If you own or run a business, it's important to ensure that your business is complying with equality and diversity legislation. Can you be sure that your business is implementing and monitoring policies to ensure equality and diversity legislation is being adhered to?
First, understand what types of discrimination can be present in the workplace:
- Age Unless there is a reason that an employee's age would disallow them from being able to work in a certain position, age should not be a factor in the hiring and promotion of employees.
- Religion & belief It is against the law for an employer to treat individuals differently according to their religion, belief or lack of. Within reason, employers must make accommodations for religious beliefs.
For clarification purposes: Religious discrimination: For example, Paying religious employees more than non-religious employees. Not religious discrimination: Requiring a butcher to handle pork, which is considered an unclean meat by the Jewish and Islam religions.
- Disability Reasonable accommodations must be made for disabled employees. Examples of this include modifying the workplace to make equipment more accessible to disabled employees, allowing time off for rehabilitation, and allowing an employee to work from home if the job can be completed in this manner.
For clarification purposes: Disability discrimination: Ending an individuals employment because they have been hospitalised as a result of their disability. Not disability discrimination: Turning down a paraplegic applicant for a job on a construction site, as accommodating the applicant would involve making adjustments which would severally inhibit the business.
- Gender Employees cannot be treated unfairly because of their gender, marital status, or because they have children.
- Race A person's national origins and skin colour should not determine how they are treated in the workplace. It is unlawful to discriminate against an employee or treat them unfairly because of their race.
- Sexual orientation No worker should feel discriminated against or harassed due to sexual orientation, whether they be straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, or trans-gender.
Following the guidelines set forth in equality and diversity legislation ensures that your business will not be cited, fined, or sued for discrimination. Having to implement a policy to enable your company to fulfil employment law requirements should not be viewed negatively. Investing in the set up and monitoring of such a policy can provide a good return and also protect against accusations.
First, understand what types of discrimination can be present in the workplace:
- Age Unless there is a reason that an employee's age would disallow them from being able to work in a certain position, age should not be a factor in the hiring and promotion of employees.
- Religion & belief It is against the law for an employer to treat individuals differently according to their religion, belief or lack of. Within reason, employers must make accommodations for religious beliefs.
For clarification purposes: Religious discrimination: For example, Paying religious employees more than non-religious employees. Not religious discrimination: Requiring a butcher to handle pork, which is considered an unclean meat by the Jewish and Islam religions.
- Disability Reasonable accommodations must be made for disabled employees. Examples of this include modifying the workplace to make equipment more accessible to disabled employees, allowing time off for rehabilitation, and allowing an employee to work from home if the job can be completed in this manner.
For clarification purposes: Disability discrimination: Ending an individuals employment because they have been hospitalised as a result of their disability. Not disability discrimination: Turning down a paraplegic applicant for a job on a construction site, as accommodating the applicant would involve making adjustments which would severally inhibit the business.
- Gender Employees cannot be treated unfairly because of their gender, marital status, or because they have children.
- Race A person's national origins and skin colour should not determine how they are treated in the workplace. It is unlawful to discriminate against an employee or treat them unfairly because of their race.
- Sexual orientation No worker should feel discriminated against or harassed due to sexual orientation, whether they be straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, or trans-gender.
Following the guidelines set forth in equality and diversity legislation ensures that your business will not be cited, fined, or sued for discrimination. Having to implement a policy to enable your company to fulfil employment law requirements should not be viewed negatively. Investing in the set up and monitoring of such a policy can provide a good return and also protect against accusations.
About the Author:
Guarantee the success of your equality and diversity policy through the use of suitable diversity training.