Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging (EDIB)

Reddie & Grose is committed to creating and sustaining a fair, positive and mutually supportive working environment for all staff. We want our staff to feel equally valued and respected.

We believe that excellence will be achieved through recognising the value of every individual. We aim to create an environment that respects the diversity of staff, enabling them to achieve their full potential, contribute fully and derive maximum benefit from their time with Reddie & Grose.

To this end, we acknowledge the following basic rights for all staff:

• To be treated with respect and dignity.
• To be treated fairly with regard to all procedures.
• To be encouraged to reach one’s full potential.

These rights carry responsibilities and we require all staff to recognise these rights and act in accordance with them. In addition, we will comply with all relevant legislation and good practice.

No individual will be unjustly discriminated against. This includes, but is not limited to, discrimination because of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion and belief, sex and sexual orientation.

Reddie & Grose LLP has signed the IP Inclusive Charter promoted by the UK professional institutes and the UK Intellectual Property Office, which represents a public commitment to supporting and promoting equality, diversity and inclusion in the IP professions.

Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Group

In line with our values, our EDIB group was created to, and is responsible for, driving and overseeing our EDIB initiatives and ensuring a diverse and inclusive work environment. The group comprises representatives from across our firm and includes our Executive Partner. Our chairperson is Julie Milburn, a senior partner in our Consumer Products and Manufacturing team.

The core objectives of the group are:

• Foster an inclusive culture that values and respects diversity in all its forms
• Promote equal opportunities and fair treatment of all employees
• Identify and address barriers to diversity and inclusion within the workplace
• Develop and implement initiatives to attract, retain, and advance diverse talent
• Involve and advise senior management on EDIB policies, strategies, and best practices

We are members of IP Inclusive and have been actively involved in Women in IP, IP & ME, IP Out and IP Ability.

Working with our local communities

We are delighted to be a part of the vibrant Whitechapel community and have partnered with The Switch, an education charity. The Switch provides volunteer-based programmes and workshops aimed at raising the aspirations of young people through developing employability skills and an understanding of the world of work. Several members of staff conducted mock interviews and skill sessions with students from the primary and secondary schools in the Borough. We regularly invite staff to get involved with similar initiatives and tend to run a number of voluntary workshops each year.

We support various Whitechapel homeless charities like the “Whitechapel Mission” and “Providence Row“, along with others that have special importance to members of staff. Each December, we organise a firm-wide donation appeal for food and other essential items to donate to local organisations who work with people sleeping rough. The Whitechapel Mission is a volunteer led organisation who help Londoners sleeping rough, meeting the specific needs of each person who walks through their doors. Notably, 90% of their guests are male. Jimmy’s Cambridge is a community-based charity providing both support and housing to people who are sleeping rough.

Environment

We are ISO 14001 accredited, ensuring our Environmental Management System (EMS) meets the required standard and makes sure we have robust environmental policies and processes in place.

In the office, we are conscious of how our actions can save energy and reduce waste: our office space uses energy efficient sensor lights, has multiple recycling points, and we have radically reduced our use of paper. We offer incentive schemes to encourage staff to cycle to work, and are committed to improving our environmental governance year on year.

We have a very active Sustainability Group who are continually investigating ways in which the firm and individuals can do more to protect and restore the environment.

Since February 2023 we have partnered with Urban Bees, as part of our sustainability programme.

Bees are vital pollinators of plants and trees which can provide fruits, nuts, and vegetables to eat. Of around 250 species of bees found in the UK, the vast majority are solitary bees. Unlike honeybees and bumblebees, solitary bees don’t live together in colonies. A solitary female bee makes her nest alone.

Alison Benjamin, co-founder of Urban Bees Ltd, says “Urban Bees is excited to have the opportunity to introduce Reddie & Grose staff to the wonders of bees and how to help them. Through a series of fun events, we will show the simple steps businesses and individuals can take to support these vital pollinators, from rewilding spaces to feed bees, to creating safe havens where some of our 270 wild bee species can nest.  We are intrinsically linked to nature, so if we can help bees to thrive, we will too.”