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Managing Director of British airways

What can an organisation do to ensure equality in the workplaces and doesn’t discriminate against any individual?

Introduction

The report looks into issues of sexism in the city. Report also focuses on barriers women face in workplace. Report has suggestion which would enable employers to prevent less favourable treatment to women in workplace

Sexism in the workplace is an industry ill that has run rampant over the past several decades. Only within this time frame has society come to realize that there is no place for gender prejudice when both men and women are working hard toward the same goals. "Despite regulations that attempt to promote equality within the workplace, discrimination against certain social groups such as women still occurs, with women faring worse than men on most measures of economic equity, including income, unemployment, and occupational distribution" (Trentham et al, 1998, p. 1).

In some cases, women have demonstrated considerable more dedication to the job than men, who are often categorized as being lazy and ineffective when compared to their female counterparts. Indeed, there is room for both genders within the workplace, but it will entail establishing an element of respect for the individual, as well as recognition of duty no matter the sex, that will finally allow gender prejudice to be completely eliminated within the workplace."

Sex Discrimination Act

The Sex Discrimination Act 1975 (SDA) prohibits sex discrimination against individuals in the areas of employment, education, and the provision of goods, facilities and services and in the disposal or management of premises. It also prohibits discrimination in employment against married people.

Types of discrimination

There are four types of discrimination

Direct discrimination - Treating women differently because of their sex, because they are married .(eg paying men more than women for doing the same job, promoting someone because they are single instead of an equally qualified person, or sacking a woman because she says she is pregnant or might start a family.

See appendix 8 Julie Bower, the former shares analyst who won her sex discrimination case against Schroder Securities, will now receive £1.4 million compensation

See appendix 10 Law firm Tarlo Lyons paid about £250,000 to solicitor Sarah Collins in March 2004. She said her job was cut when she became pregnant.

Stereotypical assumptions can amount to direct discrimination. For example, assuming that a woman with young children will be an unreliable employee is direct discrimination.

See appendix 7 HIGH-FLYING investment banker Andrea Madarassy is planning to appeal after an employment tribunal rejected most of her £1m-plus sex discrimination claim against Japanese bank Nomura.

To dismiss a woman because she's pregnant or to refuse to employ her because she is or might become pregnant is unlawful direct discrimination.

See appendix 1 A female mechanic was awarded more than £220,000 by Network Rail after a tribunal ruled she had been the victim of sex discrimination.

See appendix 6 multi-million pound discrimination case has hit the City – this time with HBOS facing an £11m claim for sex discrimination and wrongful dismissal.

Indirect discrimination - putting someone at a disadvantage because of certain working practices or rules (eg setting a minimum height, which might discriminate against most women or an employer’s refusal to recruit part-time workers without good reason)

Other examples:

Example 1: a job advert specifies that 'all job applicants must be over 1.8m (6ft) tall

Given that considerably fewer women than men will be able to meet this requirement

 this constitutes potential indirect sex discrimination.

Example 2: the imposition of an age requirement of 17 and half years to 28 for promotion to a certain post

This could be held indirectly discriminatory since more women than men would be out of the labour market between those ages having children. (It could also discriminate against immigrant applicants, who may obtain qualifications at a later age than those educated in the UK.)

Harassment - behaving in an offensive manner, or allowing other people to do so (for example, making sexual remarks or gestures, allowing displays or distribution of sexually explicit material, or giving someone a potentially offensive nickname because of their gender)

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See appendix 2 where Janet Orlando, 53, is suing her employer for sex discrimination and $1.2 million (£ 700,000). 

Examples of sexual harassment include the following: 

  • Physical harassment.
  • Unwanted sexual comments or personal comments about a woman's appearance.
  • Non verbal harassment such as unwanted gestures or displays of pornographic pictures.

Appendix 3 Chef's sexual harassment of waitress costs Mayfair club £124,000

See appendix 9 A teachers who tried to sue her employers after claiming the school failed to replace a “farting chair” has lost her £1m discrimination claim.

Victimization - Treating someone ...

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