Acas publishes guidance on workplace neurodiversity
Acas has published guidance to help employers learn about neurodiversity and to suggest changes that can be made in the […]
Discrimination
No discrimination if dismissal based on religious beliefs of employer
In Gan Menachem Hendon Ltd -v- de Groen,the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) held that dismissing an employee, who refused to […]
Constructive knowledge of disability: when should employers reasonably know of an employee's disability?
In the recent case of Lamb v. The Garrard Academy the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) considered at what point employers have a duty to make reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010 (the Act).
Supreme Court considers "unfavourable" treatment in relation to disability discrimination
The Supreme Court has found that calculating an employee’s pension entitlement based on the employee’s part-time salary (where the employee […]
Government framework for voluntary reporting on disability, mental health and wellbeing: what is expected of employers?
Following the 2017 Thriving at Work Review, the government has developed a framework to support large employers with recording and […]
Is it safe to dismiss an employee who is receiving long-term disability benefits?
The EAT has dealt a blow to employers, confirming that the purpose of permanent health insurance and similar schemes would […]
Context is key in claims of harassment
In the recent case of Evans v. Xactly Corporation Limited the EAT considered whether calling an employee a “fat ginger […]
Government to propose mandatory ethnic pay gap reporting
As UK companies with more than 250 employees are now required to publish gender pay gap information, the government has turned its attention to the ethnicity pay gap.
Sex discrimination case flushed out of the Tribunal system with a £25,000 settlement
A female council worker has settled her sex discrimination claim for £25,000. She was instructed to go to a different office, ahead of an inspector's visit, to clean the kitchen and the toilets. She was told the toilets "needed a woman's touch" despite the fact that cleaning was not within her job description.
"Pitiful" and "patronising" – the excuses given for the lack of female presence in FTSE boardrooms
The Hampton-Alexander Review, an independent review backed by the government to scrutinise the gender balance of boards at the top of the country's leading companies, released a report this week which lists some of the excuses given by companies for a lack of female representation on their boards.
EHRC gender pay gap investigations
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has written to the Government informing it that in June it will be commencing the first of its gender pay gap investigations into employers who have failed to comply with their gender pay gap (GPG) reporting obligations. The announcement should not come as a surprise as the EHRC issued a warning prior to 4 April 2018 deadline that any companies which failed to comply with their reporting obligations could face enforcement action in the form of a fine or an investigation.
No requirement to enhance pay for shared parental leave
We blogged in June last year about the employment tribunal claim of Ali -v- Capita Customer Management Ltd where Mr Ali was successful in his claim for direct sex discrimination. Female employees at Capita were entitled to 14 weeks’ full pay on maternity leave whereas fathers were only entitled to two weeks’ full pay on paternity and shared parental leave. Mr Ali's wife was advised to return to work early from maternity leave after being diagnosed with post natal depression. Mr Ali asked Capita whether he could take leave instead and was told he could take shared parental leave on statutory pay. The Tribunal found that this was direct sex discrimination.