Discrimination
Welcome to Allen & Overy’s Employment Talk blog, sharing with you our views into the latest trends and risks on all forms of discrimination, including direct, indirect, victimisation, equal pay, harassment, bullying, dignity at work and diversity. We will share our insights on existing protected characteristics (sex, race, sexual orientation, age, transgender, religion, disability, maternity and pregnancy) as well as those coming through the back door such as caste and new categories of disability such as obesity.
Dignity and respect should not be the preserve of the majority
21 October 2020 - Sheila Fahy
Today is International Pronouns Day, a day to educate others that a personal pronoun should be determined by the individual. Whether a person wants to be referred to as “he”, “she”, “they” or otherwise will depend on how the individual identifies, not traditional cues. The issue particularly affects transgender and non-binary individuals, and has led › Read More
13 October 2020 - Sheila Fahy
Somewhere along the way, the idea that white people are superior to others has taken root in society, like a stubborn weed in the garden. It’s everywhere and people are so used to seeing it, they don’t appreciate that it’s choking the goodness out of our world. These words are not mine, but I echo › Read More
Redundancy and pregnant employees
11 August 2020 - Sheila Fahy
This is the first in a series of blogs on redundancy, covering developments and issues that can be challenging for employers. It will culminate in a seminar in the autumn. The first blog looks at the protection available for pregnant employees and those returning from maternity leave. This will be followed by two blogs on › Read More
More than a Hashtag: How do I become an active ally?
02 July 2020 - BLM Nicola Bartholomew
Growing up in rural Scotland and the Peak District, I had an exclusively white childhood. In fact, I am embarrassed to admit that I did not study or play with anyone of another race until I went to university. Thankfully, today, my world is a lot different. I love living and working in a diverse › Read More
26 June 2020 - Rachel Reeves
It’s been difficult to know how to react, what to say and what to do in the wake of the horrific and unnecessary deaths of George Floyd and Rayshard Brooks less than three weeks apart. They’re certainly not the first we’ve experienced but we live in hope they are the last. But who could fail › Read More
U.S. Supreme Court finds that workplace discrimination against LGBT employees is unlawful
17 June 2020 - LGBT Brian Jebb
On June 15, 2020, the United States Supreme Court ruled that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. The 6-to-3 opinion, penned by President Trump’s appointee Justice Neil Gorsuch, consolidates three cases which were argued last year: Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia; Altitude Express › Read More
10 February 2020 - Sheila Fahy
Who’d have dreamt it? And the Oscar for the Best Film and the Best Director goes to ….. Yes, Hollywood have awarded the highest accolade to a South Korean, subtitled, film called Parasite, directed by Bong Joon-ho. This is the first time in the Oscars’ 92-year history that a foreign language film has scooped the › Read More