Rights Here, Rights Now
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The CEHR will help employers to better understand discrimination law and the business benefits of diversity, through expert advice covering all areas of the law. Equally, employers will be able to help the CEHR to understand the pressures and needs of business.
At present, our economy is one in which the labour market struggles to meet the demands of business for a skilled workforce. Conversely, the US economy was founded on a strong supply of immigrant labour and grows, year in, year out, on a continued inflow of skilled individuals.
The UK and the EU do not have that same level of immigration. We must therefore best use those who could make and, in so many cases, wish to make a larger contribution – be they carers, parents, the many members of our black and minority ethnic communities who struggle to find work, or those retired from work.
The government has made progress across a range of equality and diversity issues and introduced new laws that address discrimination. We have worked with businesses to place work-life balance issues at the centre of the debate on work and caring, and have kick-started a dialogue between government and business, employer and employee, on flexible working. Combining work and caring responsibilities is now at the top of the HR agenda and is used by good employers to recruit and retain the best people.
On race, through the Race Relations Amendment Act, we have introduced laws placing a duty on public bodies to promote equality and to foster good relations between different racial groups. On disability, we introduced new legislation last October outlawing discrimination by employers against disabled people in all aspects of employment. We have also extended protection to employees against discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation, religion and belief.
And, with a rapidly ageing population, we are working towards legislation to outlaw age discrimination in employment and vocational training.
