The Elephant in the Room

This is the first in a series of blogs to mark our 14th birthday on 1st May 2021. The background to my thinking here is a little odd, but the theme of these blogs is based on ‘The Elephant in the Room’. All the things which employers do not want to talk about or deal […]

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In 2020 and the age of COVID, does dress code at work still matter?

Much depends on the industry and the setting. No one would say it’s unreasonable to expect someone working in a kitchen to tie their hair back, or to wear sturdy boots on a building site. But there are many shades of grey – from beards to head coverings, jewellery to heels, and what comprises business […]

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Perception vs Intent

“I didn’t mean it, it was just a bit of fun” These words are so often offered by way of an explanation when someone is interviewed as part of an investigation or disciplinary process. Whether you are dealing with allegations of bullying, harassment or discrimination, it is vital you remember that the intent of the […]

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Ready to retire?

What do you do when someone is reaching what used to be referred to as ‘retirement age’? Care needs to be taken when you are dealing with employees of a certain age; they should not be treated any differently or discriminated against just because of their age.  Employers that compulsorily retire employees, or attempt to […]

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Recruitment Advertising

Two things have happened this week which have made me think about the wording of recruitment adverts: 1)    A contact of mine advertised for a young, dynamic person – thus opening themselves up to an age discrimination claim, as an older person may arguably be more dynamic than a young person. 2)    The Army has […]

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Bullying & Harassment In The Workplace

  Employers are obliged to protect staff from bullying and harassment. Generally, this is in terms of discrimination, but may include anything from their favourite football team, what a person wears, their hobbies or their mannerisms. Employers are obliged to ensure that the work environment is mentally safe for everyone and therefore free from bullying […]

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Discrimination

  Well written policies and procedures which are communicated and applied consistently are the key to ensuring that the risk  of discrimination is reduced as much as possible. Employees (as well as workers and job applicants) could bring claims for discrimination on the basis of Age, Gender, Race, Beliefs, Marital Status, Disability and Sexual Orientation. […]

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Special Needs

People don’t need to be employees to take an employment tribunal claim against you (although they usually are, or have been). Job applicants who feel they have missed out on a job due to discrimination can also lodge an employment tribunal claim and therefore taking any special needs into consideration at the recruitment and interview […]

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