Last month, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) surprisingly announced that it was formally rescinding its longstanding “Policy Statement on Mandatory Binding Arbitration of Employment Discrimination Disputes as a Condition of Employment,” which took the position that mandatory arbitration provisions between employers and employees were contrary to federal antidiscrimination laws. Originally issued in July … Continue Reading
One in two women have been sexually harassed at work according to a survey conducted earlier this year by the Trades Union Congress. It is timely, therefore, that last month saw the launch of a specialist legal advice line for women in England and Wales experiencing sexual harassment at work. The advice line, run by … Continue Reading
At the end of 2018, a report from a committee of the UK parliament called on employers and regulators to take a more proactive role in relation to sexual harassment in the workplace, including in relation to the use of confidentiality (non-disclosure) agreements. In its recent response to that inquiry, the government has set out … Continue Reading
Today is International Women’s Day. What originally started life in 1909 as a single protest organised by the Socialist Party of America in New York, is now a global event with the backing of the United Nations and some of the world’s largest corporations. The theme of this year’s campaign is #BeBoldForChange. The UK Government’s … Continue Reading
The UK Government has published new guidance for employers regarding the recruitment and retention of transgender staff. Its stated aim is to make sure employers are equipped to create an inclusive culture for all of their staff and act as a practical guide for managers. The guidance emphasises that there is a strong business case … Continue Reading
In the case of CHEZ Razpredelenie Bulgaria, the European Court of Justice (“ECJ”) has extended the concept of indirect discrimination to cover those who do not have a protected characteristic, but who are associated with such people. In this case, a Bulgarian shop owner was protected from indirect discrimination affecting members of the Roma community, … Continue Reading
In the eagerly awaited case of Coleman v Attridge Law & Steve Law, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled that the EC Equal Treatment Directive (‘the Directive’) prohibits direct discrimination and harassment by association. This ruling will have wide-reaching consequences for employers.… Continue Reading
