My Protected Characteristics

What are protected characteristics?

The Equality Act, 2010 protects a number of characteristics:

  • age
  • disability
  • gender reassignment
  • marriage and civil partnership
  • pregnancy and maternity,
  • race
  • religion or belief
  • sex and sexual orientation.

It is our aim to improve our inclusivity by monitoring equality of opportunity and employment practices to help prevent discrimination. It is important that we collect the right data to be able to support you and other colleagues.

If everyone self-reports their status, we will be better able to monitor by groups:

  • The equality of opportunity of access to development.
  • Monitor access to promotions.
  • Monitor engagement satisfaction levels.
  • Monitor equality of treatment in the way that we apply our employment processes.

This will help us better understand ways to support all colleagues at NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT). How to better support our colleagues and how to use our existing employee networks:

  • Black Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME),
  • Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender/Transsexual (LBGT+)
  • Disability Advocates

If you can't find the information you are looking for contact HR Direct

Is my protected information Confidential?

All your personal data is held securely within the NHS Electronic Staff Record system (ESR). Your protected information is not visible to your manager. NHSBT will only use to monitor and review our progress in meeting our obligations in respect of Equality and Diversity legislation.

When you declare or update your information you can be certain that this will not be used for any other purpose.

The benefits of self-reporting protected information.

We strive to provide an inclusive environment for all our colleagues. If we don’t have protected information reported, there is less we can do:

  • to identify overall colleague needs 
  • to address national issues such as discrimination and harassment for protected information.

For example, colleagues disclosing their sexual orientation has enabled us to review data resulting in the launch of our LGBT+ network. This network has already made advances to improving inclusivity at NHSBT (i.e.Stonewall Membership).

If we foster a culture within NHSBT where people are happy to report this information, we in turn will be able to act upon the information to be more responsive as an employer. Having policies, procedures and working practices that better reflect the needs of our workforce.

Reporting or amending your disability, ethnicity, religion or other protected information.

Declaring or amending (including changing status to ‘prefer not to say’) is via the ESR System. For help with making changes use the How to change your protected information guidance documents.