What are equal employment opportunities?

It is recognised that some groups are disadvantaged in employment, and actions should be taken to give them access to equal employment opportunities (EEO).

 
The Public Service Act 2020, in sections 73open_in_new and 75open_in_new, outlines the expectations of organisations in promoting diversity and inclusiveness in schools through employment policies and practices to develop and foster a workplace that is inclusive of all groups.
 
The good employer requirements of the Public Service Act 2020open_in_new require that organisations must:

• Operate an employment policy that complies with the principle of being a good employer,

• Make that policy (including the equal employment opportunities programme) available to its employees, and

• Ensure its compliance with that policy (including its equal employment opportunities programme) and report in its annual report on the extent of its compliance.

 
A good employer is an employer who operates an employment policy containing provisions generally accepted as necessary for the fair and proper treatment of employees in all aspects of their employment, including:

• The impartial selection of suitably qualified people for appointment (except in the case of ministerial staff),

• Good and safe working conditions,

• An equal employment opportunities programme,

• Recognition of the aims and aspirations of Māori, the employment requirements of Māori, and the need for greater involvement of Māori in the public service,

• Opportunities for the enhancement of the abilities of individual employees,

• Recognition of the aims and aspirations, employment requirements, and the cultural differences of ethnic and minority groups,

• Recognition of the employment requirements of women,

• Recognition of the employment requirements of people with disabilities,

• Recognition of the importance of achieving pay equity between female and male employees, and

• Recognition of the importance of decisions about remuneration being free from bias, including, but not limited to, gender bias.

A number of Education Collective Agreementsopen_in_new have EEO clauses in the appointments section.
 
Please visit the Diversity Worksopen_in_new website for more information and resources on diversity and inclusivity.

How to develop and maintain an EEO programme

There are seven steps in developing or maintaining an EEO programme over two years.
Steps 1 to 5 should happen in the first year, and steps 6 and 7 in the second year.

Step 1: Developing an EEO policy statement

An EEO policy statement can be developed by undertaking the following actions:

• The full board undertakes some EEO training to raise awareness of the issues.

• The board develops a draft EEO statement and circulates it to all teaching and non-teaching employees for comment.

• Based on the feedback, the board prepares a final EEO policy statement which the presiding member signs.

• A copy is distributed to all employees and board members, and parents and caregivers are informed of the EEO policy statement.

Step 2: Appointing or selecting an EEO person
The board appoints or selects a person or persons with the delegated authority to coordinate the development of the EEO programme and inform all employees of it.
 
The EEO person can be either an employee or a board member, although it is practical to have someone who is in the school regularly.

Appointment or selection of an EEO person should be based on their interest in EEO and commitment to it.

Time should be allocated for EEO responsibilities, and the EEO person should have the support of the board and the school's other employees.

The EEO person should:

• Set and meet deadlines for the EEO programme

• Analyse EEO data

• Write EEO reports

• Attend and report at relevant board, staff, and EEO network meetings

• Be involved in the EEO committee (where there is one)

• Undertake EEO training as needed.

The school size will determine whether more than one person is needed to coordinate the EEO programme.

Step 3: Consulting with employees

Consultation with employees is an important aspect of the EEO programme:

• EEO training is provided for all employees to make them aware of any EEO issues.

• A meeting is set up, with employees invited, to determine the best way to establish continuing contact and discussion about EEO issues between the employees, the authorised EEO person, and the board. (In larger schools, this ongoing contact could be through a representative EEO or equity committee).

• In larger schools, EEO "target group" networks are established. These meet regularly and provide information for the EEO person or the EEO committee.

Step 4: Establishing an employee database

The following means of collecting data will help establish an employee database:

• Two personnel forms which include EEO data, are prepared, one for existing employees and one for applicants to positions in the school.

• The form for existing employees is circulated, along with an explanation of why the data is being collected.

• The personnel form for applicants is sent to potential employees when they apply for positions in the school.

• Data is collected and analysed for EEO purposes by the EEO person, and results are reported to the board.

If an exit interview is held when an employee resigns, this may provide additional EEO data.

Step 5: Establishing a monitoring system

A monitoring system can be established using the following means:

• Internal monitoring of the EEO programme occurs through staff meetings.

• Reports to the board with appropriate feedback and follow-up.

• Timelines for actions are established, and people are responsible for those actions.

• The person responsible for the EEO programme reports to employees and the board on the progress of the EEO programme at staff, target group, and board meetings.

• External monitoring of the EEO programme occurs through the Secretary for Education, community reporting, and union involvement.

Step 6: Developing or reviewing personnel policies and practices

Developing or reviewing personnel policies and practices requires the board to develop or review personnel (teaching and non-teaching) policies and practices to ensure that EEO principles are included.

Personnel areas include: 

• Recruitment and selection

• Promotion and career development

• Staff training and development

• Board modification or endorsement of the existing personnel policies and practices

• Finalised personnel policies and practices are made known to all employees.

Step 7: Establishing specific EEO objectives

Specific EEO objectives (both short-term and long-term) are established for all existing and potential employees. These include objectives that identify the employment requirements of:

• Women

• Māori

• Pacific islands people and other ethnic groups

• People with disabilities.

Each board will establish its EEO priorities, which may or may not feature here.

The board is not expected to set a huge range of EEO objectives to be completed in one year.
Setting priorities and ensuring that a few clearly defined EEO objectives are achieved is the recommended approach.

The following is a list of ideas specific to certain areas that may need attention in the school.

Ideas for specific EEO objectives for all employees (teaching and non-teaching)

In establishing EEO objectives for both teaching and non-teaching employees, there is a need to:

• Recognise, in recruitment and selection procedures, skills and knowledge acquired in paid employment, in the home, and in the community.

• Ensure that employment contract provisions on appointments are known and followed.

• Make a range of school responsibilities, such as timetabling, taking assemblies, and organising outdoor education, available to all teachers equally.

• Monitor the position of all employees in the school with EEO policies and practices.

• Encourage all employees to discuss the development and implementation of the equal employment opportunities programme.

• Encourage all employees to undertake training and development.

• Encourage all employees to seek promotion and to take advantage of career development opportunities.

Questions a principal could ask

• How do we develop and maintain an EEO programme?

• Why is it important that our school is an EEO employer?

Templates, resources, and references

Click on the link(s) below to access this topic’s templates, resources, and references.

Depending on your device, these may download or open in a separate browser.

Ministry of Education

• Collective Agreements

Public Service Act 2020

• Section 73 – Chief executive of department and board of an interdepartmental venture to be good employeropen_in_new 

• Section 75 – Chief executives and boards to promote diversity and inclusivenessopen_in_new