EDEI Statement 2025

Guiding Principles: Inspiration | Transformation | Success

Committed to Excellence and Belonging

  1. Introduction

Skylite Associates is dedicated to fostering an Equitable, Diverse, and Inclusive (EDEI) environment where every employee, associate, client, and stakeholder feels they genuinely belong. With over 30 years of experience in coaching, organisational development, and leadership support, we recognize that our success is built on the talent and unique perspectives of our people.

Our core mission—supporting individuals, organisations, and leaders to achieve their goals—is profoundly underpinned by a values-based culture. In this culture, fairness, mutual respect, and equal opportunity are central to how we operate and are non-negotiable standards for engaging with our global community.

  1. Legal and Legislative Framework

This statement reflects Skylite’s commitment to compliance with all relevant UK legislation and best practices in equality, diversity, equity, and inclusion. This framework includes, but is not limited to:

  • The Equality Act 2010: Providing comprehensive protection from discrimination, harassment, and victimization on the basis of all nine Protected Characteristics (e.g., age, disability, race, religion, sex, and sexual orientation).
  • The Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023: Strengthening protections regarding third-party harassment in the workplace (in force since October 2024).
  • Future Legislative Developments: Monitoring anticipated changes, such as the Equality (Race & Disability) Bill (expected 2026), and evolving duties around pay transparency, equal pay, and inclusive workplace culture.
  • The work of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC): Aligning with the EHRC’s guidance and strategic priorities for enforcing and promoting equality and human rights.

By proactively aligning with these legal and ethical frameworks, Skylite commits to moving beyond minimum compliance to create a workplace where everyone has the opportunity to flourish and excel.

 

 

  1. Scope and Application

This EDEI Statement applies across the full scope of Skylite’s operations, ensuring consistency and accountability in every interaction:

  • Core Business: Coaching individuals, organizations, and leaders in the UK, delivered through in-person sessions, remote platforms, workshops, and consultancy engagements.
  • External Network: The engagement and management of independent associate coaches, consultants, suppliers, and training partners.
  • Internal Workforce: All employees, contractors, and temporary staff within our organization.
  • Client Relationships: Our external interactions with all clients, venue providers, and contractors.

We commit to embedding equity, diversity, and inclusion into our organizational culture, daily behaviors, decision-making, recruitment, supplier selection, and service delivery across all these settings.

  1. Our Commitments and Action Pledges

Skylite pledges to take proactive steps guided by these core commitments:

  1. Eradicate Bias: Eliminate all forms of unfair or unlawful discrimination, harassment, and victimization in all our activities, in line with the Equality Act 2010.
  2. Ensure Equity of Opportunity: Advance genuine equality of opportunity by actively identifying and removing systemic or cultural barriers, ensuring everyone can access opportunities, contribute fully, and develop their careers.
  3. Promote Belonging and Good Relations: Foster a culture of psychological safety and mutual respect between people from all protected and non-protected groups, promoting a supportive and inclusive environment where differences are celebrated.
  4. Uphold Equity: Promote equity by recognizing that different individuals may require tailored support, resources, or accommodations to achieve their full potential and level the playing field.
  5. Build a Diverse Ecosystem: Proactively build a diverse internal workforce, associate network, and supplier community that reflects the variety of talent, experience, and perspectives necessary to strengthen our work and drive better client outcomes.
  6. Embed Inclusive Practice: Ensure our approach to inclusion is proactive by reviewing and updating our processes, leadership training, recruitment pipelines, development pathways, and policies to embed inclusive practices by default.
  7. Accountability and Transparency: Promote transparency, hold ourselves accountable, and monitor our progress through meaningful, proportionate data collection, including regular team climate surveys.
  8. Support and Safeguard: Support and safeguard individuals who raise concerns about discrimination, harassment, or non-compliance, ensuring they can do so confidentially and without fear of reprisal.
  1. Governance, Responsibilities & Accountability

The Board and the Senior Leadership Team are ultimately accountable for the successful delivery of this EDEI Statement and for ensuring its principles are embedded across every function of Skylite.

  • Directors and Managers are responsible for actively applying these principles in their areas of control, including recruitment, supplier engagement, training delivery, performance management, and client delivery.
  • All Employees, Associates, and Contractors are expected to contribute to an inclusive culture by demonstrating respectful behaviors, participating fully in mandatory EDEI training, and speaking up if they observe behavior inconsistent with our values.

We will ensure robust mechanisms are in place for reporting concerns, conducting fair and thorough investigations, and taking timely, proportionate corrective action.

  1. Monitoring & Continuous Improvement

Skylite will monitor the effectiveness of our EDEI commitments through a combination of quantitative and qualitative indicators. We prioritize continuous improvement and transparent reporting:

Key Metrics and Indicators:

  • Workforce Diversity: Proportional representation data (where appropriate, voluntary, and aligned with data privacy laws).
  • Culture & Climate: Results from internal surveys measuring feelings of inclusion, belonging, and psychological safety.
  • Development & Training: Completion rates for mandatory EDEI and inclusive leadership training.
  • Incidents & Resolution: Tracking the volume, nature, and successful resolution of discrimination, harassment, or grievance reports.
  • Supplier Diversity: Progress in diversifying our supplier and partner network.
  • Pay Gap Reporting: (Where applicable and proportionate) Annual review of pay data across demographics to identify and address any unwarranted gaps.

We recognize that the legal and regulatory landscape is continuously evolving. We will review this Statement, our supporting policies, and our metrics at least once annually, or immediately in response to major legislative, regulatory, or organizational change.

  1. Statement of Commitment

Skylite Associates is committed to operating in a manner consistent with our core purpose—supporting transformation, achieving success—and we believe that central to that is creating a culture of equity, diversity, inclusion, and true belonging. We will maintain high standards of integrity, fairness, and accountability, and we will actively embed inclusive practices into every facet of our business.

EDEI Supporting Policy Excerpts

  1. Policy on Inclusive Recruitment and Selection

This excerpt supports Commitment 5 (“Build a Diverse Ecosystem”) and Commitment 2 (“Ensure Equity of Opportunity”).

1.1 Objective

To ensure that all recruitment, hiring, and promotion processes are fair, transparent, and free from bias, thereby attracting the widest possible pool of talent and building a workforce and associate network that reflects diverse perspectives.

1.2 Core Policy Statement

Skylite Associates is committed to recruiting, selecting, and promoting individuals solely on the basis of their skills, experience, and ability to meet the requirements of the role. We will take proactive steps to mitigate unconscious bias and ensure that no candidate or current employee is disadvantaged due to any Protected Characteristic or other factors such as socioeconomic background or parental status.

1.3 Key Procedures

  • Job Descriptions: All role descriptions will focus on core competencies and essential functions, avoiding unnecessarily restrictive criteria or non-inclusive language.
  • Mandatory Training: All individuals involved in the hiring process (including managers and associates) mustcomplete mandatory Inclusive Interviewing and Bias Mitigation Training annually.
  • Diverse Panels: Where possible and proportionate, selection panels will be diverse in composition to challenge singular viewpoints and perspectives.
  • Skills-Based Assessment: Reliance on traditional CV screening will be balanced with structured, skills-based assessments (e.g., practical tasks, standardized scenarios) to evaluate true aptitude and performance potential.
  1. Policy on Dignity at Work and Reporting Grievances

This excerpt supports Commitment 1 (“Eradicate Bias”) and Commitment 8 (“Support and Safeguard”). This policy establishes the foundational standard for professional behaviour.

 

2.1 Objective

To cultivate a culture of psychological safety and mutual respect, ensuring all employees, associates, clients, and partners can work without fear of harassment, bullying, victimization, or discrimination.

2.2 Core Policy Statement

Skylite Associates adopts a zero-tolerance stance against all forms of bullying, harassment (including third-party harassment), and discrimination. Any behaviour that is offensive, intimidating, malicious, or insulting, and which undermines a person’s dignity, is unacceptable and constitutes a breach of this policy. This applies to all company activities, including in-person meetings, virtual platforms, social events, and digital communications.

2.3 Reporting Mechanism (Commitment 8)

  • Confidential Reporting Channels: Skylite will maintain clearly advertised, multiple channels for reporting concerns, including direct line management, the HR/People lead, or a confidential, independent external resource (e.g., a reporting hotline).
  • No Reprisal Guarantee: Individuals who raise concerns in good faith, whether formally or informally, will be fully supported. Any act of retaliation or victimization against a person for raising a complaint, providing information, or assisting in an investigation will be treated as gross misconduct.
  • Investigation: All formal complaints will be investigated promptly, thoroughly, impartially, and confidentially, with timely updates provided to all relevant parties where legally permissible.

 

 

  1. Policy on Reasonable Adjustments and Equity

This excerpt supports Commitment 4 (“Uphold Equity”) and Commitment 2 (“Ensure Equity of Opportunity”).

3.1 Objective

To actively fulfil our duty to promote equity by providing appropriate and timely reasonable adjustments and accommodations, ensuring that disability, health conditions, or temporary circumstances do not create a barrier to work or accessing our services.

3.2 Core Policy Statement

Skylite is committed to addressing individual needs proactively. We recognize that true equality requires equity—providing tailored resources and support to ensure all individuals, including those with disabilities (visible or non-visible), long-term health conditions, or specific circumstances (e.g., maternity/paternity/carer responsibilities), can perform their role effectively and participate fully in our programmes.

3.3 Key Procedures

  • Proactive Discussion: Skylite will proactively offer opportunities to discuss adjustment needs with employees and associates at key stages (e.g., recruitment, during performance reviews, or upon return from extended leave).
  • Funding and Implementation: We will ensure mechanisms and dedicated resources are in place to fund and implement agreed-upon reasonable adjustments swiftly, whether they relate to physical workspace, technology, flexible working patterns, or changes to how information is delivered.
  • Accessibility Review: All digital platforms used for training, coaching, and internal communications will be regularly reviewed for compliance with WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) standards, ensuring our core business is fully accessible to all participants.
  1. Policy on Supplier Diversity and Partner Selection

This excerpt supports Commitment 5 (“Build a Diverse Ecosystem”) and Commitment 6 (“Embed Inclusive Practice”).

4.1 Objective

To expand our diverse ecosystem by proactively seeking and engaging with suppliers, consultants, and partners who share our EDEI values and contribute to economic inclusion within our supply chain.

4.2 Core Policy Statement

Skylite Associates will actively work to diversify its supply chain and associate network, ensuring fairness and equal access to opportunities for businesses owned by underrepresented groups. EDEI credentials and commitment will be a weighted factor in all supplier selection and procurement processes.

4.3 Key Procedures

  • EDEI Vetting: All major partners, suppliers, and venue providers will be required to provide a copy of their own EDEI statement or policy as a critical component of the due diligence and onboarding process.
  • Targeted Outreach: Skylite will dedicate efforts to identify, connect with, and include enterprises from diverse backgrounds (e.g., women-owned, minority-owned, disability-owned, veteran-owned) in the procurement process where applicable and appropriate.
  • Contractual Adherence: Contracts with suppliers and associates will include explicit clauses requiring adherence to the principles of Skylite’s Dignity at Work policy while performing services for or alongside Skylite.

Monitoring: We will periodically monitor and report on the diversity of our key suppliers and associates to track our progress against