Sex discrimination

Summary Direct discrimination is unlawful even if the employer it trying to be ‘chivalrous’. However in limited cases positive discriminatio...

Parental bereavement leave and pay

Parental bereavement leave From April 2020, regulations allow an employee to take two weeks leave following the death of their child aged un...

Time off for dependants (emergencies)

Employees have a right to unpaid time off to deal with emergencies which may arise for dependants. Examples include providing assistance if ...

Family-friendly measures

This topic deals with both rights around the term of birth or adoption, and other rights which are available later. There is a separate topi...

Proposed right to unpaid leave for carers

The government has announced that when parliamentary time allows it will introduce a right for unpaid carers to take up to 5 working days of...

Indirect discrimination for someone else’s disability?

An employment tribunal (so not a binding precedent) has accepted a claim for indirect disability discrimination by the carer of a disabled p...

Disability: Discrimination by association

For direct discrimination and harassment, it need not be the claimant who has the disability under the Equality Act. Summary Discrimination ...

‘Objective justification’ defence

Summary This defence can apply to discrimination arising from disability, and to indirect discrimination. The employer must show that the un...

Shared parental leave and pay

Introduction Since April 2015, what was known as Additional Paternity Leave and Additional Statutory Paternity Pay has been abolished and re...

Discrimination against carer of disabled child: Northern Ireland case

The Northern Ireland Court of Appeal held there was associative direct discrimination when the mother of a disabled child was dismissed. In ...