Acas, the employment relations service, has launched new guidance to help businesses understand and prepare for the changes to the new single Equality Act. The new Acas quick start guidance, The Equality Act – what’s new for employers? demonstrates what these changes mean in practice
Changes have occurred in the following key areas:
- Third party harassment – employers are potentially liable if their staff are harassed by people they don’t employ such as external suppliers or customers.
- Pre-employment health checks - from October employers should no longer send out pre-health questionnaires with employment application packs. There are some exemptions, for example around questions related to making reasonable adjustments for the person in the selection process if they are disabled.
- Powers of employment tribunal recommendations – employment tribunals can require employers found guilty of discrimination to take steps to require them to change their policies and practices to prevent further discrimination.
- Pay secrecy – if your contract of employment requires your employees to keep pay secret, you will find that the equality act make this requirement unenforceable. An employer can still require employees to keep pay rates confidential from others outside the workplace, such as competitors.
The new changes come into effect from October and Acas points out that it is imperative that businesses understand the changes which will impact them, and have reviewed and updated current policies by this date. The new quick start guidance is available to download at www.acas.org.uk/equalityact
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