Imminent changes to the Sex Discrimination Act

Following the successful judicial review of the UK sex discrimination legislation by the Equal Opportunities Commission, the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 (amendment) Regulations 2008 come into effect on 6 April. The Regulations were issued with very little notice to meet the first of the two-yearly commencement dates.

The 2008 Regulations:

• Amend the definition of harassment
• Make employers liable for sexual harassment where they knowingly failed to protect an employee from repeated harassment by third parties
• Increase protection against pregnancy and maternity discrimination
• Narrow the extent to which a woman can be deprived of the benefit of her terms and conditions of employment during maternity leave, where the expected week of childbirth begins on or after 5 October 2008

Read Wragge & Co's expert legal analysis, keeping you and your organisation informed.