Public Sector Equality Duty

The disparate impact of casualised working on different protected groups presents opportunities for unions to raise challenges using the Public Sector Equality Duty. The duty requires public authorities to promote equality of opportunity and eliminate discrimination for service users and staff. Although there is no strict legal requirement to carry out an equality impact assessment, this remains the best way to prove that “due regard” has been given to equality considerations before introducing changes such as ZHCs.The Equality and Human Rights Commission has produced helpful guidance, Buying better outcomes, on using public procurement to mainstream equality issues, available from its website.

www.equalityhumanrights.com/sites/default/files/publication_pdf/buying_better_outcomes_final.pdf