Anti-discrimination policy

Anti-Discrimination Policy in Recruitment and Selection

General Principle

Pollux Personeelsdiensten B.V.’s business practices are designed to provide job seekers with a fair opportunity to find work, regardless of their age, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, lifestyle, political or religious beliefs, race, ethnic origin, or nationality.

During the recruitment and selection process, job seekers are treated equally because they are evaluated solely on job-related criteria.

Objective

The purpose of this policy is to be clear and transparent with employees and third parties regarding:

1. What the management of Pollux Personeelsdiensten B.V. considers to be discrimination or discriminatory requests;
2. What is the position of the management of Pollux Personeelsdiensten B.V. regarding discrimination and discriminatory requests?;
3. Actions taken by employees:
   1. What is expected of employees in terms of how they conduct themselves while performing their duties, particularly with regard to the tasks (in support of business operations) related to recruitment and selection;
   2. Where employees can go for consultation and/or to report an issue;
4. Employer Responsibilities.

Definition of Discrimination

Discrimination is defined as: making direct or indirect distinctions between individuals on the basis of age, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, lifestyle, political or religious beliefs, race, ethnic origin, or nationality.

Discrimination is expressly defined to include complying with requests from clients to differentiate between individuals during the recruitment and selection process based on criteria that are not necessary or relevant to the proper performance of the job.

Statement from the Management of Pollux Personeelsdiensten B.V.

• The management of Pollux Personeelsdiensten B.V. rejects any form of discrimination.
• Requests from clients to take certain criteria into account during the recruitment and selection process will be granted only if there is objective justification.

There is objective justification if selection based on the requested criteria:

• There must be a legitimate purpose. This means that there must be a valid—job-related—reason for using the relevant criteria in the recruitment and selection process (an example of a legitimate purpose is safety);
• Results in the achievement of the legitimate goal; the means are appropriate for achieving that goal;
• It is reasonably proportionate to the purpose; there is proportionality with respect to the purpose;
• It is necessary because there is no other, less discriminatory way to achieve the goal; therefore, the necessity criterion is met.

The management of Pollux Personeelsdiensten B.V. does not tolerate discriminatory treatment of employees by third parties. For the purposes of this policy, “employees” also includes workers who perform work under the direction and supervision of a client company.

Trading by Employees

• Employees have a personal responsibility to be alert to requests from clients that are discriminatory in nature, to recognize such requests, and to ensure that they are not complied with.
• If an employee is unsure whether there is an objective justification for a client’s request to take certain criteria into account during the recruitment and selection process, or has questions about how to handle such a request, the employee may consult with a member of the Management Team.
• If an employee observes discrimination and wishes to address it, report misconduct or abuse, and/or has a matter of confidence to discuss, the employee may contact a member of the Management Team. If this does not lead to a satisfactory outcome for the employee, the employee may contact the management of Pollux Personeelsdiensten B.V.

Employer Responsibilities

The management of Pollux Personeelsdiensten B.V. is responsible for:

• Creating a safe work environment where people treat one another with respect, where there is room for constructive dialogue, and where inappropriate behavior of any kind is prevented and addressed;
• The dissemination and implementation of this anti-discrimination policy. This includes, among other things, ensuring that employees:
  • be informed about and familiar with the policy. This is achieved in the following ways: having employees sign an acknowledgment of the policy upon hiring and through a kick-off meeting on discrimination.
  • have received clear instructions on how to recognize discrimination and discriminatory requests by discussing this topic at every work meeting and by reviewing real-life case studies.
  • be prepared for situations in which they are confronted with a discriminatory request and know how to handle and steer the conversation with clients. This is achieved by providing periodic training sessions.
• The evaluation and revision of this policy.