Preventing Discrimination at Work

Every employee deserves to be treated with respect and fairness, regardless of their background. Employers are legally required to prevent discrimination in the workplace. Despite progress in diversity and inclusion, discrimination remains a serious issue—a survey of 4,000 UK workers by Ciphr found that 45% had experienced some form of workplace discrimination.

Why is this important?

• ✔ Preventing discrimination protects employees and improves workplace culture.
• ✔ Bias and unfair treatment can reduce innovation, harm productivity, and damage company morale.
• ✔ A diverse and inclusive workforce benefits both employees and business performance.

Common Forms of Workplace Discrimination

The most reported cases involve:

• Disability discrimination
• Race, sex, and age discrimination
• Maternity and pregnancy discrimination
• Sexual harassment (with an increase post-#MeToo movement)
• Internal discrimination complaints and investigations are on the rise as employees feel more empowered to report issues.

Legal Protections Against Discrimination

The Equality Act 2010 protects employees against discrimination based on nine protected characteristics:

• ✔ Age
• ✔ Race
• ✔ Sex
• ✔ Disability
• ✔ Religion or belief
• ✔ Sexual orientation
• ✔ Pregnancy and maternity
• ✔ Gender reassignment
• ✔ Marriage and civil partnership

Employers must avoid direct and indirect discrimination, including:

• Harassment: Creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment.
• Victimisation: Treating someone unfairly because they made or supported a complaint.
• Failure to make reasonable adjustments: Not providing accommodations for disabled employees.
• Indirect discrimination: Policies that appear neutral but disadvantage certain groups (e.g., requiring full-time work, which may disproportionately affect women with childcare responsibilities).

The law applies to all aspects of employment, including:

• ✅ Hiring and recruitment
• ✅ Salary and benefits
• ✅ Training and promotion
• ✅ Redundancy and dismissal

How Employers Can Prevent Discrimination

To stay compliant and foster inclusivity, businesses should:

1. Embed DE&I Into Company Culture

• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) should go beyond policies—it must be part of the workplace culture.
• Senior leadership must champion inclusivity and act as role models.
• Create a safe space for employees to voice concerns without fear of retaliation.

2. Implement Clear Policies & Procedures

• Policies should be easy to understand, not just legal jargon.
• Regularly review and update policies through a DE&I lens to ensure inclusivity.
• Clearly outline reporting procedures for discrimination concerns.

3. Conduct Regular Training & Education

• Training should be engaging and interactive, not just a tick-box exercise.
• Unconscious bias training can help employees recognise and address internal biases.
• Regular refresher sessions ensure continued awareness and compliance.

4. Encourage Open Conversations & Employee Feedback

• Conduct employee engagement surveys to assess inclusion efforts.
• Offer safe spaces where employees can discuss diversity and inclusion issues.
• Act on feedback and demonstrate commitment to meaningful change.

5. Promote Inclusive Hiring & Career Progression

• Ensure hiring and promotion practices encourage diversity.
• Provide equal access to career growth opportunities.
• Offer flexible working policies to support employees with different needs.

The Role of Training in Preventing Discrimination

• Regular training ensures employees understand their rights and responsibilities.
• Training should be led by experienced professionals familiar with discrimination laws.
• Encourage interactive sessions, not just policy reading.
• Unconscious bias training helps employees reflect on personal biases.
• Use case studies and real-world examples to make training more relatable.

Resources: Organisations like ACAS offer free online training on equality, diversity, and inclusion.

Consequences of Failing to Prevent Discrimination

• Legal consequences: Compensation for discrimination claims can be unlimited, sometimes reaching millions.
• Reputational damage: A discrimination claim can severely harm a company’s public image and employer brand.
• Employee disengagement: Workplace discrimination lowers morale, reduces productivity, and increases staff turnover.

Example: Large-scale lawsuits, particularly in equal pay cases, have resulted in significant financial penalties for businesses.

Creating an Inclusive & Diverse Workplace

• Be proactive, not reactive—don’t wait for issues to arise.
• Set up DE&I networks and initiatives to encourage engagement.
• Allocate a budget for DE&I programs and recognise contributions to inclusivity.
• Regularly assess and update your DE&I strategy to reflect evolving workplace dynamics.

Small Businesses: Preventing Discrimination Without an HR Team

• Use external resources: Many free or low-cost support services can help create policies.
• Keep policies simple: A small team doesn’t need a 30-page DE&I document—focus on clear, actionable guidelines.
• Encourage open communication: Ensure employees feel safe reporting concerns.
• Signpost support options: Make it clear who employees can talk to without escalating directly to senior leadership.

Final Thoughts

Preventing discrimination isn’t just about legal compliance—it’s about fostering a healthy, productive, and inclusive workplace. Companies that embrace diversity and prioritise fair treatment benefit from higher employee engagement, better innovation, and stronger business success.

Inclusion isn’t a policy—it’s a practice. Live it.