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Discrimination issues

HR & Employment Law

 

Discrimination law and Equality Act advice

The Equality Act 2010 brought together the various strands of discrimination law that had developed since the first discrimination legislation which was introduced in the 1970s.

We provide specialist advice on employment discrimination issues as they arise, but also on practical steps that employers can take to reduce risk and avoid disputes.


How can we help?

  • reviewing policies in an employee handbook to ensure that it contains appropriate policies on equal opportunities and harassment
  • providing training on equal opportunities and harassment to HR teams and also to line managers who have to deal with the issues in a day to day basis and at an early stage
  • reviewing the terms of employment contracts, policies and employee share schemes to ensure they comply with the law

Managing workplace equality and diversity

The challenge of managing equality and diversity spans the whole of the employment relationship. Areas that can be challenging for employers include:

  • explaining recruitment and promotion decisions when a candidate alleges discrimination
  • allegations of harassment in the workplace
  • employees suffering from stress and claiming protection under the disability legislation
  • requests to change working hours in order to meet childcare responsibilities
  • enforcing guidelines on dress codes or tackling issues with an employee's appearance. Age criteria in share schemes
  • complying with the requirements of the gender pay gap regulations

Share schemes and age discrimination

Particular care must be taken with vesting conditions for share schemes to avoid age discrimination. If not tackled early, dealing with discrimination in the workplace can lead to expensive and time consuming disputes that may also be damaging on staff morale.


For specialist legal advice on discrimination law and equality act issues, contact Gareth Edwards on 0117 314 5220.

The team has wide experience and excellent subject knowledge and is at the forefront of employment law practice for charities and independent schools.

  • Legal 500 | Employment Law Team

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Meet the Team

Our employment lawyers based in London, Watford, Bristol and Birmingham provide specialist legal advice and support to employers of all sizes and in all sectors.

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Gareth Edwards - Partner & Employment Lawyer - VWV Law Firm
Partner
Kathy Halliday - Employment Lawyer in Birmingham - VWV Law Firm
Partner

Employment Law

Charity Law

Restructuring & TUPE

Michael Delaney - Partner & Employment Lawyer in Watford - VWV Law Firm
Partner

News & Events

 
VWV expands Commercial Litigation team with notable addition of Terence Dickens
VWV is thrilled to announce the addition of Terence Dickens to our commercial litigation team, based in our Bristol office.
27 Mar 2024
Employment Law Update
Join VWV employment experts, Allison Cook and Joanne Oliver, as they discuss the controversial use of fire and re-hire.
17 Apr 2024