Employment Equality Complaints – January to June 2020

Publication re Employment Equality Complaints

Workplace Relations Commission

Employment Equality Complaints – January to June 2020

Liam Kelly, Director General of the Workplace Relations (WRC) noted the publication today (9th December 2020) of statistics in relation to employment equality complaints received in the first six months of 2020. The WRC committed to publish these statistics every six months, disaggregated by the nine grounds of discrimination. This was one of the actions contained in the “National Strategy for Women and Girls 2017-2020: creating a better society for all. The strategy is intended to respond to women’s needs across a diversity of identities and situations. The strategy sets out a series of actions to promote women’s equality in the workplace, in politics, in sport, and in the arts.

Mr. Kelly indicated that the two leading grounds for employment equality complaints submitted during the first six months of 2020 was “gender” (23%) closely followed by “age” (18%) and disability at 18%, however it is too early to say if this trend will change for the full year.

While he WRC also received 149 Equal Status complaints these are not relevant to the strategy as equal status relates to goods and services.

Mr. Kelly highlighted the critically important role the WRC can play for persons who want to make a complaint about any discrimination, for example discrimination by gender.   We are working with our stakeholders to deliver this key message – the place to make a complaint about discrimination is to the WRC. Making a complaint is free and can be done on line, and both sides can expect the WRC to give them both a hearing and a decision promptly.”

Note for Information

The National Strategy for Women and Girls 2017 -2020: creating a better society for all was launched by the Minister for Justice and Equality in April 2017. A copy of the strategy is available at the link below.

http://justice.ie/en/JELR/National_Strategy_for_Women_and_Girls_2017_-_2020.pdf/Files/National_Strategy_for_Women_and_Girls_2017_-_2020.pdf

The Employment Equality Acts 1998 to 2011 cover employees in both the public and private sectors as well as applicants for employment and training.

The Acts outlaw discrimination in work-related areas such as pay, vocational training, access to employment, work experience and promotion. Cases involving harassment and victimisation at work are also covered by the Acts. The publication of discriminatory advertisements and discrimination by employers, vocational training bodies and employment agencies, e.g. trades unions and employer associations, is outlawed. Collective agreements may be referred to the Workplace Relations Commission for mediation or investigation.

The nine grounds on which discrimination is outlawed by the Employment Equality Acts are as follows: