Equality and Diversity is the current term used for Equal
Opportunities.
It is the legal obligation to protect against discrimination.
Discrimination can be against a persons sex, gender, disability, sexual
orientation, religion, belief, race or age. Discrimination is about the way we act. When we act more favourably towards one group of people than another and that favouritism is based on prejudice, then we may be said to have discriminated
Equality equal rights and treatment to all individuals
Diversity difference from what is normal or expected Diversity
means valuing the differences between people and the ways in which those differences can contribute to a richer, more creative and more productive working environment.
Discrimination can be against a persons sex, gender, disability, sexual
orientation, religion, belief, race or age. Discrimination is about the way we act. When we act more favourably towards one group of people than another and that favouritism is based on prejudice, then we may be said to have discriminated Direct Discrimination:Person A directly discriminates against Person B when A treats B less favourably than A would treats or would treat others in the same circumstances EG: A 70 year old lady was refused a broadband contract by Carphone Warehouse in the UK and was told that she could only register if she came to the store with a younger member of her family. The Carphone Warehouse had provided guidance to staff not to sell broadband contracts to customers aged 70+ as they believe they will not understand the terms of the contract. Indirect Discrimination This happens when a requirement is applied equally to everyone but has the effect of excluding one group of people more than another
Eg: Your employer brings in a new shift pattern which means
that everyone has to work fewer but longer days. You have a disability that means youre exhausted after two long days of working. So the new shift pattern puts you and other people who have the same disability as you at a disadvantage. Your employer will have indirectly discriminated against you if it cant justify the new shift pattern. Perceptive Discrimination: Discrimination against an individual because of a perception that he or she has a protected characteristic when he or she does not, in fact, have that protected characteristic.
Eg: An employer rejects a job application submitted by a
white man whom the employer wrongly assumes to be black because he has an African name. An employee is subjected to religious abuse on the basis that he supports a particular football team, even though he does not actually belong to the religion associated with that football team. Associative Discrimination: Less favourable treatment because of someone elses protected characteristic. EG: Sharon Coleman claimed managers at Attridge Law called her lazy when she requested time off to care for her disabled son. She accepted voluntary redundancy, but later brought a claim for constructive dismissal and disability discrimination. A UK employment tribunal referred the case to the European Court of Justice to clarify European law. The ECJ ruled that able-bodied people can be covered by the Disability Discrimination Act because of their association with people covered by equality law.