EDI

Government considers a range of cost protection options for claimants bringing discrimination claims

Most organisations will, at some point, have to respond to a claim (meritorious or not) alleging discrimination under the Equality Act 2010. The usual rule for most litigation before the courts in England and Wales is that the loser pays the winner’s costs (or at least pays a proportion of them). The government is considering …
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Equalities update: consultation on updated NHS constitution reinforcing commitment to “single-sex” wards

The Department of Health and Social Care is currently consulting on proposed changes to the NHS Constitution (“the Constitution”) as part of a 10 year review process set out in the Health Act 2009. The constitution was last updated in 2015. The consultation will run for 8 weeks and closes on 25 June 2024. The …
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Department for Education guidance on “gender questioning children”: call for responses

The Department for Education (DfE) is inviting responses to its long awaited draft non-statutory guidance for schools and colleges in England on “gender questioning children”. It states that the term transgender is not being used to describe children because under English law, children cannot obtain a Gender Recognition Certificate and therefore cannot change their legal …
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Drawing on lived experience: four questions for social enterprises

Hiring or consulting people with direct experience of the issues an organisation tackles is often seen as good equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) practice. But there are a few things to consider to truly value and make the most of diverse life experiences. Samara Lawrence, Associate at Bates Wells, addresses four key questions for organisations …
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Bates Wells rewrites fellow B Corp Planit IE’s articles of association and employment contracts to better reflect its values

Planit IE is a design practice that pioneers sustainability and puts the long-term health of the environment and communities it works with at the heart of everything it does. Earlier this year, we rewrote their articles of association and employment contracts to better reflect their B Corp values. Our first step was to gain a …
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Embedding EDI in your internal procedures

Many organisations are considering a review of their policies and procedures to ensure they are fully compliant with their key equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) objectives and corporate strategy. We understand that organisations need to put processes in place which are not just suitable for now, but are robust, forward-looking and dynamic enough to meet …
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