Among the many responsibilities that employers have is a responsibility to do all they can to prevent discrimination in the workplace.
Discrimination happens when less favourable treatment occurs because of one of the nine ‘protected characteristics’ identified in the Equality Act 2010.
These are age, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, disability, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, and gender reassignment.
The key thing employers need to know - and for them to act on in advance - is the fact that any act of discrimination carried out by an employee in the course of their employment is treated as having also been done by the employer, regardless of whether the employee’s acts were done with the employer’s knowledge or approval.
In a recent employment tribunal case, for example, the question of whether using a gendered swearword to insult a transgender staff member constituted discrimination was considered.
The tribunal found that the incident didn’t actually occur, but in doing so, it provided some useful guidance on the ‘reasonable steps’ an employer can take to prevent discrimination in the workplace and therefore defend discrimination claims. It is for the employer to provide that it did everything it could to prevent its employees committing discriminatory acts, which can often be difficult.
This particular tribunal found that the employer took the following ‘reasonable steps’ because:
However, in order for the employer to have fully satisfied the ‘reasonable steps’ defence, the tribunal found that the following additional steps could have been taken:
As with many employment law issues, full preparation for situations which might occur in the workplace is the key to avoiding issues in the future and all North East employers would be wise to take heed of the tribunal’s guidance.
Getting expert advice in making sure that all your relevant workplace policies are fully up to date and holding regular equality, diversity and inclusion training are two key ways to minimise the risk of a business having to face an employment tribunal claim.
For further information and advice on all aspects of developing and implementing workplace policies, support with training, or any aspect of employment law, please contact Sarah here or on 0191 232 8345.
Our regular employment updates and events keep you up to date with all the latest legal developments you need to know about.
Send your query by clicking below and we will be in touch as soon as possible