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t The Law and Employment

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tEQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

Workers must not be discriminated against on the grounds of

. disability

….. race….. ..colour….. ....gender..…religion.

“YMCA...”

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tEquality Act 2010The Equality Act 2010 is the law which bans unfair treatment and helps achieve equal opportunities in the workplace and in society.

Replaces all previous equality legislation in England, Scotland & Wales:- Race Relations Act - the

Disability Discrimination Act - Sex Discrimination Act - Equal Pay Act- Employment Equality (Age) Regulations

The protected characteristics (PC) are:age disabilitygender reassignment religion or beliefmarriage and civil partnership sexpregnancy and maternity racesexual orientation

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Equal Opportunities Facts

Strong occupational segregation by race and gender still persists eg one in 4 Pakistani men is a taxi driver; one in 3 women is in a managerial job while more than ¾ of administrative jobs are done by women.

People with mental health problems face significant difficulties accessing work eg only 23% of people with depression are in employment.

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Equal Opportunities Facts

Lesbian, gay or bisexual adults are twice as likely to report harassment, discrimination or other unfair treatment at work compared to other employees.

The gender pay gap widens significantly as a result of motherhood, with mothers with mid-level qualifications facing a 25% loss in lifetime earnings and those with no qualifications a 58% loss.

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The Equality Act 2010

Replaced previous anti-discrimination laws with a single act

To make the law simplerTo remove inconsistenciesEasier for people to understand and

comply withStrengthened protection in some

situations

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Age

Refers to a particular age or a range of ages

“I’m dismissing you because you’re 65”

“No applicant over 50 will be considered for this job”

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DisabilityA physical or mental impairment and the

impairment has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.

Physical: eg arthritis, sciatica, diabetes, heart disease

Mental: eg depression and anxiety, learning difficulties, autism, Asperger’s syndrome

Long-term: 12 months, rest of life

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Gender reassignmentPerson is proposing to undergo, is

undergoing or has undergone a process (or part of a process) for the purpose of reassigning the person’s sex by changing physiological or other attributes of sex.

Process does not need to be a medical procedure.

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RaceIncludes: colour eg black or whiteNationality eg British, Columbian

or SlovakianEthnic or national origins eg Roma

or Irish traveller background

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Religion or belief

Includes:

Any religion or philosophical beliefLack of religion or philosophical belief

Religions covered include:

ChristianityHinduism IslamJudaismSikhism

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Sexual orientation

Outlaws discrimination in employment based on sexual orientation towards:people of the same sex opposite sexthe same sex and the opposite sex

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tEQUAL PAY ACT 1970

I know. Probably a man!How’s it going? See someone

has put a largetowel in the coffee pot!

The Equal Pay Act of 1970 ensures that men and women, if they do the same or similar jobs, are paid the same.

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tHEALTH AND SAFETY AT

WORK ACTI think there’s been a breach of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.Work Act 1974

Employers must take responsibility for the health and safety of workers. Employees are expected to be responsible for their safety and the safety of others.

The main law which deals with health and safety is the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

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The Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 sets out the responsibilities of employers and employees with regards to health and safety in the workplace.  Employers’ responsibilities (the business you are working for):· provide and maintain suitable surroundings· provide information and training· provide protective clothing and equipment if necessary· prepare a health and safety policy. Employees’ responsibilities (the person working for the business):· take reasonable care for their own safety and others· cooperate with employer· do not interfere with or misuse equipment.

HEALTH AND SAFETY AT WORK ACT

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tNATIONAL MINIMUM WAGE

ACTEmployers are obliged to pay a minimum wage (Oct 2015) of:

21 and over 18 to 20 Under 18Apprentice*

£6.50 £5.13 £3.79 £2.73£6.50 an hour!! I

don’t think the businesscan afford that. Och well,

I’ll continue to develop my ideafor writing on black paper.

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tData Protection Act

This controls how your personal information is used by organisations, businesses or the government.

Everyone who is responsible for using data has to follow the ‘principles’, so that information is …. •used fairly and lawfully•used for limited, specifically stated purposes•used in a way that is adequate, relevant and not excessive•accurate•kept for no longer than is absolutely necessary•handled according to people’s data protection rights•kept safe and secure•not transferred outside the UK without adequate protection

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tAnswer a question

Describe the purpose of:

the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974the Race Relations Act 1976the Equal Pay Act 1970

(3 marks) 2006

6 minutes

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tSolution

Health & Safety at Work Act 1974

States employers’ and employees’ duties with regard to health and safety. Employees have a duty to take care of their own health as well as that of other employees.

Race Relations Act 1976

Unlawful to discriminate on the grounds of race, colour, religion or ethnic origin with regard to recruitment, training, promotion or conditions of service.

Equal Pay Act 1970

All employees should receive the same rate of pay where work of equal value is undertaken.