Diversity, Equality & Mental Health Hub
The Equality Act 2010 identifies the following nine characteristics as protected within the law: age, disability, gender reassignment/identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief (including lack of belief), sex or sexual orientation. Under The Equality Act jobseekers and employees who belong to one or more of the protected characteristics should not be discriminated against. Discrimination occurs when you are treated less favourably because of your protected characteristics.
The term “equal opportunities” as detailed in the Equality Act upholds the idea that all workers within an organisation should be entitled to and have access to all of the organisations facilities at every stage of employment, including the pre-employment phase.
This means every individual should have:
- An equal chance to apply and be selected for posts pre-employment
- An equal chance to be trained and promoted while employed with the organisation
- An equal chance to have their employment terminated equally and fairly
To find out more information about disclosure and your rights visit the TARGET jobs equality and diversity pages.
For more information about protected characteristics and to access targeted support, please visit our protected characteristic webpages by clicking the button below.
For support with your mental health and self-care whilst job searching please visit our Mental Health Hub by clicking the button below.
Click the headings below to find information and resources covering each area.
Careers Support
We recognise students from diverse backgrounds may benefit from accessing information and advice related to their protected characteristic. Whilst this page gives general advice it may not answer your specific concerns. If you have any concerns or questions about your protected characteristics, career plans, job applications or employment then please book an appointment using our online triage tool. You can also continue to access 1:1 careers support for up to 2 years after you graduate.
Equal Opportunity Monitoring Form
When you apply for a job, you may be asked to complete an equal opportunities monitoring form, which is separate to the rest of your application. This is not seen by the recruitment panel and will not have an impact on the rest of your application. Once an appointment has been made, the data will be used solely by HR to make appropriate changes to the recruitment process to try to ensure more applications from underrepresented groups are received in the future.
How do I find inclusive employers?
If you’re concerned about diversity and inclusion within an organisation you may wish to look out for the following:
- Equal Opportunity Statement included on a company’s website or during their recruitment process. The statements will usually indicate the employer is actively recruiting candidates from a diverse range of backgrounds. For example, “we welcome applications from individuals, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexuality, social background, religion and/or belief”.
- Research the employer’s website and identify any diversity and inclusion awards or recognitions such as disability confident, the care leaver covenant, best diversity recruiter and stonewall 100.
- Consider using a recruitment agency who specialise in diversity and inclusion. Examples of these include:
- Diversifying – A platform for people to find jobs with employers who are serious about diversity and inclusion.
- Inclusive Recruiting – an organisation who exist to embed true equity, diversity, and inclusion within organisations now.
- Vercida – who aim to transform the workplace into a diverse and inclusive environment
Please note: We do not endorse any of the organisations these pages are linked to. They are here for your information only.
Opportunity Funding for Interviews
Get ahead for your first day at work through funding from the Careers & Employability service to reduce the financial impact of attending career opportunities. If you have an interview coming up for a graduate job, are about to start work experience or attend a networking event, you may be eligible for financial support from the University of Lincoln’s Opportunity fund. The funding can be put towards additional costs such as travel, accommodation, and interview clothes. To find out more and check your eligibility visit the webpage here.
Disclosure and Discrimination Support
The Equality Act 2010 provides the right to not be directly or indirectly discriminated against.
You are not legally required to disclose your protected characteristics to an employer, although you may wish to request reasonable adjustments related to a disability. See our disability webpage for more information about this.
If you feel you have been discriminated against during the recruitment process, we can support you by putting you in touch with the student advice team. The following websites may also be of help:
The Shaw Trust Work and Health Programme Shaw Trust is commissioned by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) to provide the Work and Health Programme. The Work and Health Programme is tailored to your needs and is designed to help if you’ve been out of work and education, and claiming unemployment benefits. The programme lasts up to 456 days with a possibility of being extended to a maximum of 639 days if the individual finds work and requires in-work support. The Work and Health Programme will: Dedicated Support Manager’s will support with applications, interview preparation, job searching and skills training. They also provide health and wellbeing support including the writing of health statements. If you would like to learn more about the programme and how to apply, please contact James Trafford, District Engagement Manager on 07872 860052 or james.trafford@shaw-trust.org.uk. If you have an upcoming interview but do not have a suitable quiet space away from distractions, did you know that you can book a space on campus? As a student, you can access the Room Booking System. Here you can book specific rooms on campus for specific dates and times. We recommend booking additional time before and after your interview so you can be prepared and make sure you have time in case the interview runs over. Campus Jobs offer a guaranteed interview scheme to all care leaver or disabled students who meet the minimum criteria when applying for the Campus Jobs central pool. The central pool gives you access to ad-hoc work assignments throughout the academic year. You may also be interested in our Steep Hill Careers Podcast series created and produced by the Careers & Employability team exploring different challenges students may face throughout their career planning. Topics include Application Overwhelm, Dealing with Rejection, Telling an employer about a disability or health condition and Mental Health in the workplace The podcast features students, university staff and alumni as guests. You can listen to the podcast series on Spotify here, or by searching Steep Hill Careers wherever you get your podcasts. If you need further support, please do not hesitate to contact us at careers@lincoln.ac.uk. Campus Jobs offer a guaranteed interview scheme to all care leaver or disabled students who meet the minimum criteria when applying for the Campus Jobs central pool. The central pool gives you access to ad-hoc work assignments throughout the academic year.
We are proud to announce our Next Generation Inclusive University partnership with EmployAbility. This partnership enhances our drive to support our students and graduates with mental health conditions, neurodiversity and other disabilities, to ensure you get the careers you deserve. EmployAbility can provide you with individualised advice and support about adjustments for recruitment and the workplace, information about your rights, and support you with your application. The EmployAbility team will also advocate for you with an employer to ensure you receive the adjustments you need, taking any stress and anxiety out of the process. If you haven’t already registered with EmployAbility, you can do so here to access free support and advice. Once you have registered please email info@employ-ability.org.uk to arrange a meeting. Catch up on the latest EmployAbility student workshops: We also offer a Confidence training package which counts as the 30 points you need to complete your Lincoln Award. Take a look at our Lincoln Award webpage to find out more. Gulbahar Tomek, Careers & Employability Advisor (International) Freddie Copson, Widening Participation Officer Becki Commins, Careers & Employability Adviser (Access & Participation)Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) Graduate Support
How to book space for an interview
Campus Jobs Guaranteed Interview Scheme
Steep Hill Careers Podcast
Steep Hill Careers
Next Generation Inclusive University partnership
Meet the Team