Discrimination
If you have been the victim of discrimination at work then taking action isn’t just vital for your career, but will also help you maintain your self-respect. A greater awareness of discrimination over recent years has led to a tightening of the law, making it much more difficult for employers to evade their responsibilities and making it easier for affected employees to take action against discrimination in the workplace.
Our dedicated employment solicitors have many years’ experience of successfully representing clients in discrimination cases and can help you resolve the situation. No matter how complex your case, we will give you practical advice and help to ensure that your interests are protected.
If you would like to talk in confidence to one of our experienced solicitors or have any questions about discrimination then please call us on 0845 6017756 or email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
In the meantime you may be interested to know:
Equal pay
Men and women employees have a right to equal pay. This right is to equal pay for work of equal value, for like work or for work rated as equivalent. Pay includes both basic pay and other benefits from employment. However, if an employer can prove a "genuine material factor" then they may be able to justify the disparity. An employee is entitled to submit a special questionnaire to an employer requesting information about the pay of fellow employees if they feel that they may have a claim.
Other types of discrimination
Discrimination can occur on the grounds of sex or marital status, race or ethnic origin, hours worked, trade union membership, sexual orientation, religion and belief, or age. Unlawful discrimination arises if a person is treated less favourably than someone else because of their sex or race etc. The comparison does not have to be with a real person but can be a hypothetical one. Discrimination may also arise from a dismissal or another issue such as harassment or victimisation.
”Indirect" discrimination - where an employee is subjected to a provision, criterion or practice which more employees of that sex (or race etc) would suffer – is also possible. For example, a requirement that an employee work full-time as opposed to part-time may indirectly discriminate against women.
Legal protection from discrimination exists at the recruitment stage, during the course of employment and, in some circumstances, following the end of employment. In certain exceptional circumstances, however, an employer may have a defence of "genuine occupational requirement" or "qualification" in relation to some types of work.
Discrimination on the grounds of age
New legislation was introduced in the
Discrimination on the grounds of disability
Employees are also protected from discrimination on the grounds of disability. A disability is defined as a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term effect on a person's ability to carry out day-to-day activities. Unlawful discrimination occurs if someone is treated less favourably because of their disability or if an employer fails to make reasonable adjustments where a provision, criterion or practice, or a physical feature of the premises, places a disabled employee at a substantial disadvantage.
