Anti-Discrimination Law Case Study

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Discrimination law Most anti-discrimination law is now covered by European treaties or directives and thus applies in all member states of the EU. In the UK the passing of the Equality Act 2010 brought together in one statute most of these regulations. There remain important differences in the rights that related to each ‘protected characteristic” set out in the Act, but there is now a greater degree of harmonization as far as core principles and terminology are concerned. Sex discrimination law Extensive law in the area of sex discrimination has been on the statute books since 1975. This has been amended on several occasions since then and has been interpreted in different ways as a result of new case law, but the core tenets have always…show more content…
An employer can objectively justify the condition or requirement it has set ‘on grounds other than sex’, in which case it may be lawful. An example might be a job for which a key requirement is the ability to lift heavy loads. It is reasonable in such circumstances for the employer to restrict recruitment to people who are physically able to comply, for example by including a test of strength in selection procedures. The fact that more men than women will be able to do so does not make the practice unlawful, provided the lifting requirement is wholly genuine. In judging cases of this kind the tribunal has to decide whether or not the provision, criterion or practice…show more content…
They visit premises without giving notice beforehand in order to inspect equipment and make sure that the appropriate monitoring procedures are in place. They have a general right to enter premises, to collect whatever information they require and to remove samples or pieces of equipment for analysis. Where they are unhappy with what they find, inspectors issue improvement notices setting out recommended improvements and requiring these to be put in place by a set date. In the case of more serious lapses, where substantial risk to health is identified, the inspectors issue prohibition notices which prevent employers from using particular pieces of equipment until better safety arrangements are established. Breach of one of these statutory notices is a criminal offence, as is giving false information to an inspector. Over a thousand prosecutions are brought each year for non-compliance with a Health and Safety Executive Order. Family-friendly employment law In recent years a significant contributions to the development of workplaces which offer a better work life balance has been made via the introduction of new and enhanced employment rights which require employers to take account of the needs of people with family responsibilities. These are straightforward but have been highly
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