Discrimination law ‘will be easier to comply with for businesses’

The coalition government is to introduce provisions for UK companies to make it more straightforward to comply with employment law regarding discrimination from October.

Yesterday (July 5th), the Government Equalities Office announced that the Equality Act will bring nine separate pieces of regulation into one act in order to simplify matters and reduce the burden on enterprises.

Theresa May, home secretary and minister for woman and equalities, said that under the planned legislation businesses will treat staff fairly and "meet the needs of a diverse customer base".

She added: "The law will be easier to understand and better able to protect people from discrimination."

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Furthermore, Ms May believes the plans signify the governments commitment on tackling this issue and creating an economy where everyone can participate, while making matters easier to understand for organisations.

In March, perhaps one of the most bizarre religious discrimination cases involved a Jobcentre worker in Scotland who believed that he was treated unfairly because he was not allowed to wear a hood synonymous with Jedi characters in the film Star Wars.

By Colette Paxton