Employers Advised to Prepare for Equal Treatment Directive

The Equal Treatment Directive will make discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and religious belief unlawful from December 2003. This means that employers need to start thinking about changes to their equal opportunities policies now to ensure they are not in breach of the law, warn employment law experts Sue Nickson and Judith Firth, authors of Sex and Race Discrimination, published today by the CIPD.

Nickson, co-author of the guide, and Head of the Employment Unit at leading employment lawyers Hammond Suddards Edge says, “Wise employers will adapt current practices and introduce new ones such as training to prevent racist or homophobic abuse. They may also need to make changes to pay and benefits. If things like pensions are open to spouses, then policies will need to be amended to include same-sex partners. The penalties for not doing so are disastrous in terms of financial pay-out and damaging publicity”.

Nickson also says the Government’s announcement of measures to make compliance with equal pay legislation simpler should also be taken on board by organisations. Only last week did we see Schroder branded as ‘sexist’ on the back of city analyst Julie Bower being awarded £1.4 million compensation after claiming sex discrimination and unfair dismissal. And, according ACAS’s annual report individual complaints to employment tribunals concerning workplace discrimination rose by 21 per cent last year.
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