New equality rights in workplace come into force

[Peter_]

New equality rights in workplace come into force

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11446650

New rules aimed at banning discrimination by employers, covering areas such as age, disability and pay, have come into force.
The Equality Act covers many workplace areas and draws nine separate pieces of legislation into a single Act.

Yes well excuse me for feeling sceptical..I've been excited by various legislations aimed at equality in the past only to realise that nothing is ever airtight and straight forward when it comes to the workplace and human nature.

[Osem]

Just listening to Iain Dale's radio programme on LBC which is covering this issue. Apparently it's now illegal to ask if your prospective employee is in good health or to advertise a vacancy using terms like 'ambitious', 'dynamic' etc. What's wrong with wanting to employ someone who's ambitious and in good health and what's the point of making employers who do so jump through these silly hoops? If an employer is seeking attributes he/she can't ask questions about surely they'll simply not offer jobs to those they feel don't meet the criteria without the interviewee ever getting a chance to persuade them. How does that benefit anyone?

[Escapee]

Originally Posted by heero_yuy

* The three tenets were:
We employ nobody
We make nothing ourselves
We owe the banks nothing.

If you also added

'We do nothing' it would sum up the MOD.

[superbiatch]

Originally Posted by Osem

Just listening to Iain Dale's radio programme on LBC which is covering this issue. Apparently it's now illegal to ask if your prospective employee is in good health or to advertise a vacancy using terms like 'ambitious', 'dynamic' etc. What's wrong with wanting to employ someone who's ambitious and in good health and what's the point of making employers who do so jump through these silly hoops? If an employer is seeking attributes he/she can't ask questions about surely they'll simply not offer jobs to those they feel don't meet the criteria without the interviewee ever getting a chance to persuade them. How does that benefit anyone?

Don't forget 'enthusiastic' which is a word i used to describe a successful candidate when an unsuccessful candidate sued my trust for age discrimination. Cue the flood doors opening for discrimination cases left, right and centre and people like myself bearing the brunt (low paid, middle manager on a written final warning )

[punky]

All of the above and it won't make an iota of difference to the pay gap because

1. Men will constantly push and chase higher salaries whilst women tend to value job security

2. Women will continue to prefer part time, temporary and continually dropping out of work for numerous years to raise families whist men are usually in continual employment until they retire or die, which ever comes first.

3. Women will prefer public sector social and administration work whilst men will prefer private sector high pressure, high powered work.

The only people that will benefit out of all this nonsense in the act will be employment lawyers.

[Woolly One]

Will it affect this years 'The Apprentice' then ?

Originally Posted by punky

All of the above and it won't make an iota of difference to the pay gap because

1. Men will constantly push and chase higher salaries whilst women tend to value job security

2. Women will continue to prefer part time, temporary and continually dropping out of work for numerous years to raise families whist men are usually in continual employment until they retire or die, which ever comes first.

3. Women will prefer public sector social and administration work whilst men will prefer private sector high pressure, high powered work.

The only people that will benefit out of all this nonsense in the act will be employment lawyers.

That pretty much sums it up..Plus women STILL haven't caught up in many professions.

It will be interesting to see how the age equality thing will work out as well.After all if a youngster get's passed over in favour of an older more experienced candidate I can see them perhaps deciding to pursue a case of age discrimination which I don't think is the original premise of changing the law.

[Ignitionnet]

We will be equal! Harriet Harperson demands it!

so what happens next week when i have to take on a labourer and i want someone who is fit and strong to work with me on the building sites ,i don't want anybody who is unfit ,in a wheelchair,fat ,bad back ,bad legs .Will i be able to specify to the job center what i want in a candidate ?

[rogerdraig]

ifthe job is imposible for someone in a wheelchair then you have the right to not employ them

you just need to be prepared to show why

so if your running a building site you wont have to try and make scafolding wheel chair friendly

but if you want a rep to go see people you may need to think of getting a wheelchair friendly car for them to drive

[papa smurf]

Originally Posted by martyh

so what happens next week when i have to take on a labourer and i want someone who is fit and strong to work with me on the building sites ,i don't want anybody who is unfit ,in a wheelchair,fat ,bad back ,bad legs .Will i be able to specify to the job center what i want in a candidate ?

don't worry i've already got a job

[Taf]

Giving Carers the right to flexible working hours may also be the start of a purge on Carers receiving Carer's Allowance... make work "possible" despite the minimum 35 hours that are still required to be classed as a Carer, earn over £100... end of Carer's Allowance.

I've already had it "suggested" to me that whilst the twins are in school (now college) I could be "gainfully employed" elsewhere. But after the nighttime duties I am usually too knackered in the morning...... "So take an afternoon job" it was "suggested".... "But what happens during holidays, medical appointments, when their course hours mean they are home in the afternoons, etc. ?"

"Your boss would have to let you have the time off under upcoming changes we forsee being legislated".

BLOX.....

earn over £100... end of Carer's Allowance.
Isn't that the case now?

[Ramrod]

Originally Posted by Ignitionnet

We will be equal! Harriet Harperson demands it!

Nope, we can't all be as repulsive as Harridan Harman