CURRENT POSITION WITH EQUALITY BILL - October 2009
The Equality Bill, published in April 2009, sets out to strengthen protection, advance equality and simplify the law. The main provisions of interest to local government and public authorities, including housing providers, are summarised below:
The introduction of new strategic socio-economic duty to reduce socio-economic inequalities
A new public equality duty that will extend the public duties to age, sexual orientation, religion or belief, gender reassignment, also including pregnancy and maternity consultation will follow shortly on the specific duties
Clarification that procurement can be used to drive equality this will be included in the consultation of specific duties
Banning age discrimination for those over 18 in the provision of services, subject to further consultation on the details
Age discrimination provisions do not come into force until 2012 for the private sector
In addition, there is order making power for the private sector in relation to employers with 250 or more employees, requiring publication of their gender pay gap. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is to develop measures for gender pay reporting with businesses and unions
There is also an order making power for public sector bodies with more than 150 employees. This will require public authorities to report on their gender pay gap, ethnicity employment rate and disability employment rate
Secrecy clauses on pay are to be banned
Positive action to allow employers to select candidates from under-represented groups is also provided. Where there is a choice between two or more equally-qualified candidates, provisions make it clear that positive action can be used in service delivery
Employment tribunals will be given powers to make recommendations in discrimination cases which benefit the whole workforce. But, there are no proposals in the bill for representative action or statutory trade union equality representatives
How can Single Equality Training and Consultancy (SETC) help you?
At SETC we are viewing this as an excellent opportunity for employers to revisit their diversity policies and procedures and develop new strategies to bring the organisation bang up to date. SETC can offer consultancy and training to develop diversity strategy, policies and procedures tailored to your needs with the associated training for management and frontline staff in all aspects of age, gender, transgender, disability (including access audits through DWAL Disability with a Life), race, sexual orientation and religion or belief.
The Equality Bill, published in April 2009, sets out to strengthen protection, advance equality and simplify the law. The main provisions of interest to local government and public authorities, including housing providers, are summarised below:
The introduction of new strategic socio-economic duty to reduce socio-economic inequalities
A new public equality duty that will extend the public duties to age, sexual orientation, religion or belief, gender reassignment, also including pregnancy and maternity consultation will follow shortly on the specific duties
Clarification that procurement can be used to drive equality this will be included in the consultation of specific duties
Banning age discrimination for those over 18 in the provision of services, subject to further consultation on the details
Age discrimination provisions do not come into force until 2012 for the private sector
In addition, there is order making power for the private sector in relation to employers with 250 or more employees, requiring publication of their gender pay gap. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is to develop measures for gender pay reporting with businesses and unions
There is also an order making power for public sector bodies with more than 150 employees. This will require public authorities to report on their gender pay gap, ethnicity employment rate and disability employment rate
Secrecy clauses on pay are to be banned
Positive action to allow employers to select candidates from under-represented groups is also provided. Where there is a choice between two or more equally-qualified candidates, provisions make it clear that positive action can be used in service delivery
Employment tribunals will be given powers to make recommendations in discrimination cases which benefit the whole workforce. But, there are no proposals in the bill for representative action or statutory trade union equality representatives
How can Single Equality Training and Consultancy (SETC) help you?
At SETC we are viewing this as an excellent opportunity for employers to revisit their diversity policies and procedures and develop new strategies to bring the organisation bang up to date. SETC can offer consultancy and training to develop diversity strategy, policies and procedures tailored to your needs with the associated training for management and frontline staff in all aspects of age, gender, transgender, disability (including access audits through DWAL Disability with a Life), race, sexual orientation and religion or belief.