August 2022 - Didlaw

Discrimination in recruitment example – can more equal parental leave help?

31 August 2022

If you asked me what is my most prized possession, it would be my marriage certificate. It is my life in a legal document: issued in my hometown, representing the most important relationship in my life and even evidencing my right to remain in this country. Yet, if you asked me that in an interview, […]

Menopause in the workplace – Women and Equalities Committee Report

29 August 2022

The recent report of the House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee on Menopause in the workplace contains some hard hitting and impassioned conclusions on the impact of menopause on women’s working lives. I’ll admit to an impending sense of personal as well as professional interest in this issue. Rightly so, I would say, given […]

The forecast may be bleak – but there is a reason for optimism

26 August 2022

The forecast may be bleak – but there is a reason for optimism Whilst many are desperately seeking a reason for optimism by making the most of the summer sunshine, enjoying the ability to travel and take holidays abroad, there is an undercurrent of uncertainty brewing for many. With daily reports of rising interest rates, […]

Discrimination Against Pregnant Women

24 August 2022

Protecting pregnant mothers Can employers act in a way that amounts to discrimination against pregnant women? The general rule is no: being pregnant is one of the nine “protected characteristics” covered by the Equality Act 2010 and protects a woman from being treated unfavourably because of her pregnancy. Employers are however allowed to treat women […]

Competing rights – always a juggling act

22 August 2022

didlaw is a leading discrimination law firm with a phenomenal reputation in work that centres around disability discrimination and work-related injury with a particular focus on mental health. This is the backbone of the firm and upon which its reputation has been built and gained. Despite this, didlaw is not a ‘one trick pony’ and […]

Political opinion dismissal case study

19 August 2022

In the case of Scottish Federation of Housing Associations v Polly Jones [2022] EAT 114, the EAT established that where an employee is dismissed for not being politically neutral, their dismissal cannot be deemed related to political opinion or affiliation. Ms Jones (the Claimant) was employed as Head of Membership and Policy by the Scottish […]

Sex discrimination case

17 August 2022

Solicitor subjected to sex discrimination awarded over £150,000 compensation. In Biggs v Bilborough & Co, a solicitor who successfully brought claims of unfair dismissal and sex discrimination in 2020 against her former employer, has now been awarded a total sum of compensation in excess of £150,000 by the Employment Tribunal. The facts The Claimant was […]

Access to Justice

15 August 2022

How could access to justice be improved in the Employment Tribunals? The Employment Tribunals have an enormous backlog which, as a result, has led to limitations for claimants to receive appropriate access to justice. The latest data available, from January 2022, shows that the average time from an Employment Tribunal receiving a claim to the […]

Mental Health Condition Case Study

12 August 2022

Employment Tribunal time limits need not be extended because a claimant has a mental health condition. The normal time limit for claims in the Employment Tribunal is basically 3 months (ignoring potential changes due to the requirement for Acas Early Conciliation before filing a claim). This is much shorter than the standard limitation periods for […]