Types of workers covered

A striking feature of discrimination legislation is the breadth of working relationships it covers. All of the following types of workers are protected from discrimination:

• Employees
• Apprentices
• Trainees
• Anyone working for the company under a contract to carry out work personally. This includes self-employed contractors with personal contracts as well as casual workers or homeworkers who are not employees but whose contract with the company requires them to carry out the work assigned to them themselves.
• Contract workers who are supplied to a company through an employment agency or service company. Even though these workers do not have a direct contract with the company, it is unlawful for the company to discriminate against them.
• In relation to disability, age and sex discrimination, a person undertaking practical work experience for the purposes of vocational training.
• People who are applying to a company to work under any of the types of relationship set out above.
• Anyone who used to work for the company in any of the types of relationship set out above, if the discrimination arises out of and is closely connected with the employment relationship. This would cover, for example, a company that discriminated against an ex-employee by refusing to provide a work reference.