The long-awaited EHRC draft Code of Practice for services, public functions and associations (Code) was laid before Parliament on 21 May 2026. Parliament has 40 days to review the code; if Parliament does not disapprove the Code, the UK government will then set a date for it to come into force. Once in force, it […]
The recent flurry of activity on the employment law reforms being introduced under the Employment Rights Act 2025 (ERA 2025) continues today with the publication of a new consultation on regulations to prevent the use of non-disclosure agreements in cases of workplace harassment or discrimination. The consultation closes on 8 July 2026. This is the
In a judgment handed down today, For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers the Supreme Court has determined the meaning of ‘man’, ‘woman’ and ‘sex’ in the Equality Act 2010 as referring to biological sex, not acquired or certificated sex under a Gender Recognition Certificate. Background The appeal arose in the context of a
The government is seeking evidence and views on areas of equality policy to help better understand how the law is working in practice and on areas of possible equality law reform. The call for evidence will help shape the measures included in the draft Equality (Race and Disability) Bill and the Employment Rights Bill. The equality
Call for evidence: New equality laws on the horizon? Read More »
The Court of Appeal’s decision in Higgs v Farmor’s School is the latest case in the arena of competing workplace rights, following the prominent judgments in the claims brought by Maya Forstater and David Mackereth, highlighting the difficulties employers can face in striking the delicate balance between conflicting opinions. This case underscores the importance of
A clash of beliefs: The Higgs v Farmor’s School case Read More »
In July 2022, the Women and Equalities Committee published a report making a number of recommendations for the further protection of individuals affected by the menopause. On 24 January 2023, the government published its response to the recommendations and, in a move which will be seen by many as disappointing and a missed opportunity, has
Government rejects opportunity to make menopause a protected characteristic Read More »
Five years ago, in 2017, a Harvard Business School Professor opined in the Harvard Business Review that neurodiversity is a competitive advantage which employers should embrace within their workforces1. The Review’s article identified that the sometimes extraordinary skills of many neurodiverse individuals were not being tapped into by employers because of the traditional way in
Embracing neurodiversity in business: What you need to know Read More »
In Bailey v (1) Stonewall Equality Ltd (2) Garden Court Service Company (3) representatives of Garden Court Chambers, an employment tribunal has held that a barristers’ chambers, Garden Court Chambers, discriminated against a barrister, Allison Bailey, due to her protected belief that a woman is defined by her sex. Ms Bailey’s discrimination claim against Stonewall
In 2022, diversity and inclusion (D&I) is a top priority for most organisations which recognise its importance as a key component of an effective environmental, social and governance (ESG) framework. With this in mind, DLA Piper’s Employment group is pleased to launch a 15 minute D&I index. Our index will assist your organisation to identify
Discover your organisation’s D&I rating with our new D&I index Read More »
Employers may remember that back in the pre-COVID world of July 2019, a series of consultation papers was published in quick succession in the final days of Theresa May’s office as Prime Minister. These consultation papers sought views on a wide and varied range of proposals with a potentially significant impact on employers: Extended protection
Update on legislative reforms impacting employers Read More »
In the case of Allay (UK) Limited v Gehlen, the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has recently reinforced the importance of up-to-date equality training for employees. Without it, employers may struggle to successfully demonstrate that they have taken all reasonable steps to prevent discrimination and harassment in the workplace and will, therefore, be potentially liable for
The government’s last-minute flurry of legislative activity looks set to continue right up to the parliamentary summer recess; today the government has issued its response to consultation on extending workplace protection for pregnant women and new parents as part of the Good Work Plan. Research by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS)
The Government has launched a new consultation on extending redundancy protection for women and new parents. It comes off the back of key issues raised in the Women and Equalities Select Committee 2016 report and the recommendations made by the Taylor Review of Modern Working Practices. The consultation closes on 5 April 2019. In summary,
Government consults on extending redundancy protection for women and new parents Read More »
Earlier this year, the Women and Equalities Committee (WEC) launched an inquiry into sexual harassment in the workplace, gathering a range of evidence from oral and written submissions. This culminated in July 2018 in the publication of its report on Sexual harassment in the workplace, which found that the Government, regulators and employers are all
Government’s response to WEC’s report on sexual harassment in the workplace Read More »
In an important case which has highlighted the difficulties which can arise when balancing the rights of individuals with different protected characteristics, the Supreme Court has held in Lee v Ashers Baking Company Ltd and ors, that it is not unlawful discrimination, either on grounds of sexual orientation or political opinion, for a bakery to