Under the Sex Discrimination Act 1975, sexual discrimination occurs when a company discriminates against a person on the grounds of his or her sex. The Sex Discrimination Act also outlaws discrimination against a person because he or she has undergone, is undergoing or intends to undergo gender reassignment.
Gender discrimination in the workplace arises where an employer treats a person less favourably on grounds of gender reassignment. In particular, gender discrimination occurs where an employer treats an employee who is absent from work to undergo gender reassignment less favourably than it would have if the absence were due to sickness or injury.
EEF members can benefit from expert advice and legal guidance on avoiding both gender discrimination and sex discrimination in the workplace and ensuring good employee relations.