Commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi
Table Tennis NZ recognises Te Tiriti o Waitangi as Aotearoa New Zealand’s founding document and is committed to upholding the mana of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the principles of Partnership, Protection and Participation.
Policy 2: Preventing Discrimination
Purpose
This policy aims to:
- support an inclusive environment where all people are treated with dignity, respect and courtesy, free from discrimination
- provide a process to deal with discrimination by or toward those involved in Table Tennis NZ or any organisations affiliated to Table Tennis NZ
Application
This policy applies to anyone involved in Table Tennis NZ or any organisations affiliated to Table Tennis NZ. This includes as a participant, employee, contractor or volunteer, player, official (referee or umpire), Board or committee member or office holders, administrator, coach, supervisor, manager, member, caregiver, parent, whānau or supporter.
What is Discrimination?
Discrimination is treating or threatening to treat a person, or a group of people, differently and unfavourably, and can be direct or indirect, obvious or subtle. People may not be aware of their own prejudices or biases in favour of or against a group or type of person but that does not excuse discrimination.
- Direct discrimination is treating someone with a particular characteristic or attribute less favourably than a person who does not have that attribute
- Indirect discrimination is imposing an unreasonable requirement, condition or practice that disadvantages people with a particular attribute or characteristic
It is unlawful to discriminate against a person or group of people because of the following attributes and characteristics:
- race, colour, descent, ancestry or national, ethnic, or social origin
- sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital or relationship status, pregnancy or breastfeeding, family status
- disability
- employment status
- age
- religious, ethical or political belief g. women wearing headpieces, wearing full coverings, people kneeling during national anthems, or having political statements on wrist bands
Exemptions under the New Zealand legislation may permit certain forms of Discrimination. These may include Discrimination:
- for the provision of separate facilities or services for each sex on the ground of public decency or public safety;
- or any other application of NZ laws
Table Tennis NZ will not tolerate any discrimination by people involved in Table Tennis or towards any person involved in Table Tennis. We will take all allegations of discrimination seriously and deal with them in accordance with the Complaints, Disputes and Appeals Policy.
Informal resolution
Any person who feels they or someone else have been or is being discriminated against, should:
- discuss the situation with family/whānau/other support person
- following that discussion, decide how they would like to address the behaviour
People are always encouraged to raise concerns directly with the person who has behaved in a way causing concern, but only if that feels safe and likely to be helpful. Otherwise, asking an organisation official or family/whānau member to help raise the issue and seek a constructive conversation is a good idea. Both parties involved should have a chance to be heard respectfully and feel safe to be able to say what they want to say through both informal and formal processes. If direct resolution isn’t successful or appropriate, the issue should be raised with the relevant club/organisation committee, which, in consultation with the people involved, will put in place a culturally appropriate process to try to resolve it. This may include holding a facilitated meeting in a place, and following a process that meets the needs of the people involved. Informal resolution may not be suitable if the discrimination is direct, serious, or continuous, involves someone very senior or people are scared of being punished for raising a concern. It might be more appropriate in circumstances of indirect discrimination. It is important that any person involved in an informal resolution process is supported to feel safe in the process. Anyone involved can have family/whānau support throughout the process. If anyone changes their mind about being involved in the process, that must be respected.
Making a complaint
Individuals who wish to make a complaint, or report an alleged breach of this policy, should follow the procedure in the Complaints, Disputes and Appeals Policy.
Individuals may also choose to make a complaint about discrimination to the Human Rights Commissioner.
Employees may wish to raise a personal grievance in accordance with the Employment Relations Act 2000.
Version: February 2025