The law on discrimination is complex and ever-changing. It is therefore important to take expert employment law advice if you are facing discrimination at work or have had a claim made against you.

At Macks Solicitors, we have a team of specialist employment lawyers on hand to offer you tailored employment advice on discrimination in the workplace and the law on whistleblowing.

Our friendly specialist team of Employment Solicitors can guide and support you through the process of discrimination and whistleblowing claims and, if required, represent you in Employment Tribunal proceedings.

Free Initial Discussion

For no-obligation advice and information, call our specialist Employment Solicitors today on 01642 252 828 or use our contact form and we will call you back.

Discrimination in the Workplace

Unfortunately, direct and indirect discrimination occurs within the workplace. However, there is legal protection in place to prevent discrimination in the workplace. Discrimination involves an employee who has a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010 being treated unfairly because of their:

• Age
• Being married or in a civil partnership
• Being pregnant or on maternity leave
• Disability
• Gender reassignment
• Race including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin
• Religion or belief
• Sex or sexual orientation

Indirect discrimination is when employees all receive the same treatment but the treatment impacts unfairly on those with a protected characteristic.

Disability Discrimination and Failure to Make Reasonable Adjustments

Disabled workers have the same rights as other employees but an employer is under a duty to make reasonable adjustments to help disabled employees.

If a worker has a visible or invisible disability, they need to raise their requirement for reasonable adjustments to be made so that the employer can fairly consider the request and to see if they can accommodate the reasonable adjustments.

If you are an employee and you believe that your employer has failed to make reasonable adjustments, we can advise you on your rights and remedies.

If you are an employer and a disabled employee has requested adjustments that you do not believe are reasonable, or that you can accommodate, our employment law solicitors can advise on the grounds for refusing the requested adjustment, any alternatives and steps to minimise the risk of Employment Tribunal proceedings.

Discrimination Against Whistleblowers

Discrimination can also occur in cases of whistleblowing, where an employee feels they have been treated differently or unfairly because they chose to highlight company misconduct. For example, reporting health and safety breaches or accounting regularities to a regulatory body.

Our employment team have represented many employees who have been dismissed, discriminated against or victimised because of whistleblowing as well as employers who need advice on handling whistleblowing. If you are considering whistleblowing against your employer, it is advisable to take employment legal advice before doing so in order to understand the potential employment ramifications and your rights.

Employment Tribunal Proceedings

If you believe you have been discriminated against or treated unfairly by your employer, our Employment Solicitors can advise you on your rights and remedies, including pursuing a discrimination claim at an Employment Tribunal.

If the Employment Tribunal makes a finding of discrimination, it can potentially:

• Issue a declaration that the employer has committed an act of discrimination
• Issue a recommendation that the employer takes steps to reduce the adverse effects of the discriminatory acts
• Order the payment of compensation for the act or acts of discrimination.

At Macks Solicitors, our expert lawyers can represent you in making a claim against your employer, whatever the size or sector of the employer company. Our team also advises employers on how best to avoid discrimination claims and defend Employment Tribunal cases.

How Macks Can Help

We will thoroughly explore your case and determine the best course of action that is tailored to your specific needs.

We will discuss the funding arrangement that best suits your situation and provide you with efficient, practical advice.

Contact us

For more information about discrimination and whistleblowing, you can call us on 01642 252 828; alternatively, complete our online contact form and one of our Employment Solicitors will be in touch.

Macks Solicitors provide comprehensive employment law advice across the country from our offices in Middlesbrough, Darlington and Redcar.