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Friday, 17 February 2006

Equality in the workplace takes centre stage

A powerful new body to put equality at the heart of modern Britain got the go-ahead on 16 February when the Equality Act gained Royal Assent.

Individuals experiencing discrimination and prejudice on the basis of race, gender, disability, age, religion and belief or sexual orientation will now have easier access to help and support from October 2007.

Improved advice and information through the single Commission for Equality and Human Rights (CEHR) will also be available to businesses.

CEHR will work with individuals, communities, businesses and public services to find new, more effective ways to give everyone in society the chance to achieve their full potential.

The plan is to put expertise on equality, diversity and human rights in one place. It will do this by merging the work of the Disability Rights Commission and the Equal Opportunities Commission from October 2007 and the Commission for Racial Equality from 2009.

Equality areas of age, religion and belief, and sexual orientation will come under the remit of a single equality body for the first time. It will also have a better range of powers to enforce legislation flexibly and promote equality for all.

The Commission hopes the act will promote awareness and understanding of human rights, while encouraging good practice among public authorities aiming to meet their Human Rights Act obligations.

The CEHR will be required to produce an 'equality health check' for Britain.

The act will introduce a new ‘gender duty’ that will require public bodies to take account of the different needs of men and women to ensure equality of opportunity when preparing policies or providing services.

Meg Munn, Deputy Minister for Women and Equality, said: “The Equality Act marks a transformation in the way modern Britain tackles discrimination.

"The CEHR will be a powerful body dedicated to fighting discrimination, predudice and inequality and promoting fairness for everyone.

“The new Commission will bring together the expertise and knowledge of the Commission for Racial Equality, the Equal Opportunities Commission and the Disability Rights Commission. It will also have new powers to champion equality, diversity and human rights across the UK.”

The Commission will cover England, Scotland and Wales. In Scotland and Wales there will be statutory committees responsible for the work of the CEHR.