Latest Issue - Ids Diversity At Work 63, Sept 2009

Latest Issue - IDS Diversity at Work 63, Sept 2009 News Audit Office critical of EHRC ‘irregular expenditure’ The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has been strongly criticised by the National Audit Office (NAO) for paying consultancy fees of nearly £325,000 to seven ex-employees of the former Commission for Racial Equality (CRE), who were engaged after taking voluntary early severance from the race body with packages worth a total of just under £630,000. The criticism came days after EHRC head Trevor Phillips was reappointed for a second term news which was met by the resignation of several Commissioners. Default retirement age review next year The Government is to bring forward its review of the controversial Default Retirement Age (DRA) - which allows employers to retire workers at 65, irrespective of their wishes - from 2011 to 2010. Government contributes to widening pay gap The Government’s lack of action to break down gender stereotypes in the education system and to help families balance work and family life is ‘disappointing’ and is contributing to the failure to narrow the gender pay gap, according to a new report from the Women and Work Commission (WWC). Call to ban pre-employment health questionnaires A coalition of charities and medical and personnel organisations is calling for pre-employment health-related questions to be banned until after a job offer has been made. Equal pay continues to top Acas conciliation list For the second year in succession, employment tribunals in 2007/08 referred more cases where equal pay was the main cause of complaint to conciliation service Acas than cases concerning any other jurisdiction, according to figures published in the latest Acas annual report. Police service falls short on race target Although police forces in England and Wales have increased the number of black and minority ethnic (BME) officers in their ranks, they have fallen far short of the ten-year target set in 1999 of 7% of officers being from the BME population by 2009, according to the latest Home Office statistics covering 2008/09. Jobcentre Plus must do more to promote equality The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)’s Jobcentre Plus agency is not fully complying with its public sector duties on equality and there is unnecessary duplication between the DWP and the agency on equality policies, according to a new report published by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC). One in ten solicitors from ethnic minority groups Practising solicitors from black and minority ethnic (BME) groups account for 10% of the total number of practising solicitors in England and Wales, according to the latest figures issued by the Law Society. Just over half practise in London. Flexible working can benefit all, says Working Families Flexible working can be leveraged by all employees at any age and at any stage in their career to benefit both the individual and the organisation, but more needs to be done to embed a culture of flexible working, according to new research published by Working Families, the work-life balance charity. Plus news in brief – EHRC strategic plan Women in the City EC parental leave Employee engagement EHRC workforce Environment - not gender Learning disabilities Older workers Recruitment Equality Measurement Senior women in travel Speaker’s Conference Economic crisis no excuse Positive action Extend right to request

Case Study Calderstones Partnership NHS Foundation Trust - a holistic approach to equality and diversity Demonstrating a commitment to mainstreaming equality across all its services, and in anticipation of legislative changes, Calderstones Partnership NHS Foundation Trust has gone beyond its statutory obligations under the existing public sector duties and developed a Single Equality Scheme (SES) covering all protected grounds of discrimination, underpinned by a robust equality impact assessment (EIA) methodology. In this case study, we look at how the Trust has developed both its SES and its EIA process, and at some of the positive employment outcomes this holistic approach has delivered. Case Watch - Appeals Length of service criterion in redundancy is lawful A length of service criterion in a redundancy selection policy was not indirectly discriminatory against younger workers contrary to the Age Regulations, the Court of Appeal rules in Rolls Royce plc v Unite the Union. The use of length of service as one criterion among many was proportionate to achieving the legitimate aim of rewarding loyalty and creating a stable workforce in the context of a fair redundancy selection process. In so holding, the Court of Appeal also expressed the view that such a criterion is capable of constituting a ‘benefit’ for the purposes of Reg 32, allowing its use to be alternatively justified as fulfilling a business need. Case Watch - Tribunals Religious discrimination: Muslim required to carry alcohol Sex discrimination: Victimised after complaint about lewd e-mails Age discrimination: Younger worker discriminated against Statistics Women in law 2007/08 Women continue to outnumber men in law schools and make up three out of five new entrants into the solicitors’ profession, according to the latest statistics from the Law Society of England and Wales. The number of female solicitors in private practice and in partnership positions is growing but men continue to dominate, making up just under 60% of solicitors in private practice and around three out of four partners.