established and individual salaries are set with reference to recent performance and potential for development. The basis for salary decisions is explained to the individual.

Each year an audit is undertaken to ensure there is no gender bias.

We appreciate that the attractiveness or relevance of benefits will vary between individuals and will change over time and we have therefore built a level of choice and flexibility into the benefits package.

Work life balance

Subject to business needs, the firm supports individuals in managing their family and other commitments together with their work responsibilities by:

Flexible working

A significant number of staff within the firm work flexibly on a permanent basis – typically 10 – 15%. We are committed to making flexible arrangements work and we have a formal policy in place to consider requests for non-standard working arrangements.

On making a request, an individual is asked to present a business case noting how the proposed arrangement will work in practice. This forms the basis for consideration rather than the reason for the application.

Family friendly policies

The firm offers childcare vouchers to allow staff to take achieve tax and National Insurance savings on childcare costs.

We offer enhanced maternity pay and a return to work bonus.

Our employee assistance programme offers advice on sources of childcare, after school schemes, holiday programmes etc.

Monitoring

We monitor the composition of our workforce on an ongoing basis. The demographic statistics we produce allow us to check how we are doing, to identify any trends and to benchmark ourselves against other organisations. This then allows us to plan any relevant actions. For instance, one of the areas we monitor is the gender and ethnic origin of our graduate applicants and this is a current area for focus.

We are sensitive to the views of our staff and appreciate that some people may not want to disclose personal information such as sexual orientation and religion because they find it intrusive, and so do not request such data.

We also analyse information such as leaver data. This again allows us to identify trends or issues where we may need to take action.

Employment Policies

The overall aim in setting and reviewing employment policies is the need to provide clarification and a level of consistency which ensures fair treatment for all.

However, policies such as compassionate leave are intended to be flexible as they are to some extent dependent on the individual situation. HR provides guidance on application in these cases.

Religious leave

Many staff within the firm wish to take leave for religious observance and the firm recognises this by allowing 3 paid days leave per year above individual entitlement.

Harassment/bullying

The firm takes complaints regarding possible harassment or bullying very seriously and will deal promptly and decisively with any issues. Please refer to the separate policies on harassment, grievance and discipline.

Our policies are included in our Staff Handbook, held on the firm’s intranet and covered at induction.

Links with other organisations

Organisations that we work with include the following;

• Working Families
  As flexible working and work-life balance continue to be of importance to the firm, we continue to work with Working Families.  The aim of the scheme is to support and advocate working families, to promote workplace cultures that support work-life balance and act as a force for change in organisations.
  
  
• Employers Forum for Disability (EFD)
  We are members of the EFD.  They help companies to become disability friendly through employing tools to raise awareness, increase retention, improve recruitment and share in the experience of others.  We joined the EFD in 2008.
  
  
• The Adelaide Group
  The Adelaide Group was established in 1997 with the objective of promoting women in business by allowing women from a wide range of organisations to network and share experiences.  Presentations from inspirational women such as Kate Adie OBE and Cherie Blair are organised several times a year and hosted at BLP.
  
  
• Stonewall
  Founded in 1989, Stonewall are a registered Charity aiming to achieve equality and justice for lesbians, gay men and bisexual people.  We joined Stonewall in 2007 and are seeking guidance on how to ensure we offer a supportive environment for our LGB staff.
  
  
• Legal Chances
  Legal Chances offers several programmes to encourage students from ethnic minorities to work in certain professions and sectors.  We are one of the City law firm sponsors.  See “Recruitment” above.
  
  
• Pure Potential
  Pure Potential was launched in 2005 and we have been involved since 2007.  The aim is to assist young people to feel comfortable in applying to University.  To be eligible to join this programme the candidates need to be deserving, both academically and socially.  As sponsors, we participate in the Summer events.
  
  
• Pathways to Law
  This programme is designed for young people from disadvantaged/non-privileged backgrounds.  The Pathways programme consists of a number of different elements including careers days, work placements, university open days, application advice sessions and student mentoring. To raise awareness of the legal profession, we offer work placements to those involved in the scheme.  Please see "Recruitment" above.
  
  
• Black Lawyers Directory (BLD)
  Targeting both qualified and graduate lawyers through the BLD, we advertise annually in Black Letter Law and are a sponsor of the Legal Launch Pad programme.  Through the scheme, we mentor students as well as offer work placements to those interested in a career in law.  Please see “Recruitment” above.
  
  
• Black Solicitors Network 
  We work and advertise with the ‘primary voice’ of black solicitors of England and Wales, and we also offer placement opportunities.  Through offering a place on our vacation scheme, students are able to experience life as a Trainee.
  
  
• London First
  We work with London First, providing summer placement opportunities for students seeking work experience in major London firms.  Please see “Recruitment” above.
  
  
• SEO (Sharing Educational Opportunities)
  A not for profit organisation representing outstanding undergraduates from under-represented ethnic minority backgrounds, SEO offers the opportunity to partake in vacation schemes at City law firms.  As a primary sponsor, we have been involved with the programme since 2007 offering mentoring and Summer placements.  Please see "Recruitment" above.
  
  
• Social Mobility Foundation
  The Social Mobility Foundation is a registered charity which aims to introduce the brightest school students from low income backgrounds to professional or business life in time for them to make informed choices for higher education. The objective is to broaden the horizons of bright young people by providing them with a real insight into the higher echelons of business and the professions. We have been participating in the Foundation's internship programme for the past two years.  Please see "Recruitment" above.

Legislative framework

Our policies and practices are designed to comply with the following key legislation:

Race
The Race Relations Act 1976, the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 and the Race Relations Act 1976 (Amendment) Regulations 2003.

Gender
The Equal Pay Act 1970 and the Sex Discrimination Act 1975.

Disability
The Disability Discrimination Act 1995.

Age
Regulations are due to be introduced in 2006.

Sexual orientation
The Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003.

Religion and belief
The Employment Equality (Religion & Belief) Regulations 2003.

Codes of practice
In addition to the above, a number of equality commissions have codes of practice designed to explain the law.