Frequently asked questions.
Veganism FAQs
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Veganism is not just a diet. It is a system of beliefs centred around the avoidance of animal exploitation and cruelty. These beliefs dictate not only the food a vegan eats, but also the clothes they wear, the products they use and the activities they avoid. It is defined by The Vegan Society as:
“a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude—as far as is possible and practicable—all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of animals, humans and the environment. In dietary terms it denotes the practice of dispensing with all products derived wholly or partly from animals”
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“Veganism” is a set of philosophical beliefs centred around the avoidance of all animal exploitation and cruelty, as explained in the question above. Vegans avoid the use of animals not only for food, but also for clothing (such as fur or leather) or any other purpose (such as animal testing or the use of animals for entertainment).
According to the Vegetarian Society, a vegetarian is someone who lives on a diet of grains, pulses, nuts, seeds, fruit and vegetables with or without the use of dairy products and eggs. A vegetarian does not eat any meat, poultry, game, fish, shellfish or by-products of slaughter. Some vegetarians also avoid some of the same products and activities as vegans, if they use or contain animals or animal-derived ingredients.
In relation to dietary choices, a vegan would therefore avoid all foods containing animal-derived ingredients, such as meat, fish, cheese or eggs, whereas a vegetarian would avoid all foods containing ingredients derived from the killing of an animal, such as meat or fish.
Many people use the term “plant-based” to indicate that they eat a diet that either entirely or mostly comprises of plant-based foods. However, some people may describe themselves as plant-based and still eat certain animal-derived products.
Some beliefs and choices vary between individuals so if you’re unsure, it’s best to ask the individual concerned directly. -
These vary between organisations, but here are some suggestions to get you started:
• Do you provide cow’s milk to staff for tea and coffee? Make sure you also provide plant milk for vegan staff.
• Do you provide employees with food, for example during a shift or on working lunches? Make sure you provide a vegan option of equivalent quality, quantity and nutritional value.
• Are your employees required to wear a uniform? Does that uniform contain any animal-derived products like wool, leather or silk? Switching to an alternative such as cotton or synthetic materials will be vegan-inclusive.
• Do you require employees to attend events involving animals or animal-derived ingredients such as corporate race days, cheese tasting or hog roasts? Holding events that don’t involve animals and/or aren’t centred around animal-derived ingredients are more likely to be vegan-inclusive. However, if this isn’t possible for reasons outside your control (such as last-minute events or events arranged by a third party), consider exempting vegans who don’t wish to participate.
Get in touch to discuss your specific organisation and the things you can be doing to better support vegan employees.
Vegan-Inclusive Employer FAQs
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There are lots of very good reasons to consider vegan inclusion.
Check out this section of our website and the articles linked within it to find out more. -
The Vegan-Inclusive Workplace Assessment (VIWA) is a questionnaire designed to draw out details about various aspects of your business and your policies and practices in relation to employees. It is the first step in the process to becoming a Certified Vegan-Inclusive Workplace.
You’ll be asked about:
• Your existing policies
• Food and drink
• Uniforms, PPE and other products
• Duties and additional tasks
• HR decision-making processes
• Events and socials
• Culture
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If you have all of the information to hand, it shouldn’t take longer than an hour or two to complete the VIWA.
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Once you’ve submitted the VIEA, we’ll review your answers and we may have some further questions. We may also need to ask for further evidence or policies.
One of two things will then happen. Either you’ll already be meeting all of the requirements for certification, or there may be some room for improvement. If there’s room for improvement, we’ll take you through the changes that need to be made in order to become a Certified Vegan-Inclusive Workplace.
Once you have met the requirements for certification, you’ll be invited to sign the Vegan Inclusion Charter, after which you’ll be a Certified Vegan-Inclusive Workplace, and you can display our certification mark on your website.
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The Vegan Inclusion Charter is a set of commitments that every employer must sign up to in order to become certified. You can read the Charter here.
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We invite every organisation to consider becoming a Certified Vegan-Inclusive Workplace, whether your business is vegan or not. Many non-vegan businesses employ vegans (for example, a restaurant that sells non-vegan food, a shoe shop that sells leather shoes or a professional services business that works with animal-use industries).
Even though your business may not be vegan, you still have a legal obligation to consider the needs of your employees, including your vegan employees, and we welcome discussion about any concerns you may have.
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We trust businesses not to knowingly provide false information during the certification process, and the Vegan-Inclusive Workplace Assessment is a robust process intended to identify areas for improvement. We hope that this will shine a light on any changes that need to be made, and we will work collaboratively with the organisation to plug any gaps in knowledge or practices.
In the unlikely event that an organisation does not uphold our standards (set out in the Vegan Inclusion Charter) or false information is provided during the Assessment process, we use a system of whistle-blowing and invite any employee of one of our certified organisations to contact us to alert us to this. You can report your concerns here. We will then investigate, with our primary goal being to identify and rectify any issues. If necessary, in rare cases, we will not hesitate to remove the certification.
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Every 12 months, we’ll check in to answer any questions that may have come up over the year, and help you make any adaptations to policies or practices if needed. We may ask you to circulate an employee satisfaction survey and share the results with us. Assuming that you are continuing to consider the needs of vegan employees and make any necessary adaptations on an ongoing basis, and no other concerns are flagged in the employee satisfaction survey, you’ll be invited to recertify for another year. In some cases, for example if there have been significant changes to the management or operation of the organisation, you may be asked to update your Vegan-Inclusive Workplace Assessment before re-certification.
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We endeavour to make the process affordable and accessible for as many organisations as possible. There are a number of factors that affect the certification fee, including the type and size of the organisation, so please get in touch and we’ll be happy to provide you with our pricing schedule.
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If you are an employee working at a Certified Vegan-Inclusive Workplace and you would like to report a breach of the Vegan Inclusion Charter, please do so using this form.
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How you communicate your certification internally is completely up to you. On certification, we will provide you with information that you can circulate to employees to explain what the certification means.
We will also provide you with a media pack containing the certification mark and social media collateral.
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The reason veganism has legal protection is because it is not a dietary choice but a philosophical belief system, which affects many parts of a vegan’s life, including their diet. It also involves avoiding animal-derived ingredients in cosmetics and clothing, products that have been tested on animals, and activities that involve animal use, among other things.
Our focus is on the needs and rights of vegans; however, we welcome any consideration by employers of the needs of their staff, including consideration of the need for gluten-free or vegetarian food.
If you have any other questions that are not answered here, or if you require any additional information in relation to any of the FAQs, please feel free to reach us via our Contact page.
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