Discrimination
Discrimination
Do you feel you have been treated unfairly by your employer? Discrimination takes many forms, is distressing to experience and often difficult to raise in the workplace; particularly if the discrimination involves bullying, victimisation or harassment.
Discrimination happens when someone is treated differently because of a certain protected characteristic. These protected characteristics are detailed under the Equality Act and are age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.
If you have been treated less favourably than other employees due to a protected characteristic then you have been discriminated against. Sometimes, discrimination is direct and obvious, for example, being disallowed from applying for a role due to a disability. But discrimination can also occur in less obvious ways, and is called, ‘indirect discrimination’.
Examples of indirect discrimination include:
- Where an employer asks you to work on a certain day that doesn’t take account of your religious practice
- Where an employer requires employees over a certain age to retire
- Where an employer introduces a dress code that conflicts with your religious practice
If you have been discriminated against by your employer, you have a number of options. You can raise the issue informally with your employer, to avoid a formal dispute. Or you can proceed to a formal dispute or grievance. Your employer should have a grievance policy for you to follow.
If your grievance remains unresolved, you have legal options available to you, which our approachable employment law team, can help you with.
How we help you
- Our experienced employment lawyers have years of experience in dealing with workplace
discrimination. We will advise you on how best to approach your employer, and talk to you
in detail about the issues. We help with everything from negotiating a settlement on your
behalf to representing you at a tribunal. - We explain all legal terms in clear language that’s easy to understand. Always approachable,
always down-to-earth, our focus is on supporting and guiding you to a favourable outcome. - We are upfront and completely transparent about costs from the start; discussing these
along with funding options available to you, including legal expense insurance. We can offer
a structured range of service and support, depending on how much support you need.
If you think you may have, or have grounds for, a discrimination case, or have a query about a
potential case, get in touch with our friendly employment law team for an informal discussion in
confidence, with no obligation.
