Whilst not a legal requirement, it is highly advisable to have a written equal opportunities policy in place. This should be a statement that expresses the organisation's commitment to providing equality of opportunity to all employees and potential employees. The policy should also require all employees to comply with the principles of the policy and make it clear that any breach of the policy may result in disciplinary action.
There should be a linkage between the organisation's policy on bullying and sexual harassment and its equal opportunities policy. This will ensure that activities such as racially motivated or homophobic harassment are comprehensively covered within the employee handbook.