Monitoring Data – Why we need it?

Queen’s University Belfast is an Equal Opportunities Employer. We aim to provide equality of opportunity to all persons, regardless of their religious or philosophical belief; political opinion; sex; race; age; sexual orientation; or whether they are married or are in a civil partnership; or whether they are disabled; or whether they have undergone, are undergoing or intend to undergo gender reassignment.

To fulfil its legal obligations under the Fair Employment and Treatment (NI) Order 1998, the University is required to monitor the community background and gender of its employees and applicants. Also under Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 the University is required in carrying out all its functions to have due regard to the need to promote equality of opportunity and to have regard to the desirability of promoting good relations.

You are not obliged to answer the sensitive information requested and you will not suffer any penalty if you choose not to do so. Nevertheless, we encourage you to answer all questions as the University considers that monitoring is the essential first step in the effective implementation of its equal opportunities policy and its equality scheme. The University would appreciate your cooperation in completing this information in order that it may effectively monitor, evaluate and review its policies and procedures and develop affirmative or positive action policies (if required). Your answers will be used by us to prepare and submit statutory returns to the Equality Commission and Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) and to provide anonymised data for Institutional reports such as Equal Pay Audits as well as Equality Screening of policies, Workforce Profile Dashboards and Freedom of Information requests. Your identity will always be kept anonymous. Your monitoring data will be strictly controlled and managed by the Diversity and Inclusion Unit in a manner compliant with General Data Protection Regulations.

Staff can check the monitoring information held about them at any time through Queen’s Online, Employment Details, Itrent Self-Service, Sensitive information.