The Equality & Human Rights Commission has recently published a technical guidance on how public bodies, including local authorities, can comply with the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) which was introduced in April 2011. Although this is not a statutory code of practice, it provides a formal authoritative, and comprehensive legal interpretation of the PSED. It complements the existing codes of practice and non-statutory guidance. It explains in detail what the General Equality Duty and the Specific Equality Duties require and provides useful examples of how the law can be turned into practice. The guide can be accessed via the Commission's website.
Tuesday, 11 June 2013
Guidance on how to comply with equalities in public procurement
'Buying better outcomes - mainstreaming equality considerations in procurement - A guide for public authorities in England' has been published by the Equality and Human Rights Commission. The guidance explains what approach public authorities may take in order to comply with their Public Sector Equality Duty (under the Equality Act 2010) obligations at different stages of the procurement cycle. It details equality issues that need to be considered at each stage.
The guide is aimed at commissioners, procurement officers, contract managers and people involved in the procurement process.
To view the guidance, visit the Commission's website.
Technical Guidance on Further and Higher Education
The guidance sets out Equality Act 2010 requirements on further and higher education providers in relation to provision of education and access to benefits, facilities or services. These cover all of the services, facilities and benefits, both educational and non-educational that an education provider provides or offers to provide for students. It provides an authoritative, comprehensive and technical guide to the detail of the law. It will be invaluable to education providers, lawyers, advocates, human resources personnel, courts and tribunals, and everyone who needs to understand the law in depth, or apply it in practice.
To access the guidance, visit the Equality and Human Rights Commission's website.
Equal marriage for same-sex couples
The Government has demonstrated its commitment to permitting same-sex couples to marry by publishing the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill. The Bill will give same-sex couples the right to marry in civil ceremonies whilst permitting religious organisations to opt out, if they so wish, from conducting marriage ceremonies for same-sex couples. To read the Bill, please visit the Parliament website.
Religion or Belief in the workplace: a guide for employers
Equality & Human Rights Commission has published a guide which employers will find useful in dealing with the expression of religion or belief at work whilst preventing any conflict and legal challenges by employees. The guide will also be helpful to employees in terms of what their rights are to express their religion or belief at work and what assistance they can reasonably expect of their employers in this regard. The guidance follows recent judgment of the European Court of Human Rights which confirm that persons who want to undertake a certain practice sufficiently connected with their religion or belief will be protected under European Convention of Human Rights regardless of whether it is a mandatory requirement of their religion. To read the guidance, please visit the Commission's website.
Assistance dogs - a guide for all businesses
Short guidance has been produced by the Equality and Human Rights Commission to assist businesses in dealing with Assistance dogs on their premises. The guide explains their legal obligations under the Equality Act 2010 and what they can do to enable disabled owners accompanied by their assistance dog to use their service.
All Service Providers from Restaurants to Taxi operators are encouraged to read the new guide, which is available on the Commission's website.
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