"Prepare now or pay later" warning - video

Thursday 02 July 2015

Business are being warned they may face fines of up to £10,000 if they break the new sex discrimination rules later this year.

Following race discrimination laws last year, new protection will be given to sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity (including breastfeeding) discrimination from 1 September. Rules outlawing age and disability discrimination are still to come.

The law change means that it will be illegal for employers to discriminate against their workers or customers, for example, on the grounds of them being a woman or homosexual or pregnant or on maternity leave.

At a breakfast briefing at the Pomme D'Or, a team from Law at Work (LAW), and the Citizens' Advice Bureau set out the requirements of the new regulations, and gave advice on what businesses need to do to make sure they comply.

They also gave examples of where employers might run into problems, such as by turning down an application from a female employee for flexible working hours to help with childcare, without have a valid business reason to reject it. The same will apply to turning down applications for more maternity leave. 

LAW's Technical Director, Sharon Peacock, warned that much of the publicity had so far focussed on breast-feeding or office banter, and she gave examples such as an employees using the phrase "having a blonde moment", which might be classed as discriminatory if someone took offence. But she said that actually the law was much more broard than that, and employers needed to review their policies to make sure they would still be legal. 

In answer to a question from the audience, she also explain the penalties for employers who were found to have broken the law.

Sharon Peacock was joined on the panel by Malcolm Ferey, Chief Executive Officer of the Citizens’ Advice Bureau, and Vic Tanner Davy, founder of campaign and support group Trans* Jersey.

The introduction of the race discrimination law last year came almost 50 years after the UK passed the Race Relations Act of 1965. At this morning's seminar Ms Peacock pointed out that the Island was about 40 years behind the UK with its introduction of the sex discrimination laws.