Discrimination issues are a minefield for employers and fear that discrimination claims will be raised can result in employers failing to address issues in the workplace.
Expert assistance is essential if pitfalls are to be avoided.
There are nine areas that can give rise to a claim for discrimination:
- age
- disability
- sexual orientation
- pregnancy and maternity
- marriage and civil partnership
- gender reassignment
- race
- religion and belief.
Discrimination law covers all aspects of employment including recruitment and work-related matters after the employment has ended. Agency workers, freelancers and consultants are protected as well as employees. Employers can be liable for discriminatory actions of those in its organisation and even for those outside such as recruitment agencies.
We can provide practical advice to help employers avoid breaching discrimination laws and guide you through the minefield and also dispel some of the myths.
We can advise on
- policies setting out what constitutes acceptable behaviour
- reviewing employment contracts and recruitment procedures
- making reasonable adjustments to accommodate disabled workers
- how to strike the balance between conflicting rights.
There is no requirement that an employee has been employed for a minimum length of time before being able to bring a discrimination claim (unlike the two year threshold required for most types of unfair dismissal claim) and there is no cap on the amount of compensation that can be awarded by a tribunal.
Discrimination cases require sensitive handling and an awareness of the reputational risks so we work closely with clients to achieve a swift and effective resolution.