The Protection of Staff and Students

Introduction

Staff and students are protected in all aspects of the employment, education and/or training relationship, which includes: recruitment and selection, employment terms and conditions, promotion, transfers, access to benefits, appraisal/annual review, assessment of performance, dismissal and post-termination (such as providing references).

See discrimination

Discrimination can occur in several different ways, as follows:

1. Direct discrimination This is where one individual is treated less favourably than another, and the less favourable treatment is because of a protected characteristic they have, or are thought to have (see perception discrimination), or because they associate with someone who has a protected characteristic.
2. Indirect discrimination This is where a provision, criterion or practice applies equally to everyone but has, or would have, a disproportionate impact on those people who share a protected characteristic (e.g. it is more difficult for someone to comply with a requirement because of their religion or belief).
3. Discrimination by association This is direct discrimination against an individual because they associate with another person who possesses a protected characteristic.
4. Perception discrimination This is direct discrimination against an individual where the person is treated less favourably than another, and the less favourable treatment is because others think they possess a protected characteristic. It applies even if the person does not actually possess that characteristic.
5. Harassment This is defined as unwanted conduct related to a relevant protected characteristic which has the purpose or effect of either violating another person's dignity, creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for that other person.
7. Victimisation This occurs where an individual is subjected to less favourable treatment by reason of the fact that s/he has done a"protected act under the discrimination legislation - e.g. someone has made a complaint about discrimination on grounds of their

Equal pay and the Equality Act 2010 The 'equality of terms' provisions in the Equality Act 2010 (the Act) entitle a woman doing equal work with a man in the same employment to equality in pay and other terms and conditions.