Equal rights and discrimination
You can also get information and advice from websites such as: www.do-it.org.uk , www.volunteering.org.uk and www.justdosomething.net .
It is against the law for employers to discriminate against someone at
work. This means that a person should not be refused work, training or
promotion or treated less favourably because of their:
. sex
. nationality, race, colour or ethnic group
. disability
. religion
. sexual orientation
. age.
In Northern Ireland, the law also bans discrimination on grounds of religious belief or political opinion.
The law also says that men and women who do the same job, or work of
equal value, should receive equal pay. Almost all the laws protecting
people at work apply equally to people doing part-time or full-time
jobs.
There are, however, a small number of jobs where discrimination laws
do not apply. For example, discrimination is not against the law when
the job involves working for someone in their own home.
You can get more information about the law and racial discrimination
from the Commission for Racial Equality. The Equal Opportunities
Commission can help with sex discrimination issues and the Disability
Rights Commission deals with disability issues. Each of these
organisations offers advice and information and can, in some cases,
support individuals. From October 2007 their functions will be brought
together in a new Commission for Equality and Human Rights. You can get
more information about the laws protecting people at work from the
Citizens Advice Bureau website: www.adviceguide.org.uk .
In Northern Ireland, the Equality Commission provides information
and advice in respect of all forms of unlawful discrimination.
The Commission for Racial Equality, St Dunstan's House, 201-211
Borough High Street, London, SE11 1GZ, telephone: 020 7939 000, fax 020
7939 0001, www.cre.gov.uk
The Equal Opportunities Commission, Arndale House, Arndale Centre,
Manchester M4 3EQ, telephone: 0845 601 5901, fax: 0161 838 8312, www.eoc.org.uk
The Disability Rights Commission, DRC Helpline, FREEPOST MID02164,
Stratford upon Avon CV37 9BR, telephone: 08457 622 633, fax 08457 778
878, www.drc.org.uk
The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland, Equality House,
7 -9 Shaftesbury Square, Belfast BT2 7DP, telephone: 028 90 500600, www.equalityni.org
Sexual harassment
Sexual harassment can take different forms. This includes
. indecent remarks
. comments about the way you look that make you feel uncomfortable or humiliated
. comments or questions about your sex life
. inappropriate touching or sexual demands
. bullying behaviour or being treated in a way that is rude, hostile, degrading or humiliating because of your sex
Men and women can be victims of sexual harassment at work. If this
happens to you, tell a friend, colleague or trade union representative
and ask the person harassing you to stop. It is a good idea to keep a
written record of what happened, the days and times when it happened
and who else may have seen or heard the harassment. If the problem
continues, report the person to your employer or trade union Employers
are responsible for the behaviour of their employees while they are at
work. They should treat complaints of sexual harassment very seriously
and take effective action to deal with the problem. If you are not
satisfied with your employer's response, you can ask for advice and
support from the Equal Opportunities Commission, your trade union or
the Citizens Advice Bureau.
