What are your legal rights in the workplace?

Your legal rights in the workplace are complex and can confusing at the time when you need to understand them the most.

In this guide you can find out all of your legal rights in the workplace, which fall under The Equality Act.

The Equality Act was passed into law in 2010 and sets out and ensures that employers and employees work in fair environment. The act requires that all employees be treated equally regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, religion, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity and marriage and civil partnership.legal-law-woman-in-office-discussing-case rights in the workplace

The aim of this act was to consolidate all anti-discrimination laws into one act, making the legislation easier to understand and strengthening an individual’s protection. The act replaced previous legislation such as the Race Relations Act 1976, the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 and the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. It also replaced many of the provisions within the Equal Pay Act 1970.

Flexible working rights

Flexible working is a program implemented by the UK government that was designed to create more productive and family-friendly job environments. The idea provides employees the right to request a schedule that works for them, as opposed to the traditional route of working when the company says so.

Find out all your rights to flexible working here.

The obstacles facing some women returning from an extended period away from work can be insurmountable. Could you benefit from flexible working?

The UK government introduced a new Legislation in 2014, giving all employees the right to request flexible work. Will you be exercising your right to request flexible working?

Parenting – Maternity and Paternity rights

The Equality and Human Rights Commission report released in July 2015 brought maternity-related discrimination to the headlines. It brought many issues surrounding pregnancy in the workplace to people’s attention and has highlighted how difficult a decision it can be to decide to start a family as a working woman. Find out your rights when pregnant and on maternity leave here.returning-to-work-mum-400x400 rights in the workplace

A poll in 2013 by Maternity Action found that one in seven women are made redundant after maternity leave.

Returnships and your rights

WeAreTheCity feature a number of returnship programmes from companies who are looking to encourage female returners back in to the workforce. These programmes include training, a chance to refresh skills and meet other women who are in a similar position.

Find out which companies offer returnships and how to apply for them.

Are returnships the solution to getting top women back to work?

Gender discrimination and sexual harassment

The Equality Act 2010 makes it unlawful for an employer to discriminate against employees because of their gender. There are four main types: Direct, indirect, harassment and victimisation.

Sexual harassment is when someone behaves in a way which makes you feel distressed, intimidated or offended and the behaviour is of a sexual nature. Sexual harassment is a form of discrimination under the Equality Act 2010.

Find out all your rights here.

Love notes in the office – romantic gesture or sexual harassment?

One woman’s stand against sexual harassmentLove notes rights in the workplace

The gender pay gap is the difference between a man and woman’s average weekly earnings, based on equivalent hours and job roles.

In 2015, the Office of National Statistics (ONS) released it’s latest figures in the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, which showed that their figures had shrunk to 9.4% from 9.6%. However, this figure still translates into men working full-time earning £567, compared to women of the same earning £471 per week.

What is the gender pay gap?

Majority of UK employees believe men and women are paid equally, new study reveals.

Bullying in the workplace and your rights

In the UK it has been reported that over 60% of employees have witnessed or been a victim of bullying behaviour in the workplace. Of those bullied, 43% said they felt intimidated, with around 25% saying they had been shouted at. A shocking 20% had reported having items thrown at them! It’s clear from these statistics that workplace bullying is still a major issue in the UK.

Bullying is still rife in the workplace, but what are your rights?

Age discrimination and your rights

The Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 impose obligations on employers, providers of vocational training, trade unions, professional associations, trustees/managers of occupational pension schemes and partnerships not to discriminate on the grounds of age. Know your rights.

Disability Discrimination rightswheelchair disabled featured your rights in the workplace

November marked the twentieth anniversary of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) becoming law in Britain.

The DDA came as a result of prolonged campaigning and protesting from thousands of disabled people, throughout the 1990s. The introduction of the Disability Discrimination Act in 1995 meant that employers could not treat people differently due to their disabilities, and for the first time they had to be allowed into the workplace. Later, the act would also mean that service providers had to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ for disabled people, like providing extra help and changing premises to allow disabled access.

Celebrating 20 years since the Disability Discrimination Act

Racial discrimination rights

Racial discrimination is when a person is treated less favourably than another person in a similar situation because of their race, colour, descent, national or ethnic origin or immigrant status. Know your rights.

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