Discrimination, Bullying and Harassment
Discrimination Claims
Discrimination on the grounds of sex, race, disability, religion or belief, sexual orientation, age, marital or civil partner status, gender reassignment, pregnancy is unlawful, as is less favourable treatment on the grounds of an individual’s trade union membership, part-time or fixed term status.
Few employers ever admit to deliberate discrimination, although some might discriminate unwittingly. Discrimination occurs where an employer obviously treats an employee less favourably than other employees for an unlawfully discriminatory reason, such as those outlined above.
Indirect discrimination occurs where an employer imposes some form of condition or policy (known as a provision, criterion or practice) which appears to apply to all employees (or potential employees) equally, but which in practice is one with which members of a particular group - gender, race, religion or belief etc - will have greater difficulty complying so that they are put at a particular disadvantage.
Bullying, Harassment and Victimisation
Harassment is a particular type of discrimination that occurs where somebody engages in unwanted conduct (which can include bullying) that has the purpose or effect of violating another person’s dignity, or of creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for that person.
Harassment will be unlawful if it relates to a person’s gender, race, religion or belief, disability, age, sexual orientation, marital or civil partner status, gender reassignment, pregnancy or trade union membership or part-time or fixed-term status.
Victimisation is a specific form of discrimination that occurs where an employee is subjected to less favourable treatment because he or she has, for example, raised a grievance or attempted to assert their statutory rights.
Whatever the type of problem you have encountered our team has considerable experience in handling all types of discrimination claims and are skilled at preparing, presenting and pursuing employment tribunal claims.
If you would like to discuss the above please email us, or go back to our other contact details.