A new survey by the Resolution Foundation has investigated the scale and nature of workplace discrimination. In it (based on a survey of over 3,000 working-age adults), they found that one in five (20 per cent) of 18-65 year olds reported experiencing some form of discrimination either at work or when applying for a job over the last year, with those from ethnic minority backgrounds and those with disabilities most affected.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), the state body responsible for tackling anti-discrimination law, focuses mainly on supporting firms to comply with their obligations, but a lack of resources (its budget has been cut by four-fifths in real terms since its creation) and powers means it undertakes relatively little enforcement action. This means workers largely rely on taking their case to an employment tribunal (ET), which tends to be easier for higher earners: workers earning £40,000 or over were almost twice as likely to take their employer to court as those earning under £20,000, despite the lowest earners being twice as likely to report anxiety about discrimination.
Please click here for the full report.
If you have been affected by discrimination then EQuIP has a dedicated casework service that can help. Please do get in touch for a confidential and free chat about your situation. Whilst we cannot give legal or financial advice we can support in other ways.
Advice@equipequality.org.uk or 0330 135 6606
