What sort of conduct can constitute sex discrimination?
• Circulation of emails with innuendos or dirty jokes • Displaying lewd posters • Making personal/intrusive comments about physique or clothing • Unwanted and/or inappropriate physical contact or attention • Not promoting someone because of their sex • Not selecting someone for employment or promotion because of their sexual orientation A common misconception that employers have is that if some or the majority of staff, whether men, women or both, do not object to, for example, circulation of dirty jokes, that this protects the employer. This is not correct. It does not matter that other staff of the complainant’s sex were not offended, it merely matters whether the complainant was offended. Disciplinary and Dismissal Procedures Employers are required by law to go through certain disciplinary procedures before dismissing an employee. Even if you have a fair reason for the dismissal, you may be liable for unfair dismissal if you do not go through the correct procedure. A fair procedure
