Equal pay
Eight in 10 want right to know male colleagues’ salaries
Women should have the right to know if they’re being paid less than their male colleagues, according to research by...
Women demand new Equal Pay Act to enforce transparency
Equal pay campaign to demand new legislation, backed by leading women from all sectors, kicks off this Thursday.
Boots to face equal pay legal challenge
Thousands of Boots in-store employees in England, Scotland and Wales could be eligible to join an equal pay claim against the high street giant.
Disability
Boots failed to provide equipment for employee with hearing impairment
An ex-Boots employee with a severe hearing impairment has won his case at an employment tribunal after the company failed...
Disabled staff work the ‘next two months for free’
The size of the disability pay gap means the average disabled employee effectively works for free for the last two...
Around 300,000 leave work because of mental health, minister claims
An estimated 300,000 people with mental health conditions fall out of work every year, the minister for disabled people has...
Age discrimination
89-year-old wins £200,000 in compensation for age discrimination
An 89-year-old former medical secretary who was unfairly dismissed from her post at Royal Berkshire Hospital has won £200,000 in...
Youngest and oldest regions of UK revealed in new research
A new analysis takes a regional view of age and could well inform companies' recruitment and location decisions in years to come.
Women lose legal challenge against hike in state pension age
The manner in which the government increased women’s state pension age was not discriminatory, a judicial review has found, rather...
Religious discrimination
Wearing a poppy in the workplace: myth or reality?
Employers sometimes make the headlines over their policy on staff wearing a poppy in the workplace. We set out the...
Christian doctor in transgender pronoun row loses at employment tribunal
The Christian doctor who refused to refer to transgender benefits claimants by their relevant pronouns has lost his claim for...
Recruitment consultant wins religious discrimination claim
A Muslim woman has been awarded more than £22,000 in compensation after a company director made derogatory comments about her...
Bullying & harassment
Action on gender pay gap has accelerated across Europe
More action is taking place on pay equality in Europe compared with the US, according to a recent survey, although US firms are more proactive when it comes to sexual harassment.
Whistleblower’s treatment leads to tribunal case against Lloyds of London firm
A whistleblower alleges he has been subjected to a campaign questioning his motivations and mental health.
What needs to change before we can close the gender pay gap
Headline-grabbing proposals can only take us so far. Cultural shifts and changes in shared leave, maternity and paternity benefits are needed before we can truly get to grips with the gender pay gap.
Retirement
Oxford University retirement policy facing fresh challenge
A second Oxford University professor this year is challenging the institution over its retirement policy...
France faces tough battle over pension reform
Paris has been crippled by public transport strikes today in response to moves by the French government to implement pension reform.
Increase state pension age to 75 to ‘improve health and wellbeing’
Raising the state pension age to 75 will improve the health and wellbeing of older people, a think tank has controversially proposed.
Religion
Christian doctor ‘chose’ to leave his job over trans pronoun row
Dr David Mackereth, the Christian doctor who claims he was dismissed for refusing to use transgender pronouns, chose to leave...
Christian doctor sacked for not using preferred pronouns
A doctor has claimed he was dismissed because his Christian beliefs prohibited him from addressing transgender benefit claimants by their...
Top 10 HR questions May 2019: Ramadan, redundancy and references
Many employers will have staff who have been fasting over the last month, as they observe Ramadan.
The most popular...
Sex discrimination
Government considering making employee references mandatory
The government has said it will consult on the idea that employers should be required to provide, as a minimum,...
BBC presenter Samira Ahmed takes equal pay case to tribunal
BBC journalist Samira Ahmed is taking an equal pay case against the broadcaster to an employment tribunal, claiming she was...
Musicians call for better freelance protections from sexual harassment
The Musicians’ Union is campaigning for stronger protections from sexual harassment and discrimination after almost half of members surveyed said...
Race discrimination
General election 2019: when politics and work mix
How can employers prevent employees from electioneering at work? Should the workforce be banned from highlighting their political allegiances in...
Honesty is the best policy – lies and inferences in discrimination claims
Where lies the burden of proof in discrimination claims in a case where...
Ex-Clarks chief executive loses unfair dismissal case
A former Clarks chief executive has lost his case for unfair dismissal after he was asked to resign following accusations of sexist, racist and homophobic comments.
Family friendly working
Shorter City trading day would ‘boost diversity and work-life balance’
Equity market opening hours should be shortened by 90 minutes to allow the trading sector to attract and retain a...
Standard Life Aberdeen offers nine months’ fully paid leave for all new parents
Standard Life Aberdeen will offer nine months’ fully paid leave from January.
How can HR re-energise the diversity agenda?
Having a diverse and inclusive workforce is recognised as good for business, but why are many organisations barely going beyond compliance with equality legislation?
Sexual orientation
Driver suspended after refusing to drive bus with rainbow-coloured number
A bus driver has been suspended after reportedly refusing to drive a bus decorated with the rainbow-coloured LGBT pride flag....
Theresa May announces new Office for Tackling Injustices (OfTI)
Outgoing prime minister Theresa May has announced a new independent body responsible for challenging social injustices and creating a fairer...
Business travel: how to protect LGBTQ+ staff
With same-sex relationships considered a criminal offence in 70 countries, employers need to exercise their duty of care towards LGBTQ+ staff who travel abroad.
