Our Chief Executive Rebecca Hilsenrath outlines our ten asks for employers and Government to advance workplace equality this year:

2020 is an important milestone for equality law. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Equal Pay Act, which gives a right to equal pay for men and women for equal work. It is also a decade since the Equality Act came into force, prohibiting discrimination against a person because of a range of characteristics – including sex, pregnancy and maternity, age and disability.

We want to mark the anniversaries of these two seminal pieces of equality legislation by making 2020 the year where we take a leap forward towards ensuring that everyone in Britain has equal access to the labour market and is treated fairly at work.

Both our new Government and the vast majority of employers recognise the need to promote equality and diversity and ensure fair treatment at work. Not only is it the right thing to do, it improves organisation’s effectiveness and reputation. So we’re calling on them to take ten steps to help make this a reality in 2020.

Earlier this month we published new guidance for employers on tackling sexual harassment and harassment at work. All employers have a duty of care to protect their workers and will be legally liable for harassment in the workplace if they have not taken reasonable steps to prevent it. We are urging all employers to implement this guidance as soon as possible. 

The Sexual harassment and harassment at work: technical guidance and accompanying Preventing sexual harassment at work: guide for employers sets out seven actions employers can follow to ensure that they are doing everything possible to prevent and deal with sexual harassment in the workplace:

1. Develop an effective anti-harassment policy 
2. Engage your staff 
3. Assess and take steps to reduce risks in your workplace 
4. Think about reporting systems 
5. Deliver training 
6. Know what to do when a complaint is made 
7. Treat harassment by a third party just as seriously as by a colleague

To find out more, watch our short video above and download our new publications below. 

Are you a solicitor or someone who provides expert advice to disabled or older people? Legal experts from the EHRC and Cloisters have joined forces to offer free training on discrimination in the provision of transport.

Courses are being held in London and Manchester but places are limited: click on the links below to find out more and to book.