Identify the main principles of discrimination law during recruitment, selection and employment.

Recruitment

The Equality Act of 2010 is designed to protect employees from various types of discrimination, including direct and indirect ones. Direct discrimination occurs in cases in which a person treats another one unfavorably because of the attributes or traits they have, such as gender, sex, sexual orientation, or pregnancy. Indirect discrimination, on the contrary, can be traced in the example in which a company’s practices make some people’s actions or appearances seem more favorable than others’ ones. For instance, indirect racial discrimination occurs when an employer prohibits certain hairstyles in the workplace. From the perspective of recruitment, it is unlawful for companies not to offer an applicant a position due to their protected characteristics.

Selection

From the perspective of selection, the principles of discrimination law prohibit companies from selecting employees based on the presence or absence of particular traits. For instance, an employer cannot select applicants based on their gender, race, age, cultural heritage or the absence of disabilities. It is vital to mention that hiring managers can only ask potential workers about the possible disabilities in order to identify whether there is a need to adjust the existing working conditions to the person’s needs. Thus, under the Act, the selection process should be free from potential bias and discrimination, too.

Employment

In terms of employment, the Equality Act of 2010 states that a company should not discriminate, harass, or victimize an applicant. This principle also applies to offering employees opportunities for promotion, benefits, training, or services. The consequences of non-compliance include employment tribunal, and the possible remedies for an individual can involve awards of compensation, covering of injuries to feelings, or damages for personal injuries.