Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • 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
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • Maternity & Paternity
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
    • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • 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
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • Maternity & Paternity
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
    • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Latest NewsEquality, diversity and inclusion

Union complaint against Office for National Statistics is first test for new equality watchdog

by Greg Pitcher 9 Oct 2007
by Greg Pitcher 9 Oct 2007

The UK’s new, all-powerful, equality and diversity watchdog is set for an early test of its powers after a complaint was lodged against a government agency.

The Trevor Phillips-chaired Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) received a claim against the Office for National Statistics (ONS) during its first week.

The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) wrote to the commission, alleging that the ONS did not fulfil its legal equality duties when deciding to outsource up to 60 jobs.

The ONS plans to transfer computer support staff to IT firm Fujitsu Services to save money and modernise services. The PCS believes the office broke the law by not carrying out an equality impact assessment (EIA) of the decision.

Darren Williams, campaigns officer for PCS Wales, told Personnel Today: “ONS man­agement acknowledged that it needed to conduct an EIA, but have now made an announcement without doing so.”

He said that although the jobs will initially remain at the sites in Newport, South Wales, and Titchfield, Hampshire, the union was concerned that Fujitsu would insist on a deal allowing it to shift the roles elsewhere. “This would affect women with caring responsibilities, staff with disabilities, and those working part time more than others,” he said. “This case will be a test for the EHRC as we are talking about it affecting more than one group of staff.”

An ONS spokesman said it had performed an “initial EIA”, and would carry out a full impact assessment before signing the deal. The EHRC was unable to comment.

EHRC spends thousands on name game

The EHRC spent £100,000 rearranging the words in its name, Personnel Today can reveal.

Set up as the Commission for Equality and Human Rights, it made a last-minute decision to re-brand as the Equality and Human Rights Commission for its 1 October launch. This meant everything had to be changed – from the website to business cards – as the organisation redesigned its logo.

A spokesman said: “The name has been changed to add emphasis to the issues being tackled. The logo and overall visual language are based on the ‘equals’ sign. This was felt to be strong, authoritative and to reflect our core principle of equality for all.”

Avatar
Greg Pitcher

previous post
Experts support company pension breaks if fund is in surplus
next post
Fewer UK graduates expect to benefit from flexible working than in China or the US

You may also like

Hybrid working trends: ONS data on where people...

23 May 2022

Aspers casino cashier excluded by colleagues wins £75k...

23 May 2022

NHS should upskill admin staff to reduce waiting...

23 May 2022

Pay gap between CEOs and employees set to...

23 May 2022

Plan to enforce minimum service during rail strikes...

23 May 2022

‘It’s International HR Day – wait, you didn’t...

20 May 2022

Policeman dubbed ‘Dolly Parton’ for working Nine to...

20 May 2022

Adapt culture to hybrid work: do not force...

20 May 2022

Women in FTSE 350 leadership: ‘A lot of...

20 May 2022

City firms pledge to improve social mobility in...

20 May 2022
  • Apprenticeships are the solution to your recruitment problems PROMOTED | Apprenticeships have the pulling power...Read more
  • What it really means to be mentally fit PROMOTED | What is mental fitness...Read more
  • How music can help to ease anxiety at work PROMOTED | A lot has happened since March 2020, hasn’t it?...Read more
  • Why now is the time to plug the unhealthy gap PROMOTED | We’ve all heard the term ‘health is wealth’...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 2022

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2022 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • 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
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • Maternity & Paternity
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
    • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+