Practical Equal Opps for Library Managers – Life after the Equality Act [Event Ref. No. TG2/EQ]

Have you ever worried that you might not fully understand Equal Opportunities and that you might slip up in a pressure situation like an interview?

How would you deal with a complaint of bullying or harassment? Have you kept up to date with the changes introduced in the 2010 Equality Act?

If any of the above questions raise some concerns in your mind, put them to rest by attending a practical and interactive workshop on equal opportunities and the 2010 Equality Act given by a solicitor with experience in HE and who is a full-time practitioner in employment law. Philip Lott has a lively and engaging style and is able to make the law seem both interesting and fun.

The workshop will address issues such as:

Morning Session:

* Who is now legally protected under ‘equal opportunities’ legislation?

* What significant changes have been introduced by the 2010 Equality Act?

* The difference between direct and indirect discrimination

* How do we avoid suggestions of discrimination in job advertisements?

* Avoiding pitfalls in questions at interviews

* The rights of part-time staff

* Requests for ‘flexible working’/returning part-time after maternity leave

* Rights to ‘time-off’ to deal with child-care/domestic emergencies.

Afternoon Session:

* What ‘beliefs’ are protected under ‘religion and belief’ legislation?

* Who now qualifies as ‘disabled’ – and what particular rights do they have?

* How do ‘equal pay’ rights work?

* Dealing with complaints of harassment and/or bullying

* What are the new rules as to harassment of University staff? by ‘third parties’

* How do the new ‘Public Sector Equality Duties’ affect Universities?

* Changes in the rules on the termination/non-renewal of fixed-term
contracts

* Compulsory retirements and age discrimination.

A concise outline of the law on all of the topics covered (and the ‘answer’ to each of the case studies) will be provided.

By the end of the workshop participants will:

* Have gained a practical understanding of the legal principles which govern equal opportunities in the workplace; and

* Be able to identify when further advice should be sought.

Programme:

9:15 am — Arrival and Welcome —

9:30 am ‘Equal Opps’ Quiz/Workshop A
A light-hearted and inter-active introduction to the key issues and principles of which Managers need to be aware. We will look at case studies on:
o Who is protected from discrimination?
o Handling interviews
o Compulsory retirements
o Requests to ‘go part-time’
o Equal opportunities and advertisements

11.00 am — Break (tea, coffee and biscuits) –

11.15 am The Law on Equality and Diversity
To reinforce the knowledge gained from the case studies, an easily-accessible overview of all the main provisions of equal opportunities legislation, including sex, race, sexual orientation, religion/belief and age discrimination.

12.30 pm — Lunch Break —

1.30 pm ‘Equal Opps’ Quiz/Workshop B
To ease us into the afternoon, we will discuss further practical case studies on issues such as:
o Disability discrimination in practice
o Harassment at work
o Equal pay claims
o Religious discrimination
o The rights of fixed-term employees

3.00 pm — Break (tea, coffee and biscuits) —

3.15 pm Disability Discrimination
A concise and practical guide to the law (and practice) as to discrimination on grounds of disability.

3.45 pm The Equality Act 2010
To conclude – and consolidate – our examination of equal opportunities, we will put the Equality Act in its context, considering what has changed (and what hasn’t) with the introduction of this new legislation.

4:15 pm Summary and Questions.

The workshop will be held in The Cayley Room at the London Mathematical Society, Russell Square. Website: www.lms.ac.uk.

Please note that there are limited places available for this event.

To book a place please use our online booking form or email the administrator via cpd25@lse.ac.uk

Cost: £175 for cpd25 members and £265 for other institutions.

Cancellations less than one week before the event will be charged a 50% cancellation fee. In the event of a ‘no-show’ on the day, the full fee will be charged.