The 4 types of discrimination: what every employer needs to know
The word ‘discrimination’ is often used on a day to day basis to describe being treated unfairly for a particular reason; but unlawful discrimination happens when less favourable or unfair treatment relates to specific characteristics, known legally as ‘protected characteristics’. The UK have nine protected characteristics, which are set out in the Equality Act 2010. There […]
Preventing Sexual Harassment at Work Events
From 26 October 2024, the Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023 places a new legal duty on employers to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment. This applies to all work-related events, including social gatherings and celebrations. What’s Changing? If an employee successfully claims sexual harassment, tribunals can now increase compensation by […]
Important HR Considerations When Planning Work Events
Work-related social events are a great way to reward your employees and boost morale. However, these occasions come with important responsibilities for employers, even when events are held off-site and outside of working hours. Here are the key considerations to keep your event enjoyable, safe, and compliant: 1. Conduct a Risk Assessment Even at off-site […]
New Legal Duty for Employers to Prevent Workplace Sexual Harassment
On 26 October 2024, a new legal duty will come into force, requiring all employers to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace. This duty applies to businesses of all sizes and extends beyond the traditional office environment, covering any work-related setting such as conferences, training sessions, exhibitions, and even social events […]
Sexual Harassment – Complying with the New Statutory Duty
This popular course identifies the types of difficult conversations managers may face and explores constructive tools and techniques to deal with common management challenges. Through discussions and activities, we identify what makes a conversation difficult, how to address it and increase the chances of a positive outcome.
Is your business prepared for the new duty on preventing sexual harassment of your workers?
In a recent article, we highlighted the forthcoming new duty on preventing sexual harassment of your workers that will require employers to ‘take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment’ of their workers in the course of their employment. This new duty on preventing sexual harassment of your workers comes into force from 26 October 2024, and […]
Legal secretary wins sexual harassment claim, after she was told she looked like a ‘Love Island reject’
A legal secretary won a sexual harassment claim against her employer following a series of inappropriate incidents involving a senior partner. The tribunal found that the employer’s actions created an intimidating and offensive work environment, resulting in compensation for the employee. The circumstances behind the Sexual Harassment claim In the case of Miss M Bratt […]
Protecting your employees from harassment
Here is the Hot Topic for July 2024 – Protecting Employees from Harassment. An accompanying webinar will follow, which will be hosted on 11 July 2024. One of the most important responsibilities an employer has, is when it comes to protecting and safeguarding its workforce from harm and one area specifically is harassment in the […]
Protecting your employees from harassment
Join us in this webinar as we discuss the new obligations around Harassment at work and what they mean for employers.
Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment is unlawful and can be a criminal offence. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) report that three-quarters of people say they have experienced some form of sexual harassment at work and the rest have witnessed harassment or supported others (Equality and Human Rights Commission, 2018, ‘Turning the tables: ending sexual harassment at […]
Protecting young workers from bullying and harassment
This week is Anti-Bullying Week, a campaign coordinated by the ‘Anti-Bullying Alliance’, an organisation that specifically focuses on stopping the bullying of children and young people. Bullying and harassment in the workplace Young people in the workplace can be more vulnerable to workplace bullying and harassment compared to other workplace groups for many reasons: Firstly, […]
HR Solutions Celebrates 20th Anniversary
HR Solutions is delighted to celebrate its 20th anniversary this month. When HR Solutions was first launched by Carol Ann Guilford in June 2001, outsourcing a firm’s human resources needs was a new concept. Since then, the company has continued to pave the way for outsourced HR by supporting SMEs with a full service offering […]
BrewDog boss apologises after toxic workplace accusations
Scottish craft beer company BrewDog has had to apologise to former employees after they accused the firm, including one of its co-founders, of fostering a toxic workplace culture. In a letter posted on Twitter, 61 former employees and a further 45 who didn’t wish to identify themselves accused BrewDog of encouraging a “culture of fear” […]
How to Deal With Bullying and Harassment
Bullying and harassment continues to be a topic which employers can always learn from as part of a continuous aim to protect employees from harm and to promote dignity at work. It was recently announced that Buckingham palace has a high-profile employment issue with the leak of allegations that the Duchess of Sussex may have […]
Buckingham Palace investigate allegations of bullying
Bullying and harassment in the workplace continues to be a topic which employers can always learn from as part of a continuous aim to protect their employees from harm and to promote dignity and respect in the workplace for all. Currently Buckingham Palace has a high profile employment issue with the leak of recent allegations […]
Priti Patel could face tribunal questioning over bullying claims of top civil servant
Home Secretary Priti Patel may have to give evidence at an employment tribunal following claims she forced out the Home Office’s most senior civil servant. Ms Patel is also accused of bullying staff and allowing a press briefing campaign to go ahead against Sir Philip Rutnam who resigned in February. In Sir Philip’s claim for […]
Personal Relationships at Work
In a modern world, where we all spend a lot of time at work and with our colleagues, there is a growing trend of personal or intimate relationships developing. Personal relationships include family relationships, sexual relationships, very close friendships, and close business, commercial and financial. It is generally regarded as unrealistic and too much of […]
Personal relationships at work
Personal relationships at work which may affect employers can include those between spouses, civil partners, common-law partners, family members (fathers, sons, sisters, brothers) and others. The type of relationship can include very close friendships, sexual relationships, close family members and commercial relationships. Many organisations employ staff with family connections. Also, as we spend more time […]
Being called ‘fat’ was not discrimination arising from a disability
Employment Appeal Tribunal Case: Evans v Xactly Corporation Ltd UKEATPA Category: Disability discrimination, harassment and victimisation In this employment appeal tribunal case the employee was disabled and was dismissed for poor performance. He claimed that both the process that led to dismissal and the dismissal itself, amounted to direct discrimination in relation to the protected […]
Starbucks Loses Workplace Dyslexia Case
A dyslexic employee has won an Employment Tribunal against coffee retail chain Starbucks. Meseret Kumulchew, a barista at a Starbucks in Clapham, London, suffered discrimination in her role after she was wrongly accused of falsifying documents. Ms Kumulchew made mistakes in her role due to her difficulties with reading and writing. Yet instead of making […]
