Category Archives: Press hyperbole

Woodcock: press reporting of employment law issues reaches a new low

Posted on 23 March 2012 by

It is hard to find a paragraph of the Telegraph’s report of Woodcock v Cumbria Primary Care Trust that is not hugely inaccurate, alarmist, and misleading. I should say now that the likely effect of this case on age discrimination or other areas of employment law is close to nil, and yet the Telegraph screams that the court has apparently sanctioned the sacking of older workers to save employers money “even though the practise is unlawful”. Continue reading →

Posted in Age discrimination, Press hyperbole, Retirement | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Reasonable adjustments for religion: the EHRC explains all

Posted on 14 July 2011 by

Commission proposes ‘reasonable accommodation’ for religion or belief is needed That’s the headline of the EHRC press release from Tuesday this week, when it announced that it was going to intervene in 4 controversial cases currently before the European Court … Continue reading →

Posted in Press hyperbole, Religion, Sexual orientation | 3 Comments

Capping discrimination damages? Much ado about nothing

Posted on 16 May 2011 by

Compensation payouts in discrimination cases have been in the news again in the last week, this time as a result of the government’s “red tape challenge” (in other words, the idea of abolishing anything that might conceivably inhibit growth). I … Continue reading →

Posted in Discrimination, General employment law, Press hyperbole | 3 Comments

Pay “audits”: a win for Lynne Featherstone despite what anyone else says

Posted on 3 December 2010 by

“Coalition abandons compulsory audits of pay gap between men and women…. in a reversal of a Liberal Democrat manifesto pledge.” So claims the Guardian and numerous others, wringing their hands. But are they right? Has the Minister really abandoned her principles, six months into power? I humbly disagree. Continue reading →

Posted in Discrimination, Equal pay, Equality Act, Myths, Press hyperbole, Sex discrimination | 5 Comments

How likely are you to get sued for discrimination?* (Part 1)

Posted on 12 October 2010 by

Actually I’m not going to answer that just yet. But I am going to ask, “Why is the Equality Act getting such bad mainstream PR”? Business lobbyists such as the British Chambers of Commerce have complained that it is ill-timed and will discourage job-creation – but if anything is likely to discourage job creation and lead to mass panic among employers it is the recent spate of misleading anti-Equality Act articles in the right-wing popular press.
Continue reading →

Posted in Discrimination, Equality Act, Myths, Press hyperbole | 2 Comments