Information for employers

This section describes the main areas in which discrimination in employment can arise, who it applies to, and what employers can do to prevent it.

Whether you employ full-time, part-time or temporary staff, you should be aware of the rights they have to fair treatment at work. Detailed advice for employees on their rights is available in ‘Rights in different settings: Working and earning’.

Your employees (and any workers who work for you, but don’t have a contract of employment, such as contractors) have other employment rights than those relating to equality and human rights. These other rights may arise from national or European law, and include rights to contracts, pay, holidays and dismissal.

This website does not contain details of these other employment rights. For further information you should consult a solicitor or approach one of the following organisations:

• Acas (the advisory, conciliation and arbitration service)
• Business Link
• Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Information covered in this area:

• Benefits for employers of considering equality and diversity
• Areas of responsibility
  • Which organisations are covered?
  • Recruitment and job advertisements
  • Pay, benefits and workplace conditions
  • Pregnancy, maternity and parenthood
  • Making reasonable adjustments for disabled employees
• What the law says
  • choosing your advisers carefully
• How to tackle discrimination and promote equality
• Guidance on managing new and expectant parents
• Resources on equal pay including a toolkit for carrying out an equal pay audit.
• Guidance on recruiting and supporting trans employees

Here for Business: Find out about our work with business organisations to produce tailor made guides for small businesses (SMEs).