Employers open to claims by gay staff

Employers that don’t ensure protection for gay staff from harassment at work
will soon be vulnerable to discrimination claims, despite a House of Lords
ruling last week.

Under the ruling, a lesbian teacher, who claimed she was forced out of her
job because of homophobic harassment by pupils, lost her claim for sexual
discrimination.

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The law lords ruled that because her treatment was the result of her sexual
orientation and not her sex, it was not covered by the Sex Discrimination Act.

However, David Gibson, of law firm Dickinson Dees, warned employers that
when new legislation comes into force in December outlawing discrimination on
the grounds of sexual orientation, they will be vulnerable to similar claims.