On the one hand we have the biological argument that you cannot change the sex you were born into, and on the other the rights of individuals who feel that they were born into the wrong body and wish to live life as the gender they feel applies to them, free from bias and discrimination.Continue reading “Why must we choose between 2 extremes in the Trans debate when there is a sensible, compassionate middle ground?”
Category Archives: Dignity
Which will cost you more, calling someone a Scottish **** or a Geordie ****?
Nationality is included in the legal definition of race discrimination so the Scottish insult is likely to be a bigger claim. However, although regions of the UK are not included in the definition please don’t use this as an excuse to start abusing all Geordies, Scousers and Brummies! That is still likely to be classedContinue reading “Which will cost you more, calling someone a Scottish **** or a Geordie ****?”
What classes as harassment or discrimination at work?
A short answer to this important question would be ‘treating someone less favourably in a way that relates to a ‘protected characteristic’ such as their race, sex, sexual orientation etc.’ Don’t worry about the difference between the 2 terms, that is more for lawyers. For employers, the key is to recognise and then tackle behavioursContinue reading “What classes as harassment or discrimination at work?”
How can employers protect themselves against claims for harassment or discrimination?
Recent press articles suggest the bar is incredibly low for what constitutes harassment or discrimination at work. Take the recent case where an organisation lost a tribunal for sexual harassment supposedly because the boss didn’t say good morning to a female colleague when he did to male staff. Whereas such headlines are worrying for employers,Continue reading “How can employers protect themselves against claims for harassment or discrimination?”
New law means responsible employers must train their employees on how to avoid sexually harassing others.
Effective 26th October, the law now requires employers to take ‘all reasonable steps’ to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace. Although the wording is similar to the previous phraseology, those 3 new words ‘all reasonable steps’ means it will now be significantly harder for organisations to defend claims, even if they don’t believe they haveContinue reading “New law means responsible employers must train their employees on how to avoid sexually harassing others.”
Try not to comment on a colleague’s appearance. It can prove costly!
In our recently released ‘banter and behaviour in the workplace’ e-learning course (see below for further details), one of the examples we give of sexual harassment / discrimination is ‘commenting on an individual’s dress or appearance’. This is one of several examples of sexual harassment quoted in most legal courses and also the CIPD’s legalContinue reading “Try not to comment on a colleague’s appearance. It can prove costly!”
Study finds we think 15 percent of the UK is gay and 5 percent are trans. What are the actual figures?
In our last article we discussed how the public perceives the Muslim population in the UK, along with other minorities, to be much higher than they actually are. The same applies to the gay and trans communities. According to a study by Yougov we perceive that 15 percent of the UK is gay but theContinue reading “Study finds we think 15 percent of the UK is gay and 5 percent are trans. What are the actual figures?”
Only 4 percent of the UK population is Muslim. Why do people think it is fifteen percent?
These are the most recent figures from a YouGov study. It also found that, whereas the Asian population of the UK is seven percent, we perceive it to be fifteen. This overestimation of the size of Muslim and Asian communities in the UK has been a feature throughout my HR career, and I can onlyContinue reading “Only 4 percent of the UK population is Muslim. Why do people think it is fifteen percent?”
Tempted to call a young employee a ‘stroppy little teenager’? It may cost you thousands if you discriminate against younger employees.
We normally associate age discrimination with older people, but it is just as important to ensure you avoid treating younger workers less favourably. A supermarket was taken to Tribunal when a manager became frustrated with a young employee’s attitude at work and called her a ‘stroppy little teenager’. They ended up paying her significant compensationContinue reading “Tempted to call a young employee a ‘stroppy little teenager’? It may cost you thousands if you discriminate against younger employees.”
Are Employers Responsible for the Irresponsible Acts of their Staff?
Whilst reading up on the outcome of the recent Chell v Tarmac Cement and Lime Ltd case I decided that vicarious liability may be an interesting topic for this week’s blog. As you may be aware, generally employers are vicariously liable for the acts of their employees whilst at work, but it is not a givenContinue reading “Are Employers Responsible for the Irresponsible Acts of their Staff?”