 Is your organisation facing a grievance or a claim relating to discrimination? Are you confident that all your employment practices are non-discriminatory and that your managers and staff understand their responsibilities sufficiently not to land you in a tribunal?
Employees do not have to have a certain length of service in order to be able to bring a a discrimination claim - they are protected from the moment they begin working for you. The law extends to the recruitment process, meaning that job applicants are also able to bring claims.
There is no cap on the awards which Employment Tribunals can make in discrimination cases. Add to this the particularly negative publicity associated with such claims which can permanently damage an organisation's reputation and the significant legal costs often involved, and ask yourself whether you can afford not to be sure you are fully compliant?
It is unlawful to discriminate on the grounds of :
- Sex
- Race
- Disability - employers also have a duty to make reasonable adjustments to assist the disabled person
- Religion or belief
- Sexual orientation
- Age
- Part time status
- Fixed term status
This may sound simple enough but discrimination law is a complex area. Even 'good employers' can find themselves in the tribunal. For example, there are four distinct types of discrimination - do you know what they all are and how your organisation ensures that it does not fall foul of any of them? Are all your practices, policies and procedures free of discrimination, even if entirely unintentional? Do your managers and staff understand what is and is not acceptable behaviour at work?
Expert advice is essential to ensure your organisation does not make expensive mistakes. Our team has extensive experience in discrimination cases, including those of a complex and high value nature.
We can review all your employment practices, policies and procedures and ensure that they are non-dsicriminatory; provide training to yoiur managers and staff on acceptable and unacceptable behaviour at work; advise you in relation to grievances; and represent you in the event of a claim being made.
For more information about how we can help you, please complete the Employer's enquiry form. Alternatively please contact us between 8am and 6 pm Monday to Friday on freephone 0800 11 88 99 or email us at info@levenes.co.uk and we will be in touch with you as soon as possible.
Related Discrimination NewsA 42-year-old man has been awarded an undisclosed amount of damages after becoming one of the youngest people to successfully claim he was fired for being too old.
|
