Gender and women's rights

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Worker protections in the UK compared to the rest of the OECD

Report: Falling behind on labour rights

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Nothing beats being a union member, but if you are looking for particular guidance on a workplace issue have a look at our workplace guidance.

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Are you a union rep looking for help and advice to support your colleagues at work? Take a look at our wide range of resources.

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To effectively challenge sexual harassment, we must challenge the cultures that enable it through practical and proactive action.

Tackling and preventing sexual harassment

We all deserve respect and fair treatment at work. But too many women still don’t feel safe, comfortable and equal at work.

It’s against the law for an employer to treat you worse than your co-workers because of your sex, whether you are male or female. They shouldn’t indirectly discriminate either, by having requirements that are harder for you to meet because of your sex.

Workers who have changed their sex, or are in the process of doing so, are also protected.

You should never face harassment or bullying because of your sex, from your employer, from other workers or from anyone else.

It’s not good enough for those responsible to dismiss sexual harassment as “workplace banter”. That defence has been tested in employment tribunals, and it failed.

If you feel you’re experiencing discrimination or harassment, you can take action to enforce your rights.

But in many situations, the best way to solve problems is to join with co-workers – through the union if you have one - and try to reach an agreement with your employer on how to make the workplace fairer for everyone.

Are you a rep? You can find more practical advice on a range of workplace issues in our support for reps section

Resources

Gender pay gap reporting (pdf)
This guide covers what the gender pay gap is, what causes it and how it differs from equal pay an overview of the new gender pay gap reporting regulations, how to negotiate using the new gender pay gap reporting regulations and useful links and further information

Guidance for reps

Common
questions

What should I do if I'm being sexually harassed at work?

Your employer will be liable for sexual harassment that occurs in the workplace unless they can show that they took all reasonable steps to prevent it. This would mean they had done things like adopted a zero-tolerance approach to sexual harassment, set up good procedures for monitoring and dealing with complaints and trained staff on what kind of behaviour is unacceptable.

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I am paid less than someone of the opposite sex who is doing the same job as I am. Is this lawful?

It is unlawful for your employer to discriminate against you on the grounds of your sex by paying you less than a member of the opposite sex (where both of you are doing 'like work', 'work rated as equivalent' or 'work of equal value'). This applies to all contractual benefits such as salary,  overtime rates,  bonuses  and other payments.

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Can I be sacked because I’m pregnant?

No, if you are dismissed because you are pregnant, this is an automatically unfair dismissal. You can bring a claim of automatically unfair dismissal no matter how long you have been working for your employer.

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How am I protected against sex discrimination?

The Equality Act 2010 make it unlawful for employers to treat workers less favourably than others on account of sex, sexual orientation, transgender or marital status. Workers are protected at all stages of employment, including recruitment and dismissal, against both direct discrimination and indirect discrimination.

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If I go for a job interview, do I have to tell them that I'm pregnant?

No, you don't have to tell them anything. The fact that you are pregnant should not have any bearing on whether you are the right person for the job. and it is against the law to take your pregnancy into account in any way.

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