Further good practice guides from ACAS

18th August 2015 | employment

ACAS has published three new guides to good practice when dealing with equality issues.

Equality and discrimination: understand the basics covers the practical issues for both sides in complying with the Equality Act 2010.

Prevent discrimination: support equality looks at preventing discrimination and recognising the situations where discrimination may arise.

Discrimination: what to do if it happens is a guide for employees raising a complaint of discrimination and steps for how employers should deal with complaints.

At the end of June ACAS also published a new guide on rights for antenatal and adoption appointment and surrogacy.

Equality Direct is a confidential telephone helpline for small businesses to assist them in dealing with discrimination issues. It is open from 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 1pm on Saturday. The number is 0300 123 1100.

Although we know from recent case law that procedural irregularities can sometimes be amended at the appeal stage (Adeshina v St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, UKEAT/0293/14/RN), it is always worth following ACAS codes of practice. The current codes, approved by Parliament and referred to by employment tribunals, are:

  1. Disciplinary and grievance procedures
  2. Disclosure of information to trade unions
  3. Time off for trade union duties and activities
  4. Settlement agreements
  5. Handling in a reasonable manner requests to work flexibly

All the codes are guides are available on the ACAS website www.acas.org.uk