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Diversity law and regulations

An overview of the law concerning diversity and discrimination in the UK, with the latest case summaries and useful guidance.

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Legislation

The ICAEW Library holds numerous publications on discrimination law and subscribes to major legal databases. For information on using these resources, please contact the Library.
Industrial Cases Reports Express
  • The Incorporated Council of Law Reporting for England & Wales (ICLR)
Free case summaries involving employment law, discrimination and other subjects.
An overview of the Legal Services Act 2007
  • PDF (137kb)
  • ICAEW
An overview of the Legal Services Act 2007.
Equality Act 2010
  • UK Government
Read the full text of the UK's Equality Act 2010.
Legal Services Act 2007
  • GOV.UK
Full text of the Act as enacted and revised, with explanatory notes. The Act makes provision for the regulation of persons who carry on certain legal activities.
Terms of use

ICAEW accepts no responsibility for the content on any site to which a hypertext link from this site exists. The links are provided ‘as is’ with no warranty, express or implied, for the information provided within them. Please see the full copyright and disclaimer notice.

Guidance

Selected links to guidance on diversity in the workplace.
Employers: preventing discrimination
  • 2023
  • GOV.UK
Details of employers' responsibilities, covering recruitment, pay and discrimination during employment.
Discrimination and the Equality Act 2010
  • 2020
  • Acas
Overview of the law regarding discrimination under the Equality Act 2010 and the nine protected characteristics.
Equality Act 2010
  • 2018
  • Equality and Human Rights Commission
Guidance on the Equality Act 2010 from the EHRC. Covers the purpose of the Equality Act and who it protects. EHRC Codes of Practice covering the Equality Act 2020 are also available; these provide detailed explanations of the provisions in the Act and apply the legal concepts to everyday situations.
Terms of use

ICAEW accepts no responsibility for the content on any site to which a hypertext link from this site exists. The links are provided ‘as is’ with no warranty, express or implied, for the information provided within them. Please see the full copyright and disclaimer notice.

Probate diversity data

All firms accredited for probate services are required to collect, report and publish diversity data about their employees. While this is a regulatory requirement, there are many benefits to focusing on diversity and inclusion.
Probate diversity data results
  • Article
  • Business Law
All firms accredited for probate services are required to collect, report and publish diversity data about their employees.
Diversity reporting FAQs
  • Helpsheets and support
  • Professional Standards Department
A list of frequently asked questions around the subject of diversity reporting in probate including requirements, statutory and social relevance and how ICAEW handles sensitivity of data.
ICAEW Probate Diversity Report 2023
  • Report
  • PDF (1,114kb)
  • ICAEW
This report sets out the results of diversity monitoring by ICAEW firms accredited for the reserved legal service of probate as of 31 March 2023. This report is produced and prepared by OMB Research, on behalf of ICAEW.
ICAEW Probate Diversity Statistics 2023
  • Report
  • PDF (755kb)
  • ICAEW
Data analysed by OMB Research.

Legal Alert

Legal Alert is a monthly checklist from Atom Content Marketing highlighting new and pending laws, regulations, codes of practice and rulings that could have an impact on your business.
New law: New employment law retains EU-derived anti-discrimination rules
  • Article
  • 01 Jan 2024
  • Atom Content Marketing
Employers will welcome confirmation that EU-derived anti-discrimination laws continue to apply from 1 January 2024, that would otherwise have automatically ceased to apply from that date following Brexit.
New guidance: New transgender and non-binary CIPD guidance launched for employers
  • Article
  • 01 Nov 2023
  • Atom Content Marketing
Employers will welcome new guidance from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) to help them manage transgender and non-binary equality, diversity and inclusion issues in the workplace.
New guidance: Acas issues guidance on reasonable adjustments for mental health
  • Article
  • 01 Jun 2023
  • Atom Content Marketing
Employers will welcome new Acas guidance to help them and their employees when considering reasonable adjustments for mental health at work.
New resource: Online help with employees’ disability/long-term health conditions
  • Article
  • 01 Dec 2022
  • Atom Content Marketing
Employers and managers will welcome a new online questionnaire that gives them free, tailored advice to help support and manage staff with a disability or a long-term health condition, whether they are off work or still working.
New case law: Employers take action to guard against potential discrimination claims based on employees’ gender-critical beliefs
  • Article
  • 01 Oct 2022
  • Atom Content Marketing
Employers are considering what they can do to guard against potential claims arising from employees’ gender-critical beliefs in the workplace, as legal disputes in this area hit the headlines.
New strategy: Government launches National Disability Strategy
  • Article
  • 01 Oct 2021
  • Atom Content Marketing
Disabled employees and their employers are checking out the details of the government’s new National Disability Strategy and associated developments and considering what changes they may need to introduce to improve the workplace for disabled workers.
New inquiry: Government considers new employment laws to protect and support menopausal workers
  • Article
  • 01 Oct 2021
  • Atom Content Marketing
Employers should monitor outcomes of a government inquiry ‘Menopause and the workplace’, which could lead to changes in the law to give menopausal workers, including those who do not identify as women, greater protection, support and employment rights.
New practice: Employers making redundancies as COVID-19 restrictions ease should beware inadvertent discrimination against disabled employees
  • Article
  • 01 Jun 2021
  • Atom Content Marketing
Employers considering redundancies as COVID restrictions ease should beware inadvertently discriminating either directly or indirectly against disabled employees when choosing who to let go and take care when considering whether they need to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ for disabled employees.
Disclaimer

These articles from Atom Content Marketing are for general guidance only, for businesses in the United Kingdom governed by the laws of England. Atom Content Marketing, expert contributors and ICAEW (as distributor) disclaim all liability for any errors or omissions.

All alerts

Industry press

The ICAEW Library & Information Service provides a hand-picked collection of industry press articles as a benefit of ICAEW membership. If you are unable to access an article, please see our Online resources troubleshooting or contact library@icaew.com.
Exclusive Black chartered accountants in post-apartheid South Africa: Global implications for the profession
  • Article
  • 01 Mar 2024
  • Theresa A.Hammond, Sedzani Musundwa
Although South Africa’s Apartheid system legally ended with the advent of democracy in 1994, by 2021 only 15% of chartered accountants were Black. The authors examine this underrepresentation through interviews with 22 Black South Africans who earned their chartered accountancy certification in the second decade of the 21st century. While the officially mandated educational and employment barriers that previous generations faced have been dismantled, the authors found that aspiring Black accountants continue to face immense barriers to entering the profession.
Exclusive Diversity and the evaluation of talent in the accounting profession: The enigma of merit
  • Article
  • 01 Mar 2024
  • Fiona Anderson-Gough, Carla Edgley, Keith Robson, Nina Sharma
While accounting firms are facing recruitment and retention problems, regulatory bodies are calling for efforts to improve diversity to be more effective, especially at senior levels. In this paper, the authors discuss 'merit' in processes of performance evaluation and career progression. Based on interviews in Big 4, mid-tier and small professional services firms in the UK, the authors explore how the working environment and culture in firms can potentially inhibit moves to improving diversity.
Exclusive Perceived organizational inclusion: Evidence from neurodivergent accountants in the US
  • Article
  • 01 Mar 2024
  • Qi Duong, Loreal Jiles, Roopa Venkatesh
The authors examine the intersection of neurodiversity and accounting employment by exploring the work experiences of neurodivergent accountants in the US. They attempt to answer the question: 'How can neurodivergent accountants’ perceived organizational inclusion be improved?' Their study amplifies the voices of neurodivergent accountants, providing insights to key factors that shape neurodivergent accountants’ experiences of inclusion, while informing future organizational strategies through 37 recommended actionable practices.
Exclusive Busting myths about women in the workplace
  • Article
  • 25 Jan 2024
  • Alexis Krivkovich, Lareina Yee
This article challenges three common myths about women in the workplace. It reveals that women's ambition has actually increased during the pandemic, with a majority desiring promotions. It also dispels the notion that workplace flexibility is primarily desired by women, as both men and women see it as beneficial. The article also addresses the specific challenges faced by women of colour and the negative impact of microaggressions on women's careers. The authors encourage leaders to take action and advise young women to persist and challenge structural obstacles.
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