Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Equality, diversity and inclusionLatest NewsMarriage and civil partnership discriminationSex discriminationSexual orientation

Civil partnership law reminds employers to seek diversity

by Mike Berry 5 Dec 2005
by Mike Berry 5 Dec 2005


New laws giving same-sex couples the right to enter into an equivalent of marriage are a reminder to employers to promote diversity in the workplace, according to employment law advisers Croner.

The Civil Partnership Act 2004, which takes effect today, extends the same rights of civil marriage to lesbian and gay couples. This means employers should ensure they are complying with laws to protect employees from sexual orientation discrimination, which have been in force since December 2003.

Although the ruling does not introduce new employment rights, it will further clarify existing rights for the 22,000 people the government predicts could be in a civil partnership by 2010.

Certain areas of employment law concerning equality and family-friendly rights will be amended to formally recognise a ‘civil partner’ as equivalent to a spouse.

Richard Smith, employment services director at Croner, said: “This is a very significant piece of legislation for the UK lesbian, gay and bisexual community and will affect the workplace in a variety of ways. It may empower more people to take a stand against sexual orientation discrimination so we are advising our clients to check that their diversity policies state that such discrimination will not be tolerated.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

“On a more practical level, we’re advising employers to make sure all employees are treated equally, regardless of their sexual orientation or marital status.”

 

Mike Berry

previous post
Employees focus on Christmas instead of work
next post
UK managers shake off Scrooge image

You may also like

HR underprepared for likely increase in M&A activity

24 Jun 2025

Supporting employees through substance abuse

24 Jun 2025

Amazon invests £40bn in UK creating thousands of...

24 Jun 2025

With HR absence rising, is your people team...

24 Jun 2025

Level 7 apprenticeship funding cuts to cost employers...

23 Jun 2025

Skills receive £1.2bn boost in new industrial strategy

23 Jun 2025

Low-paid could receive ‘Britannia’ dividend under Reform’s non-dom...

23 Jun 2025

Man who used company credit card for himself...

23 Jun 2025

UK engineering and manufacturing firms face hiring struggles

23 Jun 2025

Empowering working parents and productivity during the summer...

23 Jun 2025

  • Empowering working parents and productivity during the summer holidays SPONSORED | Businesses play a...Read more
  • AI is here. Your workforce should be ready. SPONSORED | From content creation...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+