Discrimination and Inclusivity
Law states that discrimination is treating people/group differently based on their characteristics such as: sex, race, disability, sexual orientation, religion, age.
It applies to a wide range of situations, for example interviews, advertisements, and information on Websites.
Direct discrimination is when people are treated differently based on characteristics which can also be harassment, for example a woman doing same job as a man but getting paid less.
Indirect discrimination is when conditions are imposed on all, but have a disproportionate effect on one group, for instance advertising a job with a requirement that applicants must be over 180cm - in the UK, many men are over that height but very few women are.
Currently The Equality Act (2010) has replaced most of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA). The DDA still continues to apply as not all areas have been replaced.
Compliance with anti-discrimination legislation requires:
- Suitable, written policy - freely and easily available
- Training programme for all staff
- Effective procedures for implementing policy
Inclusivity is the opposite to discrimination in that it surrounds a policy of not excluding members or participants on the grounds of race, gender, class, or sexual orientation.