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News from the Equality and Human Rights Commission
Monday 7 April 2025 |
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Welcome to the latest newsletter from the Equality and Human Rights Commission. In this edition, you will find a summary of our work over February and March 2025, including: |
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| Highlights | | New strategic plan for 2025 to 2028 |
The plan sets out our role, responsibilities and vision for the next three years. We protect and promote equality and human rights so that everyone gets a fair chance in life. Our new plan has three pillars: Core regulation of equality and human rights Agile response to equality and human rights risks and opportunities Programmes focused on complex equality and human rights challenges. These include: tackling harassment in the uniformed services supporting effective responses to balance of rights strengthening participation in society by addressing barriers to key public services. The priorities were informed by the views of more than 2,000 organisations and individuals across Britain. We have prioritised planned action where there is clear evidence of need, and we have a unique contribution to make with a good prospect of creating positive change. In spring, we will publish our business plan for 2025 to 2026 with more detail on how we will deliver the first year of our strategic plan.
Please read the strategic plan, share it with your networks and consider how you can support the aims of the plan in your work and everyday life. | | | Read our strategic plan for 2025 to 2028 | | McDonald’s franchises warned to comply with legal duties |
We have written directly to every McDonald's franchise in Britain to remind them of their legal duties under the Equality Act 2010.
Our letters, delivered on 14th March, clearly outline to each restaurant what they must do to prevent discrimination, harassment and victimisation of workers.
While McDonald's Restaurants Limited signed a legally binding agreement with us in 2023, individual franchises are not parties to this agreement and must fulfil their own legal responsibilities. We have warned franchises that failure to comply could put them at risk of enforcement action.
Our Chief Executive, John Kirkpatrick, said: ‘Every business in Britain must comply with the Equality Act. The owners of McDonald’s franchises are no exception and we’ve written to them directly to make their obligations clear’. | | | Read more about our letter to McDonald’s franchises | |
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| Advising Parliament and governments | | House of Lords briefing on the Employment Rights Bill |
We published advice on the UK government’s Employment Rights Bill as it went to its Second Reading in the House of Lords.
Our briefing focussed on measures in the Bill that may affect our regulatory remit. This included advice on the provisions to enhance protection from sexual harassment and duties on employers relating to equality action plans and pay information.
We also provided advice on equality and human rights considerations relevant to the proposed measure to protect employees from third-party harassment. In particular, we highlighted the complexities of this matter and the need for a better understanding of its prevalence. | | | Read our House of Lords briefing on the Bill | |
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| Guidance and advice | | New advice helps GP practices prevent digital exclusion |
We published a new advice note to help General Practices in England and Wales embed equality considerations in their NHS services, with specific guidance on preventing digital exclusion.
While digitalisation can improve service quality and efficiency, it can create barriers for certain groups, including older people, disabled people, some ethnic minorities, those with limited English, and people from disadvantaged areas.
The guidance makes clear that digital services must be easily accessible, with alternative routes available for those who need them. Our advice note also outlines practical steps GP practices can take to comply with their Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) obligations, including: | | | Read our advice note on how the PSED applies to GP practices | | Understanding the impact of our menopause guidance |
We recently conducted a survey to learn how employers have supported employees following our February 2024 guidance on menopause in the workplace. The guidance offers practical advice on making reasonable adjustments and encouraging positive workplace conversations about menopause.
Thank you to everyone who completed the survey – your responses will help us to further improve our guidance. We are committed to tackling discrimination in the workplace. Please join us by sharing the guidance at work and through your networks. | | | Read our menopause guidance |
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| Legal and regulatory action | | Engaging Scottish Government and NHS Fife regarding staff access to single-sex spaces |
We wrote to the Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care and NHS Fife regarding staff access to single-sex changing facilities within the NHS. We reminded NHS Fife of their obligation to protect individuals from discrimination and harassment based on protected characteristics including sex, religion or belief and gender reassignment.
Under the Public Sector Equality Duty, all Scottish health boards must assess how their policies affect people with protected characteristics. We have requested that NHS Fife provide their equality impact assessment relating to staff changing facilities, along with information on policy reviews and steps taken to balance the rights of different groups.
We are currently reviewing the response NHS Fife provided and will be writing to them again shortly.
We have also requested a meeting with the Cabinet Secretary to discuss the Scottish Government's role in making sure NHS Scotland and other bodies meet their legal obligations under the Equality Act. | | | Read more about our engagement with the Scottish Government and NHS Fife | | Home Office completes remaining improvements |
We confirmed that the Home Office has now completed all necessary improvements required under our 2021 legal agreement.
Following last year's announcement about the conclusion of our enforcement action, the outstanding actions have now been fully implemented. | | | Read more about the Home Office completing its improvements | | Judge rules foster carers can bring whistleblowing claims |
We supported a landmark case that has ruled foster carers should be allowed to bring discrimination and whistleblowing claims as workers. The judgment could potentially benefit more than 57,000 foster carers across the UK.
Three foster carers brought the case, having raised concerns about health and safety, ethnic minority children's needs, and age discrimination. They faced repercussions from their local authorities, such as having children removed from their care, and were unable to pursue their claims in the employment tribunal because they are not considered to be ‘workers’.
We hope this judgment provides foster carers with greater protection and reassurance when raising legitimate concerns. | | | Read more about our support for the case | |
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| Human rights | | UK and Welsh governments must tackle labour exploitation and access to food |
In our recent report to the United Nations, we highlighted concerns about labour exploitation linked to UK worker visa schemes, as well as high reliance on foodbanks among vulnerable households.
The report called for specific measures from both the UK and Welsh governments to fulfil their obligations under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR).
We identified issues including illegal recruitment fees, debt bondage and wage underpayment affecting foreign nationals working in the UK. While we noted the proposed Fair Work Agency in the Employment Rights Bill, we recommended improved monitoring of worker visa schemes and better rights awareness for visa recipients.
We also highlighted the reliance on foodbanks for certain households in England and Wales. Examples include those with disabled members and those with children. The introduction of a new child poverty strategy by the Welsh Government, and the launch of a UK government ministerial taskforce to develop a child poverty strategy, are welcome steps. | | | Read our full recommendations to the UK and Welsh governments | |
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