{"id":2073,"date":"2022-01-24T06:00:50","date_gmt":"2022-01-24T06:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uk.legalvision.com.au\/?p=2073"},"modified":"2022-06-06T07:33:24","modified_gmt":"2022-06-06T06:33:24","slug":"equal-opportunity-employment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/equal-opportunity-employment\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Equal Opportunity in Employment in England and Wales?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every employer in England and Wales should be aware of their legal obligations towards their staff and workplace. One legal requirement is to ensure equal opportunities in your employment. If you do not provide an equal employment opportunity between staff, you could discriminate against them. Unlawful discrimination results in your business having to pay out money, tarnishing your reputation as a business and an employer. Furthermore, creating equal employment opportunities is in your best interests as it benefits you as an employer.<\/span><\/p>\n

This article will explain what equal opportunities in employment means and its implications for you as an employer. It will also explain how you should create equal opportunities in the workplace and how you might promote these.<\/span><\/p>\n

What Does Equal Opportunity in Employment Mean?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Equal opportunity in employment means that you treat everyone equally, ensuring that your prejudices do not disadvantage anyone when making employment decisions. It means that there is no employment discrimination<\/a>, such as race or sex discrimination. Thus, you will want to aim for equal opportunities and equal employment in the workplace.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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However, equal opportunity in employment does not mean that you treat everyone identically in your employment decisions. This is because people are different in terms of their requirements. Therefore, you should value people’s differences, which creates a diverse workforce<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Equal opportunity in employment means that you must ensure that everyone has what they need to have equal opportunities, which might mean adjusting to someone with a disability (termed a ‘reasonable adjustment’).<\/span><\/p>\n

What Does Equal Opportunity in Employment Mean for Employers?<\/span><\/h2>\n

The law requires you to ensure equal opportunities for everyone in your workplace. In addition, you are required to meet specific standards in terms of your relationships with your employees. Therefore, you must treat everyone equally and fairly.<\/span><\/p>\n

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For example, when picking someone for a job role, you must do so based on their abilities, potential and experience only. Accordingly, you must not let irrelevant factors that they cannot change affect your choice. These factors are termed ‘protected characteristics’. It is illegal to mistreat others in the workplace based upon these traits. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Thus, it is considered unlawful discrimination if an employer discriminates based on one of these protected groups. The nine protected characteristics are:<\/span><\/p>\n