Specialist employment compensation claim solicitors deal with applications to the Employment Tribunal for sex discrimination, sexual harassment and victimisation using the no win no fee scheme. You do not have to fund or finance your claim upfront and legal charges only apply at a pre-arranged percentage of the final award if you win your case. If the case is lost there are no legal charges whatsoever. Sex discrimination, sexual harassment and victimisation compensation claims dealt with by no win no fee employment solicitors are completely risk free. Specialist solicitors offer free advice on all employment compensation claims with no further obligation. If you would like to speak to an employment law solicitor with no charge about sex discrimination, sexual harassment or victimisation compensation claims just call the helpline or email our offices. Please bear in mind that there are very tight time limits applicable to claims heard before the Employment Tribunal and the general rule is that an application must be submitted within three months of the last offensive incident failing which the opportunity to claim compensation may be lost forever however the judge does have a wide discretion to extend time limits which should never be relied on as a method of extending the time available. If sex discrimination, sexual harassment or victimisation has forced you to hand in your notice and resign an unfair dismissal compensation claim solicitor will be able to deal with an application to an Employment Tribunal on the basis of 'constructive dismissal'.
It is unlawful to discriminate on the basis of gender by virtue of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 (sexual discrimination may also be considered to be an illegal criminal offense under separate legislation) the remedy for which is an application to an Industrial Tribunal for a declaration, a recommendation or an order requiring payment of compensation which may include elements intended to cover loss of earnings, benefits and pension with the potential for an award of aggravated damages if the behaviour has been particularly offensive. There is no financial limit to the amount of compensation that can be awarded for sex discrimination, sexual harassment or victimisation by an Employment Tribunal. The Sex Discrimination Act 1975 is in force in England, Scotland and Wales and specifically applies to discrimination on the grounds of gender, marriage and trans-sexualism with similar though not identical legislation enacted in Northern Ireland. The legislation covers job applicants, employees, the self-employed, contract workers, voluntary workers and former employees. Sexual discrimination can be either direct or indirect and as an example a requirement that applicants must be above or below a certain height is indirect sexual discrimination as it inevitably favours one gender or the other.
In general terms it is unlawful to discriminate against workers because of their gender and employers should ensure they have policies in place which are designed to prevent discrimination in:
Employers are also liable for acts carried out by the victim's co-workers however the victim should complain to line management at the first opportunity after an incident of sex discrimination. In certain circumstances an employer can be held liable for incidents that occur outside the workplace for example at a works party or a works sporting event that the employer may not be able to control.
Sexual harassment is defined as conduct which is offensive, unwelcome and unreasonable resulting in a humiliating, hostile or intimidating workplace environment. Sexual harassment takes many forms and may be overt or clandestine alternatively it can be direct or indirect. Sexual harassment is a very difficult topic because what offends one person may not offend another. Predators often attempt to dismiss sexual harassment as a jocular incident with comments such as 'only joking' however this often exacerbates the situation by implying that the victim is unworldly or prudish. The important element to sexual harassment is the actual effect that it has on the victim. The perpetrator must take the victim as they find them and it is not a defence to suggest that most other people would not have taken offence at the comments or actions that the victim found offensive. Incidents of sexual harassment are subjective and not objective, the intention being to nip in the bud those comments that may be made by a coarse or think skinned individual who in most circumstances doesn't care about what they say or who they offend.
The following list is only an example of what may be sufficient to justify an sexual harassment application to an Employment Tribunal. The incidents outlined are not exhaustive and there are many other situations where an application for compensation to an Employment Tribunal will follow :-
This term is the term used when someone who has made a complaint about either sexual discrimination or sexual harassment to an Employment Tribunal is treated less favourably by either the employer or co-workers as a direct result of the application having been made to the Employment Tribunal often with the intent of intimidating the applicant to withdraw the application. Witnesses to cases in which they are not the applicant are also protected from sexual victimisation under the Sex Discrimination Act 1975. Applicants and witnesses are also subsequently protected against sexual victimisation if their case before the Employment Tribunal is lost, provided that their evidence was given in good faith.