Discrimination

Good employment practices help employers aim to attract and retain the best people for the job, irrespective of who they are, where they come from and what they believe. That is the background to the extensive, and sometimes complex, anti-discrimination legislation.

The legislation applies to “Protected Characteristics” and prevents and compensates for discrimination on the basis of an individual’s age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. As an employer, you are required to follow this anti-discrimination legislation in all aspects of staff relations, from recruitment to termination and everything in between.

Employers can also be held responsible for the actions and behaviour of their staff members towards each other and to their clients, customers and suppliers. It is therefore essential that you establish and communicate policies and processes that explain what is required of staff, and that you ensure staff comply. Ultimately, compensation for discrimination claims on whatever grounds can be both expensive and reputationally damaging, so it is important that you take this issue seriously and develop an appropriate approach that mitigates the risk of any such claims.

We can:

• Review your HR policies and processes to make sure that they are compliant.
• Provide training to your HR staff to ensure that they apply the policies and processes correctly and understand how to deal with any complaints.
• Provide advice on any specific complaints/allegations of discrimination.
• Defend and represent you at any tribunal proceedings that employees take against the business.