Employment Discrimination Law Solicitors
Your employees are protected against many forms of discrimination in the workplace by the Equality Act 2010. This is an important piece of legislation which you must address when drafting and updating your employment contracts and procedures.
Claims for discrimination can be very emotive and can harm your business in many ways, especially if they are not acknowledged and handled fairly and appropriately. Our experienced team can advise on a wide range of Employment Law matters – including discrimination – in different languages. Call us on 0208 1111 911 or contact us through the website.
What forms of discrimination might my employees experience?
Any discrimination they experience will usually relate to one or more of their ‘protected characteristics’. These are personal attributes on which it is unlawful to discriminate against someone. The characteristics are:
- Age
- Disability
- Gender reassignment
- Marriage or Civil Partnership
- Pregnancy or Maternity
- Race
- Sex
- Religion or Belief
- Sexual Orientation
The Equality Act 2010 protects people against discrimination based on any of the above characteristics throughout their everyday life. The workplace is no exception, so even if no mention is made of discrimination in your employment documents or procedures, this statutory right to avoid discrimination is effectively an implied term of all employees’ contracts.
As an employer, you need to ensure that your employees do not discriminate and such a way and that you have clear procedures in place to respond to and investigate any complaints fully.
How does discrimination arise in the workplace?
There are a number of ways that discrimination can arise. These include:
- Harassment and abuse which can leave victims upset or intimidated
- Direct discrimination, such as not employing someone based on a protected characteristic
- Disability discrimination such as not employing a disabled person or failing to make reasonable adjustments to enable them to do a job. There are some valid defences against claims if a genuine business need can be established.
These are just a few examples of discrimination in the workplace. If you have received any claims for discrimination, based on a protected characteristic we strongly advise that you seek legal advice to discuss the circumstances of the claim.
How can legal advice help me reduce the risk of discrimination?
If discrimination within your business has been alleged, we can help you ensure that you respond to the claim. Also, although your employees are all automatically entitled by law not to be discriminated against, you should still have clear, written procedures to help you deal with discrimination claims, which we can advise on.
How do I get advice on workplace discrimination for my business?
Call us on 0208 1111 911 or contact us through the website and we’ll discuss your business with you. Then we’ll recommend the best course of action to ensure that you remain compliant and can effectively handle any claims for discrimination fairly. The initial call is free and we’ll advise you of our fees before you decide to instruct us.
