Race & Ethnicity Discrimination
Unfair treatment due to your race, ethnicity, nationality, or cultural background in the workplace.
What is Race & Ethnicity Discrimination
Race discrimination involves unfavorable treatment because of your race, ethnicity, nationality, skin color, or ethnic origins. This includes direct discrimination (obvious unequal treatment) and indirect discrimination (policies that disproportionately affect certain racial groups). Under the Equality Act 2010, race is a protected characteristic with strong legal protection.
Discrimination can be subtle, such as different standards applied to ethnic minority employees, or overt, involving racial slurs or stereotyping. Many cases involve unconscious bias where employers make assumptions about abilities, commitment, or cultural fit based on racial background.
Race discrimination often intersects with other issues like language barriers, cultural misunderstandings, or assumptions about immigration status, creating complex situations requiring expert legal handling.
Common Reasons
We frequently handle cases involving ethnic minority employees passed over for promotion despite superior qualifications, or subjected to different disciplinary standards than white colleagues. Common scenarios include dismissals following complaints about racist comments, being excluded from client-facing roles due to assumptions about customer preferences, or facing harsher treatment for identical misconduct compared to white colleagues.
Workplace harassment is unfortunately common, ranging from "jokes" about accents or cultural practices to serious verbal abuse. Employers often dismiss complaints as "banter" or fail to investigate properly, sometimes retaliating against complainants.
Other frequent issues include: assumptions about English language skills regardless of proficiency, exclusion from informal networks and opportunities, stricter application of dress codes or time-off policies, or dismissal after requesting religious accommodations. Brexit-related tensions have unfortunately increased discrimination against EU nationals and those perceived as "foreign."
Your Rights and Typical Results
Race discrimination compensation typically ranges £12,000-£30,000, with harassment cases often achieving higher injury to feelings awards. These cases are taken seriously by employment tribunals due to the protected status of race under equality legislation.
No one should face discrimination because of their race or ethnicity. Your background is an asset, not a barrier to employment.
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Frequently asked questions
