The UK has exacting anti-discrimination measures in its employment laws, originating from the Equality Act of 2010, which requires equal treatment in access to employment and its benefits regardless of protected characteristics. These are; age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation. Even with this stringent equality legislation, one-third of UK adults reported experiencing workplace discrimination, proving that it is vital for businesses to take steps to prevent this. Read on to find out some useful tips on how to prevent workplace discrimination.
Have An Up-To-Date Anti-Discrimination Policy
An employer needs to create a clear, concise, yet comprehensive anti-discrimination policy for the workplace. This can include;
- A mission statement which states the organization’s commitment to eliminating discrimination
- Clear definitions of what counts as discrimination and harassment
- Awareness of complaints and reporting mechanisms for staff
- Clarification of the disciplinaries if an employee was found to be discriminating against another member of staff.
This establishes an anti-discriminatory precedent for all employees that helps people understand what counts as discrimination and what procedures are undertaken if there is a case of it. It is advisable to consult employment solicitors when drawing up such a policy, in an effort to guarantee all areas of the Equality Act are covered.
Ensure Awareness Of Complaints Procedure
A workplace must guarantee its staff understand that anti-discrimination policies exist and how disciplinaries function if the policy’s terms are broken. Accessibility is vital here; review and consider whether the business’ workplace culture helps or hinders open communication for those who might want to make a complaint. This begins from the top down, as a business’ leadership must be both open and principled on matters of discrimination to set a healthy precedent for the workers on how to treat others with respect.
A good way to ensure a workplace’s awareness of discriminatory matters is to organize regular meetings between employees and their managers. These can be informal and relaxed, but their importance lies in attempting to build positive working relationships up and down the business, whilst demonstrating a managerial rapport that means they can come to them with any issue.
Have Anti-Discrimination Training, Regularly
Holding anti-discrimination training is an excellent way to ensure further transparency of what counts as discrimination, and how disciplinaries function to solve these issues. This should be held regularly, and employers should monitor the effectiveness of the training, and identify any gaps in the workplace’s knowledge or understanding.
Through this, any issues employees face can be frankly highlighted in an exceedingly productive way, learning and appreciating the importance of an inclusive workplace. Employees’ commitment, loyalty, productivity, and mental health can all be potentially improved, boosting a workplace’s efficiency and general morale. Furthermore, if a business ever has to defend itself against an unfair dismissal claim, staff training demonstrates that proactive measures to prevent discrimination were taken.
How We Can Help
With 16 years of experience, Swan Craig Solicitors are trusted employment solicitors who specialise exclusively in employment law. As experts in this legal field, we can provide bespoke employment solicitor services for you and your business, ranging from staff training to tribunal claims. Contact us today at 01179 200128 or [email protected].
