BBC acknowledges sex discrimination in pay
January 2020 was a good start for equal pay for women at the BBC. Sarah Montague received a settlement of £400,000 and an apology for sex discrimination in pay, which was lower than that of her male counterparts. Ms Montague presents the World at One show on Radio 4. She had been working for the BBC for more than 20 years. She did not full compensation (which could run into millions) but some...Read More 0
Interesting settlement for discrimination
We have read news of a settlement for discrimination by a transgender woman in a Northern Ireland case. The department store Debenhams has paid £9,000 to a woman who complained about transgender discrimination. This happened under the Northern Ireland equivalent of the Equality Act. Ava Moore, who was born male, applied for the position of temporary sales assistant for the Christmas season at...Read More 0
Ethical veganism – protected as a philosophical belief?
Under the Equality Act 2010, employers must not treat staff less favourably or harass them (discriminate) because of a “protected characteristic”. One such characteristic is their “religious or philosophical beliefs”. This case report sheds light on what counts as a ‘philosophical belief’ by saying that ethical veganism is a belief that qualifies for...Read More 0
Dress code at work
Dress codes at work have been in the news quite a bit recently. See our other articles on the topic here, here and here. And also here. We’ve seen headlines such as Japan ban on glasses for women at work, Goldman Sachs relaxes dress code, and Japan’s labour minister says high heels at work are ‘necessary’. Anothe recent report tells us that a Russian company gave bonuses to...Read More 0
Who gets the money from tips?
As a restaurant customer you may wonder who gets the money from tips. Many employees who work in the hospitality industry rely on tips from customers. Still more only receive the minimum wage. Customers worry that their act of generosity might not reach the intended person, especially where card payments are concerned. And they wonder whether the kitchen staff see any of it. Many restaurants...Read More 2
Are clowns allowed as meeting companions?
In the UK, no. But that didn’t stop Australian marketing consultant Josh Thompson from hiring a clown to be his redundancy companion in a consultation meeting, in a news story that has gone viral. Thompson’s employer invited him to a meeting to discuss his role . He foresaw that he would be sacked at the meeting. in the UK, an employee has the statutory right to bring a companion...Read More 0
When employers don’t have knowledge of a disability
One in four employers would not hire a disabled person if they have knowledge of a disability, according to a survey that Leonard Cheshire published recently. An alarming statistic to say the least. Employees and employers alike will find that the devil is in the detail. There is a very important detail to know when it comes to disability discrimination. What constitutes disability...Read More 4
Sacked for posting on Facebook: How would the sacking of Israel Folau be dealt with under UK Law?
Rugby Australia has sacked Australian rugby star Israel Folau because of what he said in a posting on Facebook. He wrote the following on his church’s Facebook page despite being warned not to do so.: “Drunks, homosexuals, adulterers, liars, fornicators, thieves, athiests and idolators – Hell awaits you”. We’ve posted on this very recently, so we are confident about how a UK...Read More 0
A one-off discriminatory act can attract a high level of compensation
What would the compensation be for a one-off discriminatory act? In discrimination law, one of the main compensation categories is ‘injury to feelings’. Injury to feelings is designed to compensate the employee for the effect the act(s) of discrimination had. There are three levels of compensation. These depend on the seriousness of discriminatory acts, known as the ‘Vento...Read More 0
Religious conversations and gross misconduct
Can religious conversations get employees into trouble for gross misconduct?This article looks into a Court of Appeal case about the NHS dismissing an employee who had religious discussions with patients. BackgroundUK law outlaws religious discrimination in the workplace. If an employee engages in it, disciplinary action could result. That could lead to a dismissal or...Read More 0
