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Maria Chadwick
    • Maria Chadwick

    • Partner & Discrimination Department Manager
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Dealing with discrimination claims

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Any organisation carrying out a public function and/or a service provider under the terms of the Equality Act 2010 needs to be aware of how to deal with complaints of discrimination raised by service users. What to do if you receive a...

Dealing with discrimination claims face coverings - healthcare providers

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As an entity which could be defined as an Organisation undertaking a Public Function and/or a Service Provider under the terms of the Equality Act 2010, it is important to know how to deal with complaints of discrimination raised by Service Users. By...

Dealing with discrimination claims - travel industry

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Any organisation which is a service provider under the terms of the Equality Act 2010 needs to be aware of how to deal with complaints of discrimination raised by service users. Following the recent introduction of the requirement for individuals to...

Discrimination law and the risks for primary care providers

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Individuals holding the legal protected characteristics of Age, Gender, Race, Sexual Orientation, Marital Status, Pregnancy or Maternity, Gender Reassignment, Religious or Belief an Disability, are protected from discrimination as service users and...

Dealing with discrimination claims relating to face masks

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Any organisation carrying out a public function and/or a service provider under the terms of the Equality Act 2010 needs to be aware of how to deal with complaints of discrimination raised by service users. Following the recent introduction of the...

The Black Lives Matter movement: rising cases of workplace race discrimination

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This past year, thousands of people across the UK have joined in protest to show support for anti-racism movements, most notably in response to the George Floyd tragedy which took place in the United States in May 2020. Last week, the Advisory,...

Discrimination and hidden disabilities

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Many disabilities are less apparent than others. For example, those with learning difficulties, mental health conditions, hearing and visual impairments and autism, are not necessarily visible to others. Therefore people may not realise that others suffer...

New employment bill to extend redundancy protections to prevent pregnancy and maternity discrimination

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In 2016, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) published research which showed that 77% of mothers had a negative or discriminatory experience from their employer during pregnancy,...

Public sector website regulations come into force

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On 23 rd September 2019, The Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 were implemented, meaning that all public sector organisations’ websites launched on or after 23 rd September 2018 must meet...

Do mothers and pregnant women need stronger protection against workplace discrimination?

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It has been reported by Business Department research in 2016 that one in nine women had been fired, or made redundant, when they returned to work after having a child or were treated so badly that they felt forced out of their job. The study also...

Brexit: has discrimination increased in the UK since the referendum?

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In May 2018, a UN special rapporteur on racism concluded that following Brexit, ‘extreme views’ in relation to racial discrimination and intolerance have increased, in the UK. Professor Tendayi Achiume was appointed the UN’s...

Woman awarded £2,000 over concert 'diabetes discrimination'

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A woman with Type 1 Diabetes was awarded £2,000 by Belfast County Court after a concert venue denied her access to an event if she were insistent upon entering with a bottle of Lucozade in her possession. Reports suggest that, despite trying to...

Diabetes discrimination in the workplace

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A study conducted by Diabetes UK has revealed that more than one third of employees have faced difficulties with their employer in relation to their condition in the workplace. In a survey of 10,000 employees, it showed that 25% of people would be in...

LGBT in Britain - Work Report

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A survey , conducted by YouGov and commissioned by Stonewall, into the experiences of 3,213 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) employees in the workplace has shown that almost one in five LGBT staff have experienced negative comments or conduct...

Scout Association issues apology following disability discrimination allegation

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In the UK, children have historically engaged in extracurricular activities through clubs such as Cubs, Brownies, Scouts, Girl Guides, Beavers and Rainbows, which have long been considered to offer unique experiences and provide children the opportunity to...

Three in four mothers say they have had a negative or discriminatory experience at work

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A report commissioned by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Equality and Human Rights Commission has found that the majority of mothers surveyed believed that they had been subjected to negative or discriminatory treatment by their...

Kick discrimination out of football

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It is understood that Kick It Out , football’s equality and inclusion organisation, has reported a 38% increase in discriminatory behaviour in football compared to this time last year. The report found that there have been 111 incidents across...

Discrimination by perception

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Recent case law has shown that direct disability discrimination will occur if a prospective job candidate is turned down on the basis that a condition could develop into a disability in the future. In the recent employment appeal tribunal case of Chief...

UK equality watchdog obtains injunction against 'buy-to-let' landlord

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It has been reported that the UK equality watchdog has obtained an injunction against a ‘buy-to-let’ landlord after he allegedly told his letting agent to ban “coloured tenants” because they left ‘curry smells’ in...

Disability discrimination in universities

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Discrimination is the unequal treatment of individuals because of a protected characteristic as defined under the Equality Act 2010. This includes discrimination because of race, gender, disability and sexual orientation, to name a few. Universities and...

A guide to dealing with sexual harassment in the workplace

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High profile scandals in Hollywood and Westminster have led to a flurry of disturbing tales of abuses of power, sexual harassment and inappropriate behaviour in the working environment. Many women – and men – have chosen to speak out about...

What is sexual harassment and what can be done about it?

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Since allegations have been reported that a Hollywood film producer has allegedly subjected women to sexual harassment over a prolonged period of time, reports of sexual harassment generally appear to have been brought to the fore in recent media articles ...

Government launch 'Ethnicity facts and figures' website

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Theresa May has recently said that institutions must “explain or change” how they treat people of different races. A new government website ‘ Ethnicity facts and figures ’ gathers data collected by the government and provides...

Students facing discrimination from landlords on the rise

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A survey has revealed that 38% of students consider that they have been discriminated against by their landlord. The main reasons noted in the survey, where students reported that they had faced discrimination for reasons including their gender, religious...

Is makeup genderless in the workplace?

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Makeup, much like fashion, is a tool which many people utilise to express their identity. However, unlike fashion, society has typically viewed makeup as exclusively for women. This poses the question of how men can wear makeup without the fear of...

Discrimination and paternity leave

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Under the Equality Act 2010 an employer must not discriminate against an employee; in the way they afford an employee access, or by not affording an employee access, to opportunities for promotion, transfer or training or for receiving any other benefit,...

Pregnancy & maternity discrimination - understanding your rights

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Any woman who has recently given birth or who is pregnant is protected from discrimination, at work and in her day to day life. Discrimination occurs when a woman is treated less favourably than others because...

Discrimination by service providers

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If you have been the victim of discrimination by a service provider , you may have a claim under the Equality Act 2010. What is a service provider? A service provider can be a company, organisation or business which...

Can claims for discrimination be brought against a housing association?

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A claim for discrimination under the Equality Act can be brought in the County Court against housing associations. A housing association is classed as a service provider for the purposes of the Equality Act 2010, as they offer, goods, facilities...

Private club, society or association discrimination

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Under the Equality Act 2010, a private club, society and/or association, must not discriminate against an individual or group of people. What is discrimination? Discrimination is the unequal treatment of an...

One in nine mothers experience pregnancy/maternity discrimination

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Recent research by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, and the Equality and Human Rights Commission, ( Pregnancy and maternity-related discrimination and disadvantage: experience of mothers, November 2016), has stated that one in nine...

Discrimination in social housing

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Are you being discriminated against by your social housing provider? Often, social housing tenants won’t recognise that what they’re experiencing is discrimination . But if you’re making a complaint because of unfair treatment by a...

Landmark decision or partial victory? Paulley v First Group PLC

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On 18th January 2017 the Supreme Court handed down judgment in a case which had been ongoing for some 5 years in respect of the extent of the duties of Public Transport providers to wheel chair users in accessing their services. In 2012, Mr Paulley...

Breastfeeding and work: a thing of the future?

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With breastfeeding being such a current and controversial topic within the media, any female employee would expect their employer to understand their decision to breastfeed their new baby, even if returning to work. Despite this, it has been...

Bridging the gender pay gap

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The 1 st October ordinarily hails the introduction of legislation or regulations which bring changes within the remit of employment law. This year there were very few notable changes, except the annual increase to the national minimum...

Oxford City Council to introduce gender-neutral salutation

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It has recently been reported in the media that Oxford City Council has made the decision to introduce a gender-neutral salutation option of Mx – pronounced ‘mix’ – whilst it decides whether to phase out all titles from forms...

Report suggests employment rate of adults with learning difficulties is only six percent

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Finding a job is a daunting task for the majority of us, however this is understandably considered a much more prevalent issue for individuals with learning difficulties. It was recently reported that a 20 year-old man who...

Orders by employers to 'look easy on the eye for punters' - sex discrimination?

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It has recently been reported that an 18-year-old waitress was asked by her manager to wear make-up, her hair down and dress in a skirt to be ‘easy on the eye for punters’ while serving at a Bistro in Ayrshire. The story...

Discrimination and travelling communities

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According to a report by the National Federation of Gypsy Liaison Groups and Anglia Ruskin University, nine out of ten Gypsy, Traveller or Roma children in the UK have suffered racial abuse. For example, as well as the day-to-day comments made, it has been...

Sexual harassment and discrimination: know your rights

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There have been several reports in the media lately concerning a rise in complaints of sexual harassment. This unwanted conduct can include wolf-whistling, winking, comments referring to somebody’s attractiveness, gestures regarding somebody’s...

'Single occupancy is not allowed' - Discrimination?

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It has recently come to light in the media that a widowed grandmother, aged 58, whose husband died last year of cancer, was turned away from a caravan park in Norfolk because she is single. Unfair? Yes. Insensitive? Yes. But is this discrimination under the...

'Fat Shaming' and Discrimination: Know Your Rights

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Imagine the situation. You’re on the train, perhaps commuting to work, travelling to see friends and family, or on a day out. Whatever your reasons for being on that train, imagine you are handed a card stating that you are “a fat, ugly...

Employers: women, you can have a career or a family

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In a recent case in the Employment Tribunal, Julie Humphreys, a successful architect, argued that her employer had sidelined her out of her £105,000 a year job whilst she was on maternity leave with her second child. Ms Humphreys found herself being...

Case law update: directly discriminating against companies

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A claim of direct discrimination concerns ‘a person’ being treated less favourably because of a particular characteristic. Law protects a number of personal characteristics including a person’s race, disability, sex, gender reassignment,...