Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Team

Bristol Counts encourages colleagues to disclose and update information relating to the following personal characteristics:

• Disability
• Ethnicity
• Gender Identity
• Gender Identity Status
• Religion or Belief
• Sexual Orientation.

By sharing your diversity data, you will enable us to build a more accurate picture of the individuals who make up our staff community. This in turn helps us to identify, understand and remove barriers to ensure that everyone has the best possible workplace experience.

We may also use the data to assess the impact of our activities, policies and processes, helping to ensure that they are fair and do not discriminate, as part of Equality Impact Assessments. This allows us develop more of an understanding about how our decisions impact on people and to consider how we might reduce or mitigate any negative impact, where possible. Data is also vital to informing our understanding of any pay gaps

We recognise that disclosing information related to our personal characteristics can be a sensitive issue, however this information is anonymised, used for high-level reporting, never reported by individual, and can only be accessed by yourself or selected/trained staff within Human Resources.

It is important to note that your line manager will not be alerted when you update your diversity data. This is particularly relevant to disability or neurodivergent conditions: please do not assume that disclosing your disability or neurodivergence on the system will automatically lead to any action relating to reasonable adjustments. You must still inform your line manager if you require workplace adjustments. 

Legally we must monitor and report on the diversity of our staff under the Equality Act. It is also compulsory for the University to meet the reporting requirements of organisations such as HESA - Higher Education Statistics Agency. The University provides HESA with equality information as this is necessary for monitoring equality of opportunity and eliminating unlawful discrimination in accordance with the Equality Act 2010. The University also works in partnership with a range of national and local organisations to advance activity to build diversity and promote inclusion and this requires the provision and analysis of data.