Legal and Ethical Responsibilities. Essay -- Business and Management S

Legal and Ethical Responsibilities. Direct Discrimination :- something like putting in the job advertisement â€Å"women need not apply†. Indirect Discrimination :- saying there’s a height limit such as a 6’4†. This will limit who can apply for the job. Sex Discrimination Act 1975 The Sex Discrimination Act 1975 makes sex discrimination unlawful in employment, vocational training, education, the provision and sale of goods, facilities and services and premises. In employment and vocational training, it is also unlawful to discriminate against someone on the grounds that a person is married or, from December 2005, a civil partner, or on the grounds of gender reassignment. The Sex Discrimination Act prohibits direct and indirect discrimination and victimisation. Although not yet mentioned in the Act, case law has established that harassment/sexual harassment and discrimination because a woman is pregnant or on maternity leave are unlawful. Equal Pay Act 1970 The Equal Pay Act 1970 makes it unlawful for employers to discriminate between men and women where they are doing the same or similar work; work rated as equivalent; or work which is of equal value though different in nature. It covers both pay and other terms and conditions such as output and bonus payments, holidays and sick leave. European law has confirmed that the concept of equal pay prevents discrimination in relation to redundancy payments, travel concessions, employers’ pension contributions and occupational pension benefits. The Equal Pay Act applies to pay or benefits provided by the contract of employment. The Sex Discrimination Act covers non-contractual arrangements including benefits such as discretionary access to a workplace nursery or travel concessions. The Act does not give anyone the right to claim equal pay with a person of the same sex. In other words, any comparison must be with a person of the opposite sex. Racial Discrimination Race discrimination occurs when a person is treated less favourably on the grounds of race, colour, and nationality, ethnic or national origin. It is unlawful to discriminate against any worker on racial grounds. The Race Relations Act 1976 makes it unlawful to discriminate in:  · recruitment  · pay (including bonuses and shift premiums)  · other terms and conditions (e.g. holidays)  · ac... ...use she works part-time and he works full-time is unlikely to be a good defence to an equal pay claim. Parental Leave You have the right to take 13 weeks’ leave in respect of every child born after 15 December 1999. You must take the leave either before the child reaches his fifth birthday or five years have elapsed following his placement for adoption (or before his eighteenth birthday if earlier) or, in the case of a disabled child, before the child’s eighteenth birthday. Your employment continues during your leave. You have the right to return to your old job if your leave period lasted 4 weeks or less. If you took longer leave and it is not possible for you to return to your old job, you have the right to return to a similar job which has the same or better status, terms and conditions as your previous job. If you took parental leave immediately after an ordinary maternity leave, you are entitled to return to your old job. If the parental leave followed an additional maternity and it is not reasonably possible for you then to return to your old job, you have the right to return to a job with similar or better status, terms and conditions as your old post.